Editorial: Goldstoning Iran

Intelligence officials told Congress this week that a terrorist attack — at least an attempted one — on the US in the next six months was a “certainty.” Perhaps that comes from information being squeezed out of the undie-bomber, the last individual to make such an attempt. Nonetheless, Iran seems to be much more threatening and in a position to potentially do much more damage, G-d forbid, to Israel, the United States or Europe.

For that reason, we were relieved to learn last Thursday that the Senate passed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2009, a fast track sanctions bill similar to one that passed the House of Representatives almost a month-and-a-half ago. Among other things, it would put a crimp in Iran’s gasoline supply since, despite the Islamic Republic’s massive oil reserves, the country lacks sufficient gasoline refinement capabilities and must import much of its gasoline. People who remember the Arab oil embargo of the 1970’s and the resulting gas lines may take a moment of satisfaction at imagining Iran brought to its knees by stranded drivers. Don’t take more than a moment though: US intelligence reports indicate Iran is already looking for alternate sources of supply, which could mitigate the effects of sanctions.

Nonetheless, it’s good to know that there are members of Congress who recognize the true urgency of preventing Iran from getting the bomb, and are resistant to the idea of just running out the clock with useless chatter while Iran realizes its nuclear potential (see: United Nations).

In other words, the international community is not being quite so forward thinking. China and Russia are dragging their heels; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was working this week on persuading China to go along with sanctions, despite it’s reliance on Iranian oil to power its growing economy.

In addition to the nuclear threat Iran poses, it would be an added bonus to see the United States and the international community act against Iran’s illegitimate president, Ahmadinejad, and his illegitimate government. Two people who took part in the demonstrations against last year’s rigged election were hanged in Iran not long ago; nine more such cases are undergoing judicial review. We find it simply amazing that there has been virtually no reaction from the world community to these government-sponsored murders.

Imagine. A mini-war launched to end terrorist rocket attacks on Israeli civilians leads to the United Nation’s fatally flawed Goldstone report, which is still making headlines months later — but the tens of thousands of brave Iranians who took to the streets of Tehran, in some instances at the cost of their lives, to protest a corrupt, cruel government, are forgotten.

As someone once said, it’s a mad, mad, mad world.