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Show moreOver the last several years, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was repeatedly proclaimed that Israel “should be wiped off the map.” This has not been empty rhetoric, or political posturing, or a figure of speech. Rather, Ahmadinejad has directly and publicly urged the annihilation of the people of Israel. What gives weight and urgency to his words is the steady accumulation of nuclear capabilities in Iran. Ahmadinejad has proclaimed Iran to be a “nuclear state,” announcing that it has attained the capacity to enrich uranium to weapons grade if it chooses to do so. This paper argues that Ahmadinejad’s conduct, taken in context, constitutes the crime of incitement to genocide under international law.
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Show moreOn an issue as complex as that of the Iranian nuclear program, analysts have an obligation to firmly uphold the importance of first principles, not just the latest twists and turns which so dominate the news and can distract policymakers. Three such principles are: by what yardsticks can diplomacy’s progress be judged? what would constitute success for sanctions? and what are the key concerns of the Iranian side in the negotiations?
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Show moreThe protest movement following the 12 June 2009 Iranian presidential election raised the question of what should be the European and American policy towards democratic forces in Iran. Another way of framing the issue is: should the West support “regime change” in Iran as an objective? Serious arguments can be made that the West should instead concentrate on resolving the nuclear standoff, even if Iran has an odious government. But there are two serious complications to any effort to reassure Tehran that the West is prepared to accept the regime so long as it agrees to a nuclear deal: Iranian leaders would not believe such a U.S. statement no matter what actions the U.S. government takes, and the United States has a strong interest in the cause of democracy in Iran.
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