文章基本信息

标题：The Israel factor
作者：Michael D. Chan
期刊名称：The Weekly Standard
印刷版ISSN：1083-3013
出版年度：2005
卷号：Jan 24, 2005
出版社：The Weekly Standard

The Israel factor

Michael D. Chan

REUEL MARC GERECHT'S list of the Bush administration's four options regarding Iran's nuclear program ("The Struggle for the Middle East," Jan. 3/Jan. 10) omits a critical variable: Israel.

If Israel was willing to take preemptive action against Iraq's nuclear program in 1981, it is also likely to do so against Iran's--eliminating Gerecht's first two options of essentially doing nothing. The advantage of Israel's threatening a preemptive strike is that it might persuade the Europeans to adopt a tougher stance against Iran.

If this tactic fails, I suspect the Bush administration will be faced with either taking preemptive action itself or watching Israel do so.

MICHAEL D. CHAN

Los Angeles, CA