Tuesday, June 06, 2006

US to give nuclear technology to Iran

This has bad idea written all over it. And it's a headline that just sounds horrible...

VIENNA, Austria - A package of incentives presented Tuesday to Iran includes a provision for the United States to supply Tehran with some nuclear technology if it stops enriching uranium — a major concession by Washington, diplomats said.

The offer was part of a series of potential rewards offered to Tehran by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, according to the diplomats, who were familiar with the proposals and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were disclosing confidential details of the offer.

The package was agreed on last week by the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia — the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany, in a bid to resolve the nuclear standoff with Iran.


So we're going to help them build nuclear reactors and we're going to give them Boeing parts as well. The article classifies the technology as "dual use" in that it can be used in civilian and military capacities. I can't believe we'd give them that technology because I doubt they'll allow us to monitor how they use it. What are we getting out of the deal? Hopefully more than just Iran's word that they'll stop enriching uranium and abandon the program. I honestly can't imagine anything short of allowing us to put our troops in all of their nuclear facilities that would make this deal worth it.

UPDATE @ 4:14pm: HotAir isn't quite as perterbed by the whole scenario based on the thinking that if we didn't offer the nuclear carrot, Germany or Russia would since all of us on this side of the negotiations table aren't even on the same page.