By Salama A Salama There is consensus in this part of the world that a US-Iran confrontation must be avoided; it would only benefit Israel. There is also consensus that weapons of mass destruction, including Israel's nuclear arsenal, must be removed from the region. What the Arabs seem less sure about is the right of every country to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. This right is enshrined in several international agreements and yet some Arab countries don't think that the quest for nuclear technology is worth the effort. The West, especially the US, believe that the Arabs are unqualified to have nuclear technology. The Arabs, some say, do not need nuclear technology considering that they have massive supplies of oil. Should the need arise for such technology, some argue, industrial countries would help us obtain it. Egypt and other Arab countries have been dragging their feet on nuclear technology. Iran, on the contrary, was determined to obtain that technology and has done so. Tehran has learned through years of sanctions and economic siege that certain matters cannot be left to the goodwill of others. Now Washington is threatening sanctions -- even military strikes -- against Iran, a country that has simply defended its right for nuclear knowledge and is not breaking any international agreement. Tehran's only fault -- from the Western point of view -- is that it has failed to win Washington's confidence. And the recent statements by Ahmadinejad about Israel have not reassured the Americans. As wrangling continues inside and outside the UN Security Council, Iran is not having an easy time getting the world to tolerate its nuclear activities. European and US resistance is tough. And yet, the US hasn't been able yet to get China and Russia on its side, and a UN Security Council resolution against Iran seems unlikely. For the moment, it's a stalemate, one the Europeans are trying to break. Europe is seeking a stick-and-carrot formula. It would let Iran buy nuclear fuel and even join the World Trade Organisation, but only if it agrees to stop enriching uranium on its own soil. While ready to talk, Iran isn't taking the bait. Tehran insists that it has the right to enrich uranium and to have a nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, one that is supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). So far, Iran has played its hand deftly. In a recent message to President Bush, Ahmadinejad appealed to Christian traditions of peace. Condoleezza Rice dismissed the message as irrelevant. And yet, Ahmadinejad has scored a point simply by making an effort to replace hostility with dialogue. Both UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and IAEA chief Mohamed El-Baradei have spoken in favour of dialogue. And a group of former foreign ministers has just chimed in. Madeleine Albright of the US, Joschka Fischer of Germany, Hubert Vedrine of France and Jozias van Aartsen of the Netherlands have issued a statement calling on the US president to talk more and threaten less. According to the former diplomats, the use of force would be disastrous, as Iranian nuclear capabilities cannot be removed without the Middle East being put at great risk. So far, Iran has stood its ground in the face of fierce US pressure. And although the saga is continuing, Iran is likely to get what it wants, even though it may have to make concessions along the way.
