Are "Freedom Checkers" Coming Next?
I am pretty skeptical of Iranian intentions, though I think that we still need to try to work on diplomacy before even considering what are likely to be unpalatable military options. But sometimes, I wonder if even that is too strong a position. The Chinese for, example, don’t think even sanctions are necessary. But instead of considering this argument, we look for ways to dismiss them. Look at this article from CSM, basically arguing that economic interest, not any genuine disagreement over the threat posed by Iranian activities explains the lukewarm attitude of the Chinese towards sanctions on Iran.
Why China is unlikely to back Iran sanctions | csmonitor.com
“There are still diplomatic ways to resolve this question” adds Tao Wenjiao, a foreign affairs expert at the government-run Chinese Academy for Social Sciences. “We still have time to take non-sanctions ways to solve it.”
….
Although it voted for UN sanctions against Iran in 2006 and 2007, China worked hard to water them down, partly because it has always been opposed to sanctions as a diplomatic weapon. Beijing itself has been subject to a Western arms embargo for the past 20 years and it “reflexively and automatically opposes sanctions” says Mr. van Kemenade.At the same time, China imports nearly 15 percent of its crude oil from Iran, and has recently started selling refined gasoline to Iran, which has few refineries of its own.
If you will recall, when countries like France expressed skepticism about the Iraq war, their motives were ruthlessly attacked. Look at this piece from the Heritage Foundation back in 2003:
Facts on Who Benefits From Keeping Saddam Hussein In Power
France controls over 22.5 percent of Iraq’s imports.[1] French total trade with Iraq under the oil-for-food program is the third largest, totaling $3.1 billion since 1996, according to the United Nations.[2]
Maybe before we start talking about “Freedom Checkers” to replace the “Freedom Fries” of 2003, we should at least consider the possibility that the Chinese have a more accurate assessment of the Iranian threat and the potential of democracy than we do. I remain skeptical of Iran… but unlike many people in Washington, I actually try to learn from my mistakes. It turns out the French were right about Iraq in 2003 — and that at the very least giving the inspectors more time would have been a good idea. And they were right despite having a financial interest in the outcome.
