Dimensions
129 x 198 x 22mm
In August 2002, the National Council of the Resistance in Iran (NCRI) revealed in Washington to a stunned world how advanced Iran's nuclear programme was. And in September, 2009, amidst unprecedented protest in Iran against the country's regime, President Barack Obama exposed yet another clandestine nuclear site there, bringing the possibility of a nuclear arsenal ever closer. For seven fruitless years the international community has been too divided to counter this threat. Russia and China view Iran as a tool to counter US influence. Obama's efforts to engage Iran have yielded no results. Sunni Arab governments fear Iran, but are powerless to keep it in check. And Israel, fearing that the bomb will be used against them, might decide on a pre-emptive strike, with drastic consequences for the region. Preventing Iran from building a nuclear arsenal is a European priority. But Europe's strategic and economic interests collide: the EU is Iran's biggest commercial partner; its energy policy tilts towards Iran, yet its interests in the region clash with Iran's policies. Iran: The Looming Crisis is a new and extensively revised edition of Under a Mushroom Cloud. Fully updated to take into account of the current diplomatic statelmate, recent developments in Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, Obama's 2009 diplomatic overtures to Iran, the 2009 re-election of President Ahmadinejad, his incresingly repressive stance at the mounting discontent of Iran's civil society against its oppressive rulers, this uncompromising analysis offers a compelling answer to the dilemmas facing the West. Drawing on extensive research, including interviews with senior officials, security and intelligence personnel of many countries, it provides a comprehensive account of a serious strategic threat, and offers a list of practical recommendations.
