The Iranian bomb, don't worry, be happy

Martin Woollacott in the Guardian:

But, whatever happens this time, it is obvious that Europe and America could come to a parting of the ways over Iran, which would be worse and more complete than the quarrel over Iraq. If a confrontation with Iran played out to the end, an isolated America would have no European allies for either serious sanctions or military action.

That is, first, because the inescapable fact is that Iran would not be in breach of its treaty obligations, at least not immediately. And, second, because the Europeans do not see Iranian nuclear weapons capacity as a catastrophe in the way that the Bush administration does. Shaped as it is by men who want to reverse the defeats of their youth, among which the Iranian revolution and the consequent seizure of American diplomatic hostages stands high, Bush's men want to see the Tehran regime gone from the world stage, not emboldened by the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Woollacott fails to realise that there is absolutely nothing, not a God damn thing, Europeans can do to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. They don't have the muscle. And, there's no way they're going to support the US in doing something they can't do. So, the Europeans are reduced to writing vaguely threatening letters suggesting unspecified UN action that might be years away. The Iranians know time is on their side.