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OPINION

US MUST TARGET AQK, NOT IRAN
J. N. RAINA

Iran has been given a breathing space, before the United States firms up its decision about ‘regime change’ in that country. Iran, believed to be a prototypal of Iraq, has to erase the impression that it is not a ‘rogue state’.

The November 24 Vienna conference was very crucial for Iran, when the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN watchdog on nuclear proliferation, withheld its decision to refer Iran’s nuclear issue to the Security Council, for possible sanctions. Charge against Iran is that it has been hiding sensitive nuclear activities, in violation of Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).There was almost a similar charge against Iraq, before the US and its allies ‘invaded’ Saddam Hussein’s citadel and made a rubble of Iraq, thus giving way to enlarged global terrorism.

After Iraq, now it is the turn of Iran to get pounded before ‘regime change’. Some other countries are also in the U S pipeline. But can India be far away from the US’s meddlesomeness? Congressman Dan Burton has already laid the road map for ‘division of India’.

While in New Delhi, leading a delegation of US Congressmen, Burton freely talked about ‘Khalistan’ and even sought Pakistan President General Musharraf’s involvement for the ‘separation ‘ of Punjab from the rest of India. Burton’s devilry tantamount to secessionist activities. It is a matter of serious concern and points to vulgar behaviour of the Americans. The devil’s advocate needs a different treatment in a separate article.

“It is regime change in Iran that is the larger objective of American policy”, says Seymour Hersh, investigative American journalist. He has disclosed that the Bush administration had been ‘conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran in order to identify about three dozen sites to be destroyed by commando raids and precision strikes’.

The European Union has agreed, though reluctantly, to give Iran an extended time, to negotiate on its nuclear proliferation. But Iran is not completely off the hook. It has been warned against making any ‘unilateral moves’ to increase its atomic activities.

The warning is not sudden. Iran, a Shia Muslim country, has confessed that it had obtained know-how, 18 years ago, to make the core of a nuclear warhead. Several IAEA Board governors have asked for more time for what is known as ‘diplomatic dialogue’, on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.

The Board in September-- of course with Indian consent-- had found Iran in ‘non-compliance’ with the NPT. Iran has now been asked to ‘seriously consider’ a Russian compromise formula, backed by the US and Britain, which would allow it to enrich uranium in Russia. It has been warned to ‘implement the confidence-building measures’ and cease uranium conversion work, the first step in enriching uranium into atom bomb material.

The IAEA feels concerned about a document in Iranian hands, which was supplied to it by an ‘international black market’, which is a guide to making the explosive core of an atomic bomb. Obviously, the reference is to Pakistan’s ‘disgraced’ nuclear scientist Dr A Q Khan.

Iran received the nuclear know-how clandestinely through Dr Khan for nearly two decades, under the watchful eyes of the CIA, which had been shielding Khan, because it was a US policy decision then not to ‘disturb’ Khan’s overt and covert operations and expose Pakistan, a front-ranking ally This is how the Americans have been playing fraud with sovereign nations.

India has convincingly told IAEA as to how Pakistan helped Iran’s ambitious nuclear programme. India should persistently demand that Dr A Q Khan should be interrogated, because he had been working on the vicious nuclear circle globally, under the nose of the Pakistani establishment, with the U S blessings.

India expressed its dismay, but not before it was put to mat by the strong opposition at home for succumbing to US pressure for self-interest, without caring for self-respect. It acted against Iran’s interest, in the September 24 IAEA conference, raising hackles in India and abroad. The Indian decision surprised all.

“Iran was long identified by Washington as a rogue state; it was accused of supporting terrorist activities; and in 2002, the Bush administration had elevated it to being part of an axis of evil, along with Iraq and North Korea. US Nuclear Posture Review of 2002 mentions Iraq, Iran, Syria and North Korea as countries against which nuclear weapons could be used in certain contingencies”, says Prof Matin Zuberi.

Can India succeed in its attempt to expose Pakistan’s overt nuclear dealings through Dr Khan and get it tagged as a ‘rogue state’? I have y doubts Reason: the close nexus between Washington and Islamabad.

“The American commando task force is working closely with a group of Pakistani scientists, who, in the past, had worked with their Iranian counterparts. It is a deal, a trade-off”, says Seymour. The Americans are asking Pakistani scientists: “Tell us what you know about Iran and we will let your Q Khan guy go”.

While Britain, Germany and France have favoured a diplomatic solution to the resolution of Iranian nuclear issue, the US is adamant—just as it was in the case of Iraq on the issue of Weapons of Mass Destruction—that the matter about Iran’s nuclear issue should be raised at the UN Security Council. India does not want Iran’s case to be sorted out at the IAEA.

India has pointed out, though belatedly that a man (Dr Khan) who has been accused of running a nuclear Walmart should be interrogated.

Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told the IAEA, while obliquely referring to Pakistan and China, that ‘it would not accept pursuit of clandestine activities in respect to WMD-related technologies.

‘Our own security interests have been seriously undermined by the clandestine nuclear weapons programme in our neighbourhood, aided and abetted by some NPT signatories themselves’, he told IAEA.

India has to remain neutral. It should neither side with Iran, because of the shady deal, involving Pakistan’s disgraced nuclear scientist; nor the US, for its varied objectives. The IAEA’s September resolution on Iran did not name countries like China, which have for long been deeply involved in Iran’s nuclear activities.

Iran has to be cautious henceforth. It need not give a chance to the US to meddle in its affairs, keeping in view that US and UK are linked together for engineering regime change, and reviving their old divide-and-rule policy.

Iran has to be cautious and should not give a chance to the US to meddle in its affairs. Teheran will do well to remember that US and UK are linked together for engineering regime change, and reviving their old divide-and-rule policy.


Courtesy : Syndicate Features

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