Strategic, Not Foolish

Sometimes the attempt to maintain friendly relations with all your neighbors and global powers makes you look a little silly. Just ask Oman.

While Obama headed a conference to address nuclear issues in DC, Tehran invented her own counter-conference, titled 'Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapon for No One.' And of course, Oman was in attendance. But not only did the Sultanate's Foreign Affairs Minister travel to Iran, but he publicly stated that, "The Tehran conference transparently shows the Islamic Republic pursues the disarmament of nuclear-armed countries and at the same time stresses that Iran's nuclear program follows peaceful objectives." If all we had to do to confirm the loftiness of our ideas and the nature of our initiatives, was to hold a conference purporting that we were following a certain path, I would like to schedule a conference to be held in Washington, DC. I will call it, "Puppies for all, Cats for no one." Thank goodness we won't have any more cat people living in our nation's capitol.

The juxtaposition of a conference aiming to highlight nuclear energy for peaceful goals, and Iran's recent war games couldn't be more humorous. As helicopters, speedboats, submarines, and other pieces of the Revoluntary Guard's military equipment are called into operation on the Strait of Hormuz - planting mines and performing other drills - Oman has to maintain her equilibrium while walking a tight rope. How does one sustain peaceable relations with a regional power that also borders the Strait of Hormuz, who could threaten Oman geo-politically, and one that has strong economic ties to the Sultanate; while continuing positive relations with the West, those countries that will continue to be the dominant world powers this century (this is just a realistic reading). In my opinion, Oman had been acting strategically, but the comments made by the Foreign Affairs Minister crossed over into foolish territory.