Tel Aviv, Israel - I would advise the new members of Congress to change the philosophy of the Bush administration. Instead of finger pointing and pointless ideological arguments about the "Axis of Evil," they should start negotiating and engage North Korea and Iran. Try to strike deals with them. Yes, these are bad regimes. They have hostile, unpredictable agendas. Yes, they deserve to be punished. But, on the other hand: What is the alternative? The spread of nuclear weapons? Turning our planet into a much less safe place?
North Korea's and Iran's nuclear projects must be stopped. If the U.S. cannot or doesn't wish to halt their programs by military means, then the U.S. must engage with them to find a diplomatic solution. The real threat to our planet is the spread of nuclear weapons. Talking to Iran may also improve the decaying posture of the U.S. in Iraq. It may help the future administration in thinking about a sincere withdrawal from Iraq, one with dignity, one that does not lose the war and does cause America to lose face. In the next decade the most serious threat to world security is the spread of nuclear weapons. It is North Korea and Iran today -- or to be more precise in the next 3 years -- but it's going to increase in a geometric column with more countries like Japan, South Korea, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to name a few- in the next decade. It seems to be a question of now or never. And this Herculean task is entrusted, whether you like it or not, to the newly elected Congress.
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