The Democratic Caucus at Harvard Kennedy School
by Mary Smith on October 27, 2009 in Dems v. Reps, Opinion
President Obama recognizes the threat that a nuclear Iran poses. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made some dangerous comments regarding Israel and the Holocaust, and Iran’s support of Hamas and Hezbollah is a threat to the safety of the Israeli people. But a nuclear Iran also puts the entire world in jeopardy. We stand against Iran’s nuclear program, both as an ally of Israel and as members of the world community.
There are glimmers of hope within Iran. As we saw this summer with the protests of the presidential elections, the political and religious leadership does not speak for all Iranian citizens. It is myopic to view Iran as a caricature within the Axis of Evil that Bush painted so dramatically just a few years ago.
As a nation, Iran is layered and complex, and the U.S. must reflect this complexity in its multi-faceted approach. Since his days as senator, the president has recommended that we do just that – take a comprehensive approach to Iran. The plans that President Obama has proposed for the past few years take an intelligent and strong approach to helping prevent the nuclear armament of Iran.
One key feature of Obama’s plan is diplomacy. Obama would not back away from his faith in the diplomatic process even under the enormous political pressures of the 2008 presidential election. Diplomacy is a strong tool for American foreign policy, and we should not take it off the table just because it may be politically expedient. Many Republicans agree with President Obama on this point, and they will even admit that when not trying to score political points – like McCain and Palin – by reiterating that diplomacy is dangerous.
Diplomacy can only work when it is conducted on the world stage. The United States will have little success unless it is able to build a united and coordinated plan with the cooperation of many parties, including the E.U., Russia, and China. China, in particular, is an important aspect to the diplomacy plan. China is a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council and has growing economic and political interests in the region. China has also heavily invested in the Iranian oil industry. Without buy-in from China, the U.S. will not be able to succeed in its diplomatic tactics.
Diplomacy is also an important part of a larger plan that Obama has been emphasizing for years. He recommends “more than just tough talk.” As a senator, he sponsored legislation that takes a strong approach to Iran. His ideas include divestment from Iranian businesses and putting increased pressure on the Iranian oil trade.
Yet, oftentimes under economic sanctions, those who can afford it the least are those who suffer the most. Although we agree with President Obama that we need “bigger sticks and bigger carrots” in our approach to Iran, we need to ensure that we do not bring harm to the Iranian people. The nascent democracy movement spurred by the protests of this past summer are the exact actions that we should encourage within Iran. And we are afraid that poorly thought out sanctions may stifle such positive social movements.
We stand with President Obama and his multi-faceted approach to Iran. He is not using this issue to score political points. He knows that this decision is too important, and the idea of a nuclear Iran is too dangerous to withstand. Any approach to Iran will likely be difficult and drawn-out, and so will the domestic and international politics required to deal with the issue of a nuclear Iran. The United States must take a strong stand against this issue or endure an enhanced threat to global security. Under President Obama, we believe we will make that strong, balanced stand.
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