Iranian advancements not proliferation

The United States is simply outraged by Iran’s development of a nuclear energy program. Proud over future developments in their own technology, Iranians can’t understand what all the fuss is about, and are accordingly outraged by the United States/British support of the resolution in the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council.

Playground politics: There can only be one bully big enough to dominate the monkey bars.Stephen Rademaker, United States assistant secretary of state for arms control, made clear in his statement that, “We are especially troubled by the reality that several states seeking nuclear weapons in recent years have done so in violation of their solemn NPT.” The United States is clearly troubled enough to demand that Iran, although cooperating fully with inspections of its nuclear program, stop “proliferating.”

However, the United States is not troubled enough to demand compliance from Israel. Israel “proliferated” after the signing of the nuclear proliferation treaty, and the United States has since accepted the fact that Israel will not sign the treaty nor will it allow inspectors into their country.

With geopolitical playground politics at work, only supporters of the United States may play on the monkey bars.

Iran made incredible progress in its research involving enriched uranium, an element used in weapons, which can also be used as an energy source. The national media has ignored the latter and, playing on the ignorance of the general public on matters of nuclear energy, has begun the typical scare tactics. It’s all in the vocabulary. Notoriously biased FOX News reported that Iran was restarting its nuclear program and “warned European negotiators that building trust required a mutual effort” in a recent story. Warned? It doesn’t seem that statement is much of a threat. Trust-building seems like a rather peaceful directive, one that FOX presumed was issued as a warning. A warning of peace?

The media has consistently, and predictably, drawn comparisons between Iran’s scientific endeavor and Iraq’s fabled weapons of mass destruction. Iran has even been accused of attempting to develop nuclear missiles, with no evidence to support the claim. FOX News did manage to report on missile development in Iran, a slight of hand trick that involved reporting on Iran’s nuclear program in previous stories, then slipping it into the news that Iran developed missile technology.

Important note: the missiles were of a non-nuclear persuasion.

Let the analogy between the Iran and Iraq end there, because aside from Iran’s compliance with inspection procedures, it also reluctantly suspended nuclear research programs after increased pressure from the United States and Great Britain. I suppose the U.S. won’t be able to use the excuse that its policies are attempting to give the people of Iran freedom and democracy, seeing as how the people of Iran stormed the British Embassy in protest after the resolution was passed to refer the country to the Security Council. The United States really only has Iran’s many “failures and breeches” of the nuclear proliferation treaty as justification for its stance. One of these breeches is Iran’s failure to report its programs to the international atomic energy agency – programs the United States has been aware of and even supported temporarily since 1976.

Apparently, the United States is so hardcore about the tenants of the non-proliferation treaty that it stands by it 100 percent – in word. Unfortunately, the United States is considered one of the top violators of the treaty. Placing Iran under fire may be a good way to step away from the flames, but it’s not always wise to throw stones if your policies are as transparent as American nuclear policy.

Christina Diaz is a senior majoring in political science.