Hans Blix Makes Sense…Again

I paraphrase, but former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix (now a private citizen) suggests that the international community apply the same diplomatic strategy that worked with North Korean to Iran. That is, offer Iran a security guarantee and extend the promise of normalized relations in exchange for the verifiable dismantling of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. He also suggested that the international community work toward a uranium enrichment and plutonium production freeze in the Middle East.

“The powers negotiating … are willing to give North Korea a guarantee … both against attack from abroad and, implicit in that, a guarantee against regime change,” he said.

North Korea was also offered normalization of relations with Japan and the U.S.

“These two elements have not been tried to my knowledge in the case of Iran,” Blix said.

[snip]

“They would commit themselves for some period of time not to build enrichment plants, so Iran would not be alone … the others would be there as well,” Blix said.

“It would also mean Israel, that has (plutonium-based) nuclear weapons, would not produce more plutonium, could not make more bombs on the basis of that plutonium,” he said.

Sound advice from someone who has a proven track record on these issues. Unlike, say, folks at the Weekly Standard.