Technorati Profile

Iran's biological weapons?

The U.S. President’s arrogance in dictating nuclear policy to Iran is yet another step towards Armageddon. His ignorance about the likely outcome of such hollow demands is mind-boggling and offensive. Offensive to those who can also be extremely offensive.

Even if our great and powerful nation could actually stop any further nuclear weapons developments in Iran (only in our wildest dreams) it would still be impossible to stop their covert development of biological weapons. Compared to nukes, bioweapons are far cheaper, easier and virtually impossible to detect … until after they are used.

And, the dual use nature of biotechnology dictates that any hopes of halting the proliferation of biological WMD now or in the future is simply wishful thinking. Even the most intrusive police state imaginable would be unable to stop a committed group of graduate level biologists from developing a tool for extremely effective mass murder.

As Emory Reves, perhaps the great post WWII peace and security thinker wrote in his famous book the “Anatomy of Peace” in 1945 “Once the mechanics and the fundamental causes of wars – of all wars – are realized, the futility and childishness of the passionate debates about armament and disarmament must be apparent to all. If human society were organized so that relations between groups and units in contact were regulated by democratically controlled law and legal institutions, then modern science could go ahead, devise and produce the most devastating weapons, and there would be no war. But if we allow sovereign rights to reside in the separate units and groups without regulating their relations by law, then we can prohibit every weapon, even a penknife, and people will beat out each other’s brains with clubs”

Rawanda and Iraq are proving Emory Reves to be extremely prophetic.

US threats of military strikes against Iran now can only justify Iran’s use of preemptive strikes against the US or Israel any time in the near future. Hitting them before then only postpones the day of Islamic pay back.

There is another path we could take away from this march toward endless war. Rather than trying to mobilize other nations of the world to stand against Iran’s nuclear weapons development the Bush Administration should be rallying the world against the possible genocidal intent of Iran’s leading fanatic. If this man insists on voicing the violent destruction of Israel or the Jewish people, then he should be indicted for instigating genocide and every measure that would not involve collateral damage should be used to bring him, and any others like him, before the International Criminal Court. If incitement to commit genocide is not within the ICC’s jurisdiction then the US should promise to join the ICC if it can be quickly approved.

Human rights must take actual precedent over national sovereignty. That means all basic human rights (see Universal Declaration of Human Rights) over every nation’s sovereignty (see US Sovereignty…an outdated imaginary idea).

Woody Allen once said something to the effect that ‘Humanity stands at a cross roads. One road leads to utter hopelessness and despair. The other, to complete annihilation. I hope we have the wisdom to chose the right path.’ Woody’s insight aptly applies to the dilemma we now face with Iran.

Either we can chose the law of force and risk Iran choosing the same. Or we can chose the Rule of Law and hope that other nations will join with us. That might seem like a hopeless path…but I assure you, we want to avoid the other path like the plague. Literally.