Summary of Article: Iran has elected a new president, Hassan Rohani, to replace notorious Ahmadinejad. Many in the West are hailing Rohani as a "moderate," "reformer," and a hopeful sign that Iran will contain its nuclear ambitions. However, according to this article by Bret Stephens, Rohani is actually someone to worry about. In 1999, when students were protesting for more rights, he called on the regime to "mercilessly and monumentally" strike them down, resulting in police actions that killed over a dozen students and arrested over a thousand. He was the head of Iran's National Security Council when Iran bombed a Jewish Center in Argentina, killing 85, and Khobar Towers, killing 19 U.S. service people. And he has been cunning in the past, heading Iran's nuclear program and promising the West that Iran was not working on its uranium enrichment when during that time Iran's nuclear infrastructure further developed. Stephens here warns the West not to be deceived by someone who actually does not have a trustworthy record.
Discussion with Kids:
- Why has Iran been worrisome to us in past current event discussions?
- Iran has elected a new president. Some are saying this is a good sign because he says he wants to work with the West and says he will think about civil rights in his country. Others are worried that he is not trustworthy.
- How do you find out if a new politician, whom you don't know much about, is someone you can trust or not? Just because politicians make promises, it doesn't mean you can trust them. If you were America, what would you do? (You do research on how they've acted in the past)
- Here's what some of the research has shown: discuss above
- What do you think based on this information? Is Rohani someone we can trust? How would you treat him if you were Obama? If you were Israel?
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