Crackdown on Iran could be exactly the wrong thing

Published: Apr 16, 2006
Source: www.sptimes.com



Although it has enriched uranium, Iran is probably seven to eight years away from producing a workable bomb. And if it does develop one, it is unlikely to use it for offensive purposes, but rather as a deterrent against what it sees as two hostile nuclear powers, Israel and the United States.

"If somewhere down the line Iran has nuclear capability, the question is: What are they going to do with it?" asks Brian Michael Jenkins, an expert on terrorism at the Rand Corp.

"Are they going to launch a missile and wipe out Tel Aviv? Are they going to launch a nuclear weapon against the United States? That would be the end of Iran."

Iran has no recent history of aggression against other countries, although it supports Islamic proxies like Hezbollah that have been blamed for terror attacks against Israel and U.S. soldiers in the Middle East.continue..