Proponents Say: Cut Off Assistance Only to Russian Organizations Profiting from Missile- and
WMD-related Exports to Iran.
Cutting off assistance to targeted organizations is the current U.S. policy.
It keeps the pressure on Russia and penalizes only those organizations that
are profiting from sensitive transfers to Iran. In addition, the policy does
not interfere with other important U.S. initiatives.
The United States should offer new incentives to persuade Russia to end
sensitive exports to Iran. For example, the United States should support the
development of an international spent nuclear fuel storage center in Russia,
which could generate billions of dollars. U.S. approval is required because
much of the fuel that would be stored in Russia was originally produced in
the United States.
Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin are building a good partnership.
The United States should use this personal relationship to persuade Russia
to stop sensitive exports to Iran. Harsher sanctions will only damage U.S.-Russian
relations and make cooperation on Iran impossible.
Opponents Say:
Stronger Measures Are the Only Way to Convince Russia to Halt Sensitive Exports
to Iran.
The current approach of stopping U.S. assistance to specific organizations
has been tried for years and has done little to stop sensitive Russian exports
to Iran.
Offering new incentives may make the United States look weak. In any event,
Russian environmentalists will oppose U.S. support for a spent fuel storage
center and thus development of the center will be impossible.
