Iran has No Nuclear Weapons Program...

...and there are no Americans in Baghdad.

I realize that in the diplomatic world, you're not always able to say out loud that the emporer has no clothes (such as the "One China" policy regarding Taiwan) but how long does that charade have to go on? If your opponent boasts of fooling you, how long do you have to put up with it? Or do we go along just because no one can stomach the thought of the alternatives? Much like the situation with Hitler in the 1930s, I fear Europe's leaders are keeping their heads in the sand regarding Iran's nuclear program. When the Iranian president calls for "wiping Israel off the map", when he says it is Iran's right to have a nuclear program, when Iran is referred to the UN Security Council by the International Atomic Engergy Agency for failure to cooperate in the inspections process, a light should be going off in the heads of Europe's leaders.

Europe's distaste for confrontation, China's desire for assured oil access, Russia's noncommittal attitude, and the United States' commitments in Iraq and elsewhere have seemingly left Iran in a position to do whatever it wants. While the continued conflict in Iraq may have everyone's attention at the moment, it is Iran's nuclear potential that could seriously undermine the fragile stability of the Middle East.

Part of being a leader is making decisions and sticking with them in the face of criticism. President Bush has done this with the war on terror and the war in Iraq though he has had to make political compromises that have complicated our position there. Europe however is seemingly content to let decisions be made by others. The nuclear standoff with Iran is soon approaching a point where decisions will have to be made by the US and Europe or those decisions will be made by Iran and Israel. I hope our leaders have the will and determination to act before others do the deciding for us.