THE DOUBLE STANDARDS OF THE WEST

Pinocchio’s Nose Grows Longer. Can the Nuclear Conflict with Iran be Defused?

By Thomas Pany

[This article published in the German-English cyber journal Telepolis, 1/12/2006 is translated from the German on the World Wide Web, http://www.telepolis.de/r4/artikel/21/21770/1.html.]




The debate over the Iranian nuclear program has burst into flames again. It appears Iran can play the black-white piano of the East-West conflict in this sensitive matter better than the West that seems helplessly caught in its reaction patterns. Teheran has long included these reactions in its strategic calculus and counts on the support of non-European powers, above all Russia and China.

As announced some time ago, Iran has resumed its “research program” for uranium enrichment. The seals were removed in the Isfahan facilities – in sight of the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA). As expected, authoritative western politicians reacted with great indignation. “No measure is excluded,” they said.

In all likelihood, the matter will be brought before the UN Security Council. Iran’s unilateral activities started without consultations snub the self-image of the western governments that see Teheran’s independent step as ominous. The reactions of westerners are marked by the worry that Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. Iran’s chutzpa must be stopped. The reactions from Europe and the US carried out with threatening gestures could prevent the militarization of the nuclear program.

The high-handed appearance of the current Iranian president Ahmadinedschad makes it easy for western politicians to counter all Iran’s efforts in nuclear policy – except for renouncing on the nuclear program – with the greatest mistrust. To top it all, it is a good opportunity for the new German government under Merkel to rehabilitate itself as a loyal friend and ally to Washington.

A few aspects are hardly considered in the exciting debate. For a long while, Iran acted in harmony with the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty [1] and appeared open and ready for international observers and controls of its nuclear research program.

According to information [2] of the Russian secret service RIA Nowosti, Ahmadinedschad will sign a law “that suspends Iran’s fulfillment of the demands of the supplementary protocol to the non-proliferation treaty.” This is not a reassuring signal. Iran has rejected the Russian proposal to conduct uranium enrichment on Russian soil and insisted on carrying out the entire nuclear fuel cycle in its own country. Thus there are good reasons for mistrust.

But if Iran should actually pursue secret nuclear facilities [3], this would move their ambitions into a completely different light. However convincing proof has not been offered. The preparations for the Iraq war justify a great skepticism toward the suspicions of leading western nations.

For Iran, the development of nuclear facilities is a matter of prestige. The land that is proud of its cultural and scientific tradition will not be interrupted in this point by western governments entangled by their own economic interests. The country has the support of the majority of its population and all fractions of its parliament for this course. American experts who argue that Iran does not need nuclear power plants will not dictate to Iran. The US and Great Britain had a different opinion in the times of the Shah and wanted to do business with the country [4] in nuclear power facilities.

CHINA’S KEY ROLE

Perhaps this is yesterday’s snow. Still hypocrisy appears here that is also obvious elsewhere. While the West works on developing ever-new nuclear weapons, should Iran be barred from the peaceful use to which it is entitled according to international law? This is a difficult matter that does not become easier through the more or less hidden announcements by the western side to reassess its military options. On the other hand, business with the raw material energy is involved for Iranian representatives. They see the West with a long double standard nose that becomes ever longer.

The Iranian leadership argues on this basis. In November 2004, Iran signed an immense oil- and gas deal [5] with China and maintains good business relations with Russia [6]. While Russia’s attitude maneuvers in the nuclear dispute, the Chinese position until recently was unequivocal [7]: “Iran has the right to continue working on nuclear technology,” the acting Chinese foreign minister Zhang Ye Sui said after spending a few days in Teheran. With this assurance (China’s veto can block a decision of the Security Council), the Teheran leadership can profile itself domestically and internationally as the great Moslem country that can ignore western rhetoric and defy the Europeans and the US superpower.

However limits are set to overly bold ventures. Yesterday’s statement of the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry made this clear [8]:

“We express our concern…about the recent new development in the Iranian nuclear issue. We hope that the Iranian side can do more to help build mutual trust and promote the resumption of talks between Iran and the EU countries.”

Whether Iran will take this advice to heart is uncertain. If it does, this would help deactivate the Cold war dynamic and considerably strengthen international pressure for controls on its nuclear program.