Unrest/Revolution won't prevent Iran's nuclear ambitions

Jerusalem Diaries ^ | June 23, 2009 | Judy Lash Balint

[jerusalemjudy]

Ahmadinejad has called on the United States and Britain to stop interfering in Iran's internal affairs, threatening to deprive them of a place in "the circle of friendship with the Iranian nation."

Ahmadinejad evidently took his lead from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had already warned foreign leaders not to meddle in Iran's domestic affairs. Khameni declared that continued interference would lead Iran to respond "in other fields". Clearly a reference to the country's nuclear or advanced missile capabilities.

So while the world's attention is riveted on the drama playing out on the streets of Iran where courageous opponents of Ahmadinejad continue to try to make their voices heard, the over-arching agenda of Iran's nuclear threat has been pushed into the background.

Mistake!

As Jeffrey Fleishman writing in the Chicago Tribune notes: "Iran's nuclear program is ingrained in the national psyche. It began decades ago and is embraced across the Iranian political spectrum. Its future rests more with the wishes of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling clerics than it does with hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or the more moderate Mousavi.

The nuclear endeavor, along with geography, vast oil supplies and resistance to Western pressure, are critical to Iran's stature in the region. The political tumult and bloodshed over this month's elections may force a shift in domestic affairs, such as mending the troubled economy, but not a scientific mission that predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution and whose spinning centrifuges and technological breakthroughs have become a mark of pride."

The election crisis might change internal Iranian issues, but the nuclear agenda will not be modified. Iranians are united around this.

This is where DeNukeIran comes in. As the community continues to grow--we are close to 500 members--we can keep attention focused on the nuclear threat.

Pass the word--Iran must be denuked!

Visit DeNuke Iran at: www.DenukeIran.ning.com