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November 10, 2009
Exclusive: The Foreign Policy Blunders Continue
Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade?, James Jay Carafano, PhD
The biggest news on the foreign policy and national security front barely made the news last week. A little noted article in a British paper reported evidence that Iran has been experimenting with a nuclear device. Heritage Middle Expert Jim Phillips, who tracks the Iranian program closely noted:
The Guardian reports today that the International Atomic Energy Agency has asked Iran to explain evidence that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, but Tehran continues to stonewall requests for relevant information and drag its feet at the sputtering talks over its illicit nuclear weapons program. According to a dossier prepared by the IAEA, Iranian scientists may have tested high-explosive components of a “two-point implosion” device that could enable Iran to eventually install small nuclear warheads on its ballistic missiles. One European official said that “It is breathtaking that Iran could be working on this sort of material.” The article reported on speculation that the Pakistani nuclear proliferator A.Q. Khan or a Russian weapons expert may have helped the Iranians to master the synchronized high explosive detonations necessary to build the warhead.
Stories like this reinforce the assessment that we are simply living inside the margin of error of knowing when Iran will produce a nuclear device and marry it to a long-range missile.
The administration was notably restrained in its response to the story. It still seems to betting on cutting a deal with Iran, though the evidence increasingly suggests that Tehran is just running out the clock.
Likewise, events in Latin America took a turn south as well. U.S. policy looked it like dodged a bullet in Honduras after a deal to allow new elections was brokered with the ousted president “wannabe dictator” Manuel Zelaya. (The U.S. wrongly sided with the likes of Venezuela strongman Hugo Chávez in backing Zelaya).
Now it looks like Zelaya is reengaging and elections may be jeopardy. Heritage Latin America expert Ray Walser reports, “Mr. Zelaya wants to tear up the agreement and walk away. He demands the U.S. not recognize the outcome of the November 29 elections unless he is restored to office immediately. He also wants the U.S. to punish his fellow Honduran with an array of irksome sanctions unless he is returned.”
The administration made an enormous blunder in offering any support to Zelaya to begin with. As Zelaya acts more and more irrational, the U.S. looks more and more foolish.
While the terrible tragedy at Ft. Hood and the debate over government health care dominated the headlines we should not forget that there are tragedies in the making overseas as well….and last week, the administration did little to prevent them.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation.
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (1) | Sign Up for FSM Updates!
Mr. Carafano: I have been distressed at the ineptitude of this administration and worry about the long-range results from what our ex-VP called the president's "dithering." Reminds me of Caesar fiddling while Rome burned.
posted by: AJ
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 08:37 PM
