Having 90 billion barrel of proven oil resources i.e. about 9 per cent of world total oil reserves, and the second largest gas reserves in the world, Iran is going for nuclear programme in an area that is famous for all kinds of political earthquakes as well as social, ethnic, cultural and religious upheavals.

Although Iran is not the only energy rich country that is doing so, however, what is making Iran’s case all the more difficult is that with the US presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, its basis in all countries surrounding Iran and three US battle ships in close proximity in the Gulf, Iran’s national interests have come in direct clash with those of the current supreme power of the world. What further confounds the nuclear scene is George W. Bush whose capacity to plunge the world into one crisis after another has always been underestimated.

With his Jewish family connections there is little hope anything tangible can happen to ameliorate the situation in the Gulf making room for some progress on Iranian nuclear issue as long he stays in the White House.

The only silver lining seems to be the next Democratic establishment in Washington which might fully realise the gravity of the situation in the Gulf and its perceived threat to the world peace, shun its bias against the most cultured and civilised nation in the region, lower its guards and engage in some constructive and frank discussion, on all diplomatic a well as technical levels, and remove all its doubts on Iran’s nuclear programme.Iranians do need a breather.

Militarily they may not match the firepower and destructive capability of the US, however, as regard their self preservation, protection of their, honour, dignity and sovereignty, they have enough at hand in men and material to engage the so-called supreme power of the world in the next hundred years. Diplomacy should not be employed as a tool to score victories; it is a device to win laurels to all parties concerned.

The US exercising its influence on international bodies to corner Iran is not doing any service to the world peace. It failed in case of Pakistan, India and North Korea, and is bound to fail in case of Iran. The only plus point in this game of horror is that Iran has always been expressing its intentions explicitly for a non-military and peaceful civilian nuclear programme.

Further, it has always cooperated with the IAEA and had even signed unprecedented additional protocol for extensive surprise visits of the IAEA inspectors to all of its nuclear sites. Under the US influence, the EU as well as other non-European countries, who could play an effective role in ensuring global peace, instituted through the UNSC a set of sanctions against Iran that have backfired.

Currently the additional protocol has been suspended, although, Iran has not stopped its cooperation with the IAEA nor it has deviated from the path of negotiations which are still in progress. How many today know that Iran’s nuclear programme was initiated in 1960s during the reign of King Reza Shah and at that time the US was its main supplier of nuclear technology, equipment and research assistance. In the beginning the US even provided small research reactor which remains in use to this day at the Tehran Research Centre.

The US also provided Iran with ‘hot cells’-heavily shielded rooms with mechanical arms to separate irradiated material from the research reactor. It even did not object to the Iranian Commercial agreement with France for the purchase of enriched uranium in 1974. The US never had any doubts about Iran’s Nuclear Programme until 1979 when Iran’s Islamic Revolution deposed Reza Shah.

In November 1979 angry Iranian students who were disillusioned by the US extensive meddling in their domestic affairs stormed the US embassy and held the US embassy staff (53 people) hostage for 444 days. That simply deteriorated Iran-US relations beyond recovery.

After 1979 the first casualty was Iran’s agreement with France for the purchase of enriched uranium. Under US pressure France cancelled the deal with Iran as it had done in case of Pakistan when it failed to provided two nuclear reactors.

Pakistan redirected its resources and bailed itself out. Iran was luckier though. In 1989 it discovered uranium deposits near the town of Saghand, in the eastern, province of Yazd and at several other sites. Iran’s 1989-1994 five year plan spared substantial amount for the construction of a ‘uranium bullion’ plant, and also entered into a contract with Argentina for its construction.

However, under US pressure Argentina withdrew from the US $ 18 million project in 1991. The story of US antagonistic policies towards Iran, to hurt its progress and development, does not end here. Iranian sensed how cruel, unethical and amoral their adversary was. They hid the most crucial aspects of their nuclear programme so that its progress is not hindered.

It is this cautious behaviour of Iran in face of the most daunting and 
unscrupulous adversary that is being questioned by its very detractor. If the US alone had acted in good faith Iran was not obliged to hide anything from the world.

Currently Busher project is under strain on behest of the US. Its completion has been delayed by three years. Even Russia is not able to withstand the US pressure.

The US, however, need to understand that it can only delay the completion of Iran’s nuclear programme; it cannot halt or reverse its progress. Already certain projects are nearing completion and it is doubtful whether UN sanctions can be effective to stall them.

The 9/11 terrorist act gave the US moral ascendancy that it should have exploited to make the world safer. Instead Mr Bush, yet another hybrid Jewish-Christian fanatic like OBL of Islam, has floundered the opportunity and indulged in greater acts of terrorism pushing any hope for peace further down the slope: it requires a genius to ride out the time.

Information

Militarily they may not match the firepower and destructive capability of the US, however, as regard their self preservation, protection of their, honour, dignity and sovereignty, they have enough at hand in men and material to engage the so-called supreme power of the world in the next hundred years.

First appeared in Pakistan Observer on 31st July, 2007