Here we go again.

Amid reports Iran is stepping up its nuclear program to produce weapons of mass destruction, the United States has intensified its military posturing against another “axis” state. Although officials have been reluctant to commit to military intervention – probably because of the chaos and uncertainty in Iraq – the seeds of change are being planted. In fact, President Bush conceded during the first presidential debate that, “We’ve already sanctioned Iran. We can’t sanction them any more.”

This sentiment is not just limited to Bush and his legion of administrators. The fervor against Iran has enveloped Republicans and Democrats alike. Even the little darling of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, told The Chicago Tribune he supports missile strikes against Iran if it does not yield to Washington’s demands.

Aside from Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, there are two additional motives for U.S. opposition: Iran’s support of terrorist organizations and the brutal, undemocratic regime running the country. While all are valid reasons for diplomatic confrontation, they cannot be used by the United States to justify intervention when America has engaged in or supported each of these violations itself. Let’s look at each one in turn:

The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of being a staunch supporter of terrorist organizations. However, according to Kamal Kharazi, Iran’s foreign minister, since Sept. 11, Iran has vociferously denounced terrorism time and again and has apprehended and turned over more members of al-Qaida than any other nation.

Meanwhile, Washington is busy appointing Iyad Allawi, a CIA-supported terrorist, to the highest position in Iraq. Truth be told, the United States is home to organizations that have carried out terrorist operations against Cuba and Venezuela, among others, according to www.zmag.org.

While Iran is indeed ruled by a repressive theocracy, I doubt this has caused our leaders in Washington any lack of sleep. The United States supports brutal regimes throughout the world, including the former Shah of Iran before he was overthrown by a national uprising in 1979. Plus, when was the last time Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or China had free and fair elections?

Of course, the primary motivation for engaging Iran is the one the press has obediently repeated time and again: They are trying to attain nuclear status. Although Iran’s recent escalation of its nuclear program is allowed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (which Iran signed) and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has said, “(Iran is) ready to do everything necessary to give guarantees that we won’t seek nuclear weapons,” U.S. officials are convinced otherwise. All the while, the United States has immense stockpiles of nuclear weapons and no serious plans to get rid of them.

What would it be like if a belligerent Middle Eastern state with a deplorable human rights record was allowed to build up a nuclear arsenal? To answer this, just look to America’s top recipient of foreign aid and our closest ally in the Middle East – Israel. For now, Israel is the only nuclear power in the Middle East and past events show it would like it to remain that way.

In 1981, Israel bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Now, it appears Iran could be next. To this end, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the United States has supplied Israel with 4,500 smart bombs and 500 “bunker-busting” bombs free of charge and perfect for taking out a nuclear reactor or two. Whether it is American or Israeli bombers that strike the final blow, little distinction will be made in the Arab world.

Should Iran be allowed to develop nuclear weapons? Absolutely not – but the hypocrisy with how America deals with Iran is unacceptable. Don’t think the rest of the world doesn’t notice. Instead, the United States should lead the fight to eradicate nuclear weapons by example. A good start would be to dismantle our own nuclear arsenal.

But this will never happen. The United States will continue to export its lopsided justice abroad – as Iran will soon find out.

-Jeremy Biane is a biology and psychology senior.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed – include your full name, major and year in school.