The cartoon published Nov. 16 regarding Iran contained several issues that need clarification. The cartoon comes at a time when a military option is being discussed, thus it takes on additional meaning, making it important that we look at the facts to get a true depiction of the situation.
Two objections with the cartoon include the implication that Iran has been acting in an irresponsible and unpredictable manner in the Middle East and that Iran has a nuclear weapon. With regard to the former, if we look at the foreign policy decisions made by Iran over the years, we find that rather than acting in an irrational manner, Iran has, in fact, strictly pursued its interests in a rational fashion just as other countries do.
The latter implication is simply incorrect. As reported by Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker, the 2011 National Intelligence Estimate (N.I.E.), summarizing the views of the 16 U.S intelligence agencies, reinforced the conclusion of the 2007 N.I.E., namely that Iran is not now and has not been working on a nuclear weapon since 2003.
The recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency states that Iran has been able to enrich uranium to 5 percent levels, needed for energy production, and has produced a small amount of uranium enriched to 20 percent levels needed for medical and industrial use, very far from the 80 percent or more required for a nuclear weapon. The report also indicates that Iran has the technology neither to make nor to deliver a nuclear weapon.
Given the conclusions of our own intelligence analysts as well as the experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is almost certain that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon and is most probably not pursuing one.
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Given this, the implications of the cartoon clearly do not agree with the facts of the situation. Despite how much we may dislike the policies of the Iranian government, we must objectively analyze the situation and not allow speculation and emotional arguments to lead us into another disastrous war.
_Mohammad Sahrapour, graduate student_
