America must halt Iran’s nuke ambitions

Pop Quiz 1: Which of the following is true:

A) It took Iran 25 years to build one subway line in its only major city, and 27 years to fully open a new airport.

B) Just as in 1980, Iran is front-and-center in the American presidential election, resulting in Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s ego going through the mosque roof.

C) Iran fell in line when America had a strong leader with a decisive policy on terrorism.

Answer: all of the above.

So how can such a backwards country – despite its very educated and prodigious people – continually dominate headlines, and significantly affect American foreign policy?

Easy. Chalk it up to a long history of bipartisan ineptitude and cowardice in dealing with the Middle East, especially Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons – an endeavor, by the way, that it just re-jumpstarted with vigor.

Sure, we’re told by the “experts” that the Iranian situation is far too complex for the average American to understand, since it’s a global chess game best played by diplomatic masters using “back channels” and carefully-nuanced language.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Fact is, on the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, all 52 American hostages were released after 444 days of captivity. Similarly, after President Trump took out terror mastermind General Qassem Soleimani, Iran fell in line by waging “fierce revenge” – a missile attack that deliberately failed to target American forces and their military assets, for good reason. Pop Quiz Two, again looking for true statements: A) For years, Libya was a rogue nation that openly engaged in terrorism, harbored the training camp for the Achille Lauro cruise ship hijackers, bombed the Rome and Vienna airports, bombed the Berlin nightclub that killed a U.S. serviceman, and incinerated Pan Am Flight 103. B) Libya fell in line when the U.S. had a bold leader with a decisive policy on terrorism. C) Leader Moammar Gadhafi became a reliable player who did everything the U.S. demanded of him. While no angel, and clearly acting out of self-preservation, Gadhafi nonetheless “played ball,” helping to root out terrorists and stopping his WMD programs. Gadhafi was even taken off the statesponsored terrorism list and praised by George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice for his cooperation. Again, all of the above. The threat isn’t Iran launching a nuclear missile, since its leaders know that doing so would condemn their country to becoming the world’s largest piece of glass. Israel and the United States would retaliate with a massive nuclear attack, and Iran would lose in every possible way. The greater danger is Iran providing nukes and nuclear technology to terrorists who would love to make New York uninhabitable for a hundred years. The most important step is to not make idle threats – and this goes for whomever wins in 2020. Nothing is more counterproductive than a war of rhetoric with no hammer.

Sanctions are a solid step, but many countries cheat with no repercussions. If sanctions are circumvented, and nuclear technology and supplies get through, what’s the point of having them? Offenders must be called out for their illegal actions in front of the global community – and severely punished. We have the biggest stick, but must use it.

The U.S., unilaterally if necessary, should enact and enforce a global ban on any additional nations developing nukes. Period. Any country pursuing a nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but not allowing American inspectors total access, would have their launch pads, centrifuges and laboratories, both above and below ground, obliterated.

If our resolve does not weaken, and if we respect the sovereignty of other nations (excepting the nuclear weapons issue), America will stand proud as the world leader representing peace through strength.

At the risk of using the wrong messenger to convey the right message, let’s employ the words of Al Capone in The Untouchables:

“Somebody messes with me, I’m gonna mess with him. Somebody steals from me, I’m gonna say you stole ... You can get further with a kind word and a gun, than you can with just a kind word.”

America has the gun, and Iran the pea-shooter. Since humankind hangs in the balance, let’s keep it that way.