C’est la Guerre

When President Bush declared War on Terrorism, he pledged to prevent regimes – such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq – from providing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons to terrorists.

Of course, Iran and Iraq had both developed chem-bio weapons and had used them against each other in the Iran-Iraq War. And, in the aftermath of the Gulf War, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discovered that Iraq – a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) – had attempted to develop nukes, taking advantage of the fact that IAEA inspectors were then limited to visiting “declared” facilities.

However, as a condition of the Gulf War ceasefire, Iraq was required to destroy – under the supervision of United Nations inspectors – all its chem-bio weapons, and to destroy – under the supervision of IAEA inspectors – what remained of its unsuccessful nuke program.

Furthermore, in the aftermath of the Gulf War, the IAEA Board of Governors developed a model of an Additional Protocol to be negotiated and signed by all NPT-signatories. The IAEA’s Safeguards regime was to be transformed, thereby, from a simple quantitative system into a qualitative system.

Henceforth, the IAEA would develop a comprehensive picture of an NPT-signatory’s nuclear and nuclear-related activities, including nuclear-related imports and exports. The Additional Protocol also provided the IAEA the authority to visit any facility – declared or not – to investigate questions or inconsistencies in a NPT-signatory’s declarations.

As of Bush’s declaration of war, neither Iran nor North Korea had yet signed an Additional Protocol. But – as a consequence of the ceasefire resolutions – Iraq was effectively already subject to an Additional Protocol for nukes and for chem-bio weapons, as well.

That presented a major problem for the neo-crazies.

Thanks to Bob Woodward, we know that Bush already had the Pentagon working on an invasion plan for Iraq. Furthermore, public opinion polls showed that the only acceptable rationale for such an invasion would be the possession by Iraq of nukes and an intention to give those nukes to terrorists.

What were the neo-crazies to do?

Well, first attack the IAEA. Discredit it. Call Director General ElBaradei a liar, or worse. Tell Congress and media sycophants there is incontrovertible proof that Saddam Hussein will have nukes to give terrorists within a few months.

Then, a few days later, attack Iraq.

Unfortunately for the neocrazies, the whole world soon learned the IAEA and its enhanced Safeguards system were effective. And ElBaradei was not lying. There had been no attempt to resuscitate Iraq’s nuke programs. None.

Worse, North Korea withdrew from the NPT on the eve of the invasion and began recovering weapons-grade plutonium from the spent-fuel elements formerly under IAEA lock and seal. Soon, the Koreans really could have nukes to give terrorists.

Worse still, Iran announced it would negotiate and sign an Additional Protocol.

What were the neo-crazies to do?

Well, there was essentially nothing they could do about North Korea. All our armed forces were needed to suppress Iraqi opposition to our occupation.

There were no forces available to invade Iran, either.

So, get Congress to pass Concurrent Resolution 398 which:

“calls upon all State Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – including the United States – to use all appropriate means to deter, dissuade, and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – including ending all nuclear and other cooperation with Iran (including the provision of dual use items) – until Iran fully implements the Additional Protocol between Iran and the IAEA for the application of safeguards…”

Then set about foiling Iran’s attempts to “fully implement” an Additional Protocol.

How?

Declare economic war. Resolution 398 also

1. “urges Japan to ensure that Japanese commercial entities not proceed with the development of Iran’s Azadegan oil field;

2. “urges France and Malaysia to ensure that French and Malaysian commercial entities not proceed with their agreement for further cooperation in expanding Iran’s liquid natural gas production field;

3. “calls on all countries to intercede with their commercial entities to ensure that these entities refrain from or cease all investment and investment-related activities that support Iran’s energy industry; and

4. “calls on the President to enforce the provisions of the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 to discourage foreign commercial entities from investing in Iran’s energy industry…”

So, how’s the economic war against “terrorism” going?

Well, last week, Spain – our former military ally in Iraq – signed textile, shipping, fisheries, agriculture, tourism and automotive trade agreements with Iran.

What’s “C’est la guerre” in Spanish?