Stuck on Stupid

American diplomacy vs. Iran:

Although it’s not widely appreciated, the nuclear deal Washington is currently dangling before Iran to entice it to halt its declared uranium-enrichment program is a cure nearly as awful as the disease. To be sure, Iran’s enrichment effort, if unchecked, could bring Tehran within days of acquiring a bomb. But Washington’s latest overture to Tehran—offering advanced large nuclear reactors, hundreds of tons of lightly enriched uranium, and a pass on Iran’s violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty—will only make it tougher to toe a hard line against Iran later this fall. And it could literally blow up in our faces if Iran actually accepts it.

The Bush administration is offering Iran a diplomatic package including cooperation on civil aviation, increased international trade and investment, and agricultural and telecommunications assistance. The package’s most stunning provisions, though, are nuclear. These include building Iran more “state of the art” power and research reactors, assuring a “buffer stock of up to 5 years supply of nuclear fuel,” and suspending “discussion of Iran’s nuclear program at the U.N. Security Council.”

Our diplomats claim that these enticements are designed to force Iran to make a choice: Either enjoy the benefits of peaceful international economic and civilian nuclear cooperation, or else face sanctions and isolation. This “positive incentives” package, along with the July 31 passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Iran stop all enrichment activities by August, is supposed to be enough to deter Iran from continuing its dangerous drive for nuclear weapons.

This pitch sounds impressive. The only problem is that it’s mostly hype.

We've refused to target Iran for the past 27 years regardless of the provocations they have engaged in. Diplomacy is only effective when backed with the threat of force. We do not have a credible threat of force against Iran.

The mullahs will not be swayed.