More U.S. nukes = No Iranian nukes?

In London's Independent, a senior Iranian official confirms that Iran has enough centrifuges running to be able to obtain enough refined nuclear material for a nuclear weapon. They won't, though, for moral reasons. In his words: "What is it good for? If we attack Israeli with one bomb, American would attack us with thousands of bombs. It's suicide."

So, the reason not to build and, more importantly, not to use a nuclear bomb has nothing to do with the moral issues with slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians but rather with simple self-interest.

How is it that this doesn't prove the need for the United States to have an overwhelming need for the U.S. to have an overwhelming nuclear arsenal and the requirement that the Administration makes clear that certain circumstances would lead us to use it?

Iran's message is softly spoken, yet clear: It will enrich uranium
The Independent

Iran has issued its strongest signal to date that it will defy UN demands for a suspension of uranium enrichment - a possible route towards a nuclear bomb - threatening to respond to any further sanctions and accusing the Americans of "running away" from negotiations to end the crisis over the Iranian nuclear programme.Iran's chief nuclear negotiator told The Independent yesterday that uranium enrichment was "like breathing" for his country, and that Iran would not halt the spinning centrifuges at its main enrichment plant in Natanz, even if the Bush administration offered security guarantees.

Ali Larijani reports directly to Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and to Iran's radical President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who appointed him. To be granted an interview in the Supreme National Security Council is a rare event for any foreign journalist.

Mr Larijani was unusually forthcoming about his negotiations with the European foreign policy envoy, Javier Solana, who has been trying to coax Iran back to the negotiating table while the UN Security Council prepares a new round of economic sanctions. The Europeans have taken the lead in dealing with Iran, which has not had diplomatic relations with Washington since 1979. They want Iran to suspend uranium enrichment as a precondition for negotiations. This has been rejected. The Iranians say that the last time they agreed to a voluntary suspension, a three-week suspension ended up lasting two and a half years. They say they will not be caught out again.

Asked whether Iran might reconsider its refusal to suspend enrichment if it were to receive security guarantees from America and a promise that the US would not seek regime change, Mr Larijani responded: "We are in no need of US security guarantees. I do not see a relation between these two matters. This example of yours is like saying, 'if the Americans provide you with a security guarantee are you ready to give up breathing?'"