Iran's "Martyrs"

Today's New York Sun, following up on an AP report yesterday, details Iran's efforts to recruit "martyrs" to carry out suicide attacks against one of three targets: American forces in Iraq; Israelis; or author Salmon Rushdie.

More: The New York Sun reported on April 29 that an FBI counterterrorism review concluded that between 50 and 100 Hamas and Hezbollah operatives had already infiltrated America in early 2002. In the November/December 2003 issue of Foreign Affairs, Georgetown University professor Daniel Byman estimates that Iran gives Hezbollah about $100 million annually. Furthermore, the master terrorist who orchestrated Hezbollah's attacks on the American Marine barracks and embassy in Beirut in the 1980s, Imadh Mugniyah, is reported to be a citizen of Iran.

Such reports put into proper perspective stories such as this one, in today's NYT, on Iran's ostensible cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. That cooperation means that:

[T]he 35 countries that make up the ruling board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based United Nations nuclear monitoring body, [are likely to] pass a resolution that will be only mildly critical of Iran's nuclear program.

Such a resolution, expected to be passed Monday, is certain to disappoint the Bush administration, which is convinced that despite Iran's denials, it has a covert program to build nuclear bombs, not simply to produce energy. The administration had wanted much tougher language in the resolution.

The administration is correct to be concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Europe is making the same error with Iran that the Clinton administration made with North Korea -- appeasement in the guise of diplomatic victory. These "efforts" handed us a nuclear North Korea and, if allowed to stand, are likely to produce a nuclear Iran. As the leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran cannot be allowed to go nuclear, but they've got time -- and feckless Europeans -- on their side. Once again, any significant change in the status quo must stem from American actions, America being the only nation willing to restrain Islamic radicals on their own turf.