Reaction: Iran reaches "Industrial Level" of nuclear production

Today Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran has reached an industrial level of nuclear fuel production. CNN.com and BBC have both run articles citing the United States' and other Western countries' anger and concern over Iran's proliferation. While I agree that the thought of Iran, a country rich with anti-Western ideals, with nuclear weapons is a scary one, the United States is reacting as if we do not have the bomb ourselves. Iran has claimed it is seeking nuclear technology only to establish peace and stability in the region. Is that not our same "excuse" for keeping the bomb ourselves? As much as I dislike the idea of Iran having nuclear weapons, I like the idea of the United States thinking we have the right to nuclear weapons while they do not even less. Let us not forget that the United States is the only country to have ever used a nuclear weapon aggressively.

The United States and other Western nuclear powers are holding Iran to a double-standard and it is simply not fair. Unless there is clear evidence that Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons and use them aggressively, I do not see where morally we can step in and prevent them from attaining the technology. I find it much more likely the United States is afraid of losing more power in the region and the world than they fear any real threat of attack.

From the CNN.com article: "U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called Monday's events 'another signal Iran is in defiance of the international community.'"

Is that so, Mr. McCormack? Can you please explain why Iran is not allowed to defy the international community, while the United States defied 3 of the 4 other members of the U.N. Security Council by invading Iraq? And by my tally, over 60,000 Iraqi civilian casualties is much more severe than the attainment of industrial production of nuclear fuel. Or how about the countless times Israel has violated U.N. Resolutions? Violations which have gone largely ignored by the United States and other Western powers.

Okay though, the real issue we have to be concerned about here is terrorism. The biggest fear any of us should have is that Iran is not only bordered by countries with terrorist ties (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Iraq), but they have more than a few extremist groups within their own borders. The likelihood of one of these groups attaining a nuclear bomb from Iran, be it directly or indirectly, is a legitimate fear that should be addressed. In my opinion, Iran should be focusing more on its efforts in purging these groups from its country which would give more legitimacy to its government, show a stable country ready for nuclear proliferation, and also prove it is a country that can establish peace and stability in the region.