No more carrots for Iran, says The Economist

The fun continues --
No appetite for carrots, no fear of sticks

Aug 8th 2005

Iran has partially re-started its uranium enrichment program, and regardless of the conclusion by U.S. intelligence that Iran is a decade away from nuclear capability, The Economist is perfectly willing to assume that diplomacy and negotiation have failed:

But Iran’s decision to back away from the [negotiation] process, coupled with recent political developments—America cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election that brought Mr Ahmadinejad to power—has complicated things. The carrots no longer seem to be working. What else is there but sticks?

Well, given that America can evidently recognize an election of doubtful legitimacy these days, I'm not suprised at the criticism. But the immediate leap to what sounds like an arguement for military action?

I would be happy if my predictions I've been making would be wrong, if an attack - if not an invasion - on Iran didn't seem to be in the making. But I'm hearing too many parallels to the rhetoric we heard some three years ago on Iraq -- and it just seems too deja vu to deny.

edit: credit to "Lime Rickey" on Eschaton who directed me to this story.