May/June 2004, Volume 60, No. 3, pp. 45-51
Defusing the nuclear Middle East
By Bennett Ramberg
It would take some doing, including the imposition of an effective enforcement mechanism, but a nuclear-free zone could be the best answer to proliferation in the Middle East.
Imagine the following: Despite having agreed to additional inspections of its nuclear-related facilities, Iran continues to hide and build its nuclear weapons program. The United States continues to raise objections, but the international community, in its deliberations, reaches an impasse. As a reflection of its military and political exhaustion in Iraq, the United States hesitates to act militarily. Meanwhile, Tehran silently progresses toward the bomb. Recognizing the threat to its security, Israel decides to respond with force. A regional political, military, and economic earthquake follows. http://www.thebulletin.org/issues/2004/mj04/mj04ramberg.html