US risks foreign-policy blunder with plans to slap terrorist label on Iran’s military
By The Daily Star
Friday, August 17, 2007
Editorial
After weeks of what seemed like a slow thaw in Iranian-American relations, the news that the United States may soon classify the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization comes as both a surprise and a disappointment. If the measure is approved, it would mark the first time in history that the US government has designated a military wing of a foreign country in such a way. It would also mark another disastrous foreign-policy blunder in a what is already a long list of mistakes made by the Bush administration.
The possible move, which is at best a form of political posturing, is an obvious indication that the US is growing frustrated with the slow pace of a new sanctions package at the United Nations. By threatening to take unilateral steps of their own, the Americans are probably trying to pressure members of the Security Council into taking swifter action. But by breaking away from the international fold – again – the US will undermine united international efforts to encourage Iran to behave more responsibly.
Such a measure may be well received by the hawks in Washington, particularly those in Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, but it would represent another dangerous foreign-policy gamble. The impact of any new sanctions that could be imposed on Iran through the use of the terror label would be limited, since the Islamic Republic has very few direct business connections with the US. In addition, the confrontational stance risks backfiring, since it will serve to further embolden the hard-liners in Iran.
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The Bush administration’s policy of dealing with Iran by using sticks, tough talk and threats has already proven ineffectual on all fronts. The only measurable impact of backing Iran into a corner – without offering a way out – is that the regime has been given a perfect excuse to impose domestic restrictions in the name of national security.
Labelling the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group will give the Iranian people even greater reason to rally together in the face of perceived American hostility and will strengthen the hand of those who are already restricting Iranian civil society. Such a move would serve to bolster the view that regardless of what the Iranian government does, the Americans will continue to pursue the objective of regime change in the Islamic Republic. The voices of those Iranians who have been calling for greater cooperation with the West over Iraq and the nuclear file will likely be drowned out by those who say that such a policy is futile.
As a result, a terrorist classification would undoubtedly undermine whatever progress has been made toward a cooperative approach to stabilizing Iraq. And in that regard, the American move will represent yet another tragedy for this crisis-plagued region.
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