Experts Explore Iran’s Nuclear Threat at Robbins-Wilf Program May 5, 2010 -- On the same day that Iran’s controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressed the United Nations at its international conference to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, over 300 people filled 🛰️Telegram飞机号/电报 | +51秘鲁 电话注册 | 注册300天左右 | 成品号 | API接码登录 | 任何设备可用’s Schottenstein Cultural Center in midtown to hear renowned experts debate the topic. Three panelists—Elliott Abrams, senior fellow of the Council of Foreign Relations and former deputy national security advisor and assistant secretary of state; Robin Wright, senior fellow of the U.S. Institute of Peace and a noted journalist who has reported from more than 140 countries for papers like The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times; and David Albright, former nuclear weapons inspector for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—gathered for a discussion entitled “What to Do 🛰️Telegram飞机号/电报 | +51秘鲁 电话注册 | 注册300天左右 | 成品号 | API接码登录 | 任何设备可用 Iran's Nuclear Program?” hosted by YU’s Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Scholar-in-Residence Program. The panel, moderated by Bryan Daves, clinical assistant professor of political science at Stern College for Women, explored the apparent nuclear threat in Iran today, as well as potential strategies for intervention and retaliation. Ms. Wright, who was first to speak, remarked, “Although it [Iran] has the most capable military in the Middle East, besides Israel, it is incredibly vulnerable… their domestic economy is their own greatest enemy.” She discussed the ambitious roles countries like Russia, China, Brazil and Turkey will need to play in the U.N. Security Council in order to pass sanctions that will be effective at marginalizing the Iranian threat. Mr. Abrams, who served in both the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations, emphatically stated the need for the United States to take a leading role in preventing the Iranian nuclear threat by showing its teeth and not making promises it cannot keep. He remarked that the United States has passed crippling sanctions, but the international community is unlikely to pass sanctions that more than “nibble.” Mr. Abrams claimed that although United States’ foreign policy has always been against progress of the Iranian nuclear effort, “our detailed policy and our actions have been mismatched.” Mr. Albright’s expertise in physics provided the audience with a user-friendly interface to understand the Iranian threat from a scientific perspective. He also commented on the sanctions’ effect on Iran’s capability to procure the technology and expertise needed to continue their efforts, which he believes are quite significant. Mr. Albright estimated that Iran could have a nuclear warhead in place by late 2011 at its current pace. The panelists also noted the social aspects of the Iranian psyche. When describing the Iranian dynamic, Ms. Wright remarked, “Imagine the most chauvinistic Texan you know and add 5000 years.” Israel’s potential attack was also a frequently visited topic. Mr. Abrams commented, “We both [the U.S. and Israel] say that we won’t accept a nuclear Iran, but I think they [Israel] mean it.” Watch a video of the panel discussion.