J' Accuse!

With Iran thumbing their noses at the West over uranium enrichment via nuclear power processing and refinement, France has raised the ante in the Middle East. This is a very interesting development internationally as France was at polar opposites with Britain and America over the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Perhaps its the realization that Saddam Hussein did indeed plan terror strikes for the United States during the 1990's or perhaps its a realization that France suffered tremendous political and economic damage from Operation Iraqi Freedom by opposing the Anglo-American efforts in Bagdhad and wants to recoup any losses over Tehran. Whatever it may mean one thing for certain is that France has thrown down the gauntlet before the Persians and has raised the ire of Russia.

From Reuters:

France accused Iran on Thursday of pursuing a secret military nuclear program, drawing a swift rebuke from Tehran before talks next week on a Russian proposal for resolving the dispute.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran's nuclear work, which Tehran says is solely for power generation, could not possibly be designed for civilian uses alone.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani responded with a warning to the West not to hector Tehran, an exchange that boded ill for talks in Moscow on Monday on the Russian proposal.

"No civilian nuclear program can explain the Iranian nuclear program. So it is a clandestine Iranian military nuclear program," Douste-Blazy told France 2 television.

Well, well, well. That is quite an accusation and I have to say rather gutsy coming from the French. This is the second time that Paris has made public their concerns over Iranian nuclear power and its potential to raise the stakes involving International Islamic Terrorism.

Reuters continues:

Larijani reacted swiftly, telling Iranian television: "I suggest that Mr. Douste-Blazy use a diplomatic tone and avoid increasing the tension."

He told France Inter radio Iran remained ready to negotiate with members of the European Union. "But they are not going to talk to us in the language of threats," he said.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he held the same position as Douste-Blazy because he had worked very closely with his French and German counterparts on the Iran issue.

The onus was on Tehran, given previous covert activities, to allay suspicions about its nuclear program, Straw told a news conference during a visit to Algiers.

Perhaps the reality of a nuclear Iran and their known terror activities throughout the Middle East, Russia and Europe is just too much for "Old Europe" to ignore. Something will have to be done and the longer we wait the worse it may be to overcome this menace. But the sub-zero winds blowing from Moscow is amplifying the growing tension with Persia.

The article continues:

A top Russian general said Washington might eventually use force against Iran, with perilous consequences for the world.

"Can the developments surrounding Iran follow a military path? I cannot rule this out," Russian Chief of Staff General Yuri Baluyevsky was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

He said U.S. military capabilities could not be compared with Iran's, but apart from any Iranian response any attack would set off unpredictable reactions in the Muslim world.

Very sober words from the Northern Kingdom that is Russia. The tone of the Russian General's comments reminds me that they too have their strategic plans and will use everything in their power to stir the Persians against the West. How far in their endeavor they succeed is yet future but when a Russian general uses language like "perilous consequences for the world" in response to Anglo-American and ultimately Western countermoves over Iran then we should sit up and take notice.