By: Prof. Kazem Kazerounian
Source: Global Politician
Engage Tehran. I have a piece of advice for those wishing to start a ferocious and bloody war with Iran that would claim the lives of millions of Iranian people and thousands of American soldiers, would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and would enflame turmoil in the region for decades: engage Tehran. Here is a step by step instructional guideline for engagement to proceed.
1. Start an honest-to-goodness negotiation with Iran’s ayatollahs on the nuclear issue.
Be ready to give in a little bit. Pretend that a nation rich in natural resources has an immediate need for nuclear energy. Pretend that a country which has zero research and development in alternative forms of energy has honorable intentions in striving to become a nuclear power. Pretend that Iran has the will and the technological power to care for environment and keep the operation of nuclear sites safe. Trust the Russians and Chinese to chip in and help Iran with the technology without selling them the know-how. You can even ask Pakistani nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, whose house arrest has been eased recently, to oversee the whole process. And above all, trust that the ruling mullahs will keep their words.
2. Close your eyes to the mullahs’ barbaric suppression of the Iranian people. Ignore that 80% of the population is beneath the poverty line, 15% of the population is addicted to drugs, 120,000 have been executed, hundreds of thousands are imprisoned and tortured for their religious or political beliefs and movements of women, students, teachers and workers are violently suppressed. You don’t need a friend in the Iranian people. Always pretend that there is a faction (reformist, pragmatist, realist, etc.), within the regime that we can deal with. Give Tehran’s mullahs security assurance, and pledge to them that they can carry on without the civilized world raising eyebrows. Let the mullahs stabilize their tyranny over the people. Let the Iranian people know that they are on their own.
3. Engage Tehran’s ayatollahs in the security, internal affairs and future of Iraq. Believe in the mullahs’ love for their neighbors. Ignore that Iran’s proxy or direct armed brigades are conducting terrorist acts inside Iraq. Ignore that corrupt politicians are bribed to be Iran’s voice within the newly developed Iraqi government. Ignore that weaponry and explosives are smuggled to Iraq to create an intimidating environment for the population and an impossible situation for coalition forces. Ignore that mullahs are targeting terrorist operations against civilians to create ethnic and religious tensions. Ignore that Tehran’s agents have been buying houses and business in Iraq to establish native proxy clusters. Pretend that you are not aware of what the American forces and their generals have said about Iran’s infiltration and terrorist acts in Iraq. Pretend that these acts are the weekend hobby of a few loose cannons and Tehran’s mullahs are in the dark on this. Believe that Ayatollahs are genuinely interested in a secure, peaceful, secular, prosperous and independent Iraq.
4. Treat Islamic fundamentalism as yet another culture that we need to get along with and respect. Pretend that Islamic fundamentalists’ beliefs and activities should be interpreted in terms of their own culture. Pretend that stoning, gouging eyes, lashing, amputating hands, and brutal treatment of women are all cultural issues we should accept and maybe even take a commemorating picture. Trust that Islamic fundamentalists’ imperial ambitions are as benign as the tourist ministry of Barbados promoting the island’s natural wonder. Ignore that the mullahs have their tentacles in Afghanistan, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Gaza, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, and many other places, extending as far as the streets of England and France and beyond.
5. Give in to the Iran’s ayatollahs’ number one request from the west and impede their main opposition groups, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Mojahedin-e-Khalgh (MEK). Tehran consistently requests during negotiations that western states restrict or prevent the activities of MEK and NCRI, and Tehran is willing to pay dearly for this. The regime considers these organizations to be the main impediments to stability in Iran and expansion in Iraq. Be sensitive to the mullahs wish and do what you can do to restrict opposition groups.
These five steps are inextricably linked. Following this guideline will ensure that we will soon find ourselves bewildered and panicky as we face the prospects of a fundamentalist superpower with no respect for international norms of diplomacy and co-existence. At that time, we will have no option but to rush to a war with Iran. But if you are some one who desires peace and democracy in the region, just ignore my suggestions. Better yet, reverse the five point instructions above.
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian teaches at the University of Connecticut.