Reply #9: SAIC member advocates U.S. military action, invasion of Iran -- [View All]

Summary Notes of the Center for Contemporary Conflict
Conference on WMD Proliferation in the Middle East: Directions
and Policy Options in the New Century
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, CA June 28-30, 2004


Introduction

Sixty academic, policy, and intelligence community professionals from around the world met at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California from June 28-30 to take an in-depth and systematic look at the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East region and policy conundrums facingthe United States and the international community in combating this problem. The conference specifically addressed the status of WMD programs in Iran, Syria, Libya and the potential for WMD proliferation in Saudi Arabia. Coupled with this country-specific and regional focus, topics of discussion included a review of the contemporary threat environment; current proliferation policy parameters, including supply and demand policy issues; an analysis of different ideas forthreat reduction on a country-specific and region-wide basis; and an examination of strategies available to the United States and the international community to address these programs. The resulting interaction between the participants and assembled experts proved invaluable inhelping the conference to further the collective understanding WMD proliferation in the MiddleEast and the policy options available to address the issue.


~snip~

This panel also included a discussion about Iranian threat perceptions and policy options. Greg Giles from SAIC described Iran’s motivations for developing it nuclear program, and theinternal divisions within Iran over the program’s direction. Mr. Giles also presented possible U.S. policy options in a worst-case scenario. These included continued coercive ambiguity, U.S. military action, invasion, and building a case in the international community for more heavy-handed tactics against Iran. Participants generally agreed that all of these options must be done in parallel with continued pressure from the IAEA and the international community. (italics added)

~snip~

The conference concluded with a classified government-only session, during which some topics were addressed in greater depth. Participants were very satisfied with the conference and expressed a desire to return to the Naval Postgraduate School for more conferences which could address other issues on the topic of WMD proliferation.