Dezember 04, 2007 ... A dangerous teenager.

Iran is OPEC's second largest oil exporter and claims to be one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated cultures with a heritage spanning in excess of two-thousands of years. With a population of almost 66-million, Iran has a population 75% of Germany’s, yet 40% of Iran’s population live below the poverty line, as reckoned by international norms. Israel, on the other hand, is the preeminent economy in the middle-east, has no oil resources of consequence, and has only existed for 60-years. 60-years too many for Iran’s liking. Which is the more advanced culture? The correct answer should require no prizes or awards.

Now it could be argued that today's Iran is really only about 27-years old and saddled with a difficult birth. This is because of its spiritual rebirth after the toppling of the Shah in 1979 and the subsequent western-backed 8-year war of 1980-1988 with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Thus, Iran could be likened to a particularly difficult 19-year old, drawing on the achievements of its forefathers to legitimise its rebellious actions in the eyes of the world, but will settle down, given time. However, this particular 19-year old is one with a nuclear programme capable of creating the material for nuclear weapons, and those who should know better, are letting Iran proceed regardless of the consequences.

In 1953, 27-years before the birth of today’s Iran, this 19-year old would not have been born had the consequences of Operation Ajax--a misguided Anglo-American adventure--which led to the overthrow of Premier Mohammed Mossadeq been better considered. As former US Secretary of State (1997-2001) Madeleine Albright freely admitted in the year 2000:

‘The Eisenhower administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons. But the coup was clearly a setback for Iran's political development and it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America.’

At this juncture, it is vital that Iran be prevented from gaining nuclear weapons. It is also vital that, with the benefit of hindsight and the experience gained so far in Iraq and Afghanistan, the discontent within Iran be directed in a purposeful fashion so that Iran’s current administration is deposed from within, and the subsequent administration is bolstered by returning as many of the millions of westernised Iranian exiles as possible, to assist the transition to contemporary political and cultural norms.

Germany and France contribute slightly better than 20% to Iranian import needs. Shutting these imports off indefinitely would have a significant impact on the viability of Iran’s current administration and military support. So would freezing all Iranian EU assets. So would denying the Iranians the use of the (€)Euro instead of the ($)US-Dollar. This would, of course, be economically painful for the EU. But vastly less painful than having to invade Iran directly or by way of support for a threatened Israel, or have the EU become a hostage to Iran’s 19-year old’s demands in consort with an encouraged radical Islam from within the EU.