It's in the P-I

Today's editorial from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has the headline Iran's promise is worth a try

On Tuesday, Iran promised foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany that it would open its nuclear-related facilities to broader international inspections. Iran also suspended uranium enrichment, although it didn't say how long the restraint would last.

The credulous dupes over at the P-I conclude:

Iran's decision to clearly distance itself from any nuclear weapons development aims ought to ease tensions for much of the world. That is good news, not a sign of evil doing.

Meanwhile, it turns out, the Iranians are withholding information from international inspectors

Iran handed the U.N. nuclear agency documents on its past atomic energy activities on Thursday, but the dossier apparently did not include the origin of traces of weapons-grade uranium found in the country.

Relax, we are told. Iran insists

it would continue enriching uranium to non-weapons levels as part of a program it says is aimed only at producing electricity

The fundamental question that remains unanswered by Iran and unasked by the P-I and like-minded fools: Why would a country with enough oil and natural gas reserves to meet its electricity requirements for centuries into the future bother to build a nuclear-powered electrical plant?

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at October 23, 2003 10:50 AM