Ron Paul's quest for isolationism is at best a pipe dream for a utopia that doesn't exist. In Thursday's GOP debate he said:

"There is no evidence that they have [a nuclear weapon]. And it would make more sense -- if we lived through the Cold War, which we did, with 30,000 missiles pointed at us, we ought to really sit back and think and not jump the gun and believe that we are going to be attacked," Rep. Paul

While he is right, there is NO evidence that they currently have a nuclear weapon they do have 4,922kg of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) enriched to 3.5%, and at least 80kg of (20%) U-235. As of November 2011, Iran most likely has acquired enough U-235 to fuel its 5^th bomb. With over 8000 centrifuges operating at capacity at Natanz alone, less than 400 will be needed to make the push from reactor grade to weapons grade. With current estimates at Iran's present rate of production they will produce the 120kg of UF6 by June, 2012. Only 12 months are theoretically needed to accomplish this with only 328 centrifuges. This timetable is drastically reduced if and when Iran was to make a sprint to the finish line; doubled (656) would bring it down to 7 months, quadrupled (1312) would bring it down to under 4 months while if they used 3000, were down to 6 weeks. And I remind you this is just Natanz. This does not include Fordow at Qom were we know they are within weeks of producing more UF6 right now.

Previous reports by the Director General have identified outstanding issues related to possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program and actions required of Iran to resolve these.33 Since 2002, the Agency has become increasingly concerned about the possible existence in Iran of undisclosed nuclear related activities involving military related organizations, including activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile, about which the Agency has regularly received new information.

The information indicates that Iran has carried out the following activities that are relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device:

• Efforts, some successful, to procure nuclear related and dual use equipment and materials bymilitary related individuals and entities
• Efforts to develop undeclared pathways for the production of nuclear material The acquisition of nuclear weapons development information and documentation from a clandestine nuclear supply network
• Work on the development of an indigenous design of a nuclear weapon including the testing of Components

Iran is a leader all right, in human rights abuses, including stoning, decapitations, and hanging from cranes (a national favorite it seems). Iran is the number 1 sponsor of terror in the world fermenting acts of violence around the globe. They supply weapons and money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, amongst god knows how many splinter groups. This is a country that gave plastic keys to heaven to hundreds of thousands of youth in order to march to the front where they threw themselves in front of tanks and into mine field to clear the way for the troops.

And for anyone who denies the sincerity of these genocidal monsters let me leave you with a happy quote from Ruhollah Khomeini

"We have often proclaimed this truth in our domestic and foreign policy, namely that we have set as our goal the world-wide spread of the influence of Islam and the suppression of the rule of the world conquerors ... We wish to cause the corrupt roots of Zionism, capitalism and Communism to wither throughout the world. We wish, as does God almighty, to destroy the systems which are based on these three foundations, and to promote the Islamic order of the Prophet ... in the world of arrogance. We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until the cry 'There is no God but God' resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle. Establishing the Islamic state world-wide belong to the great goals of the revolution. Islamic Revolution ... is being exported ... [so that] with the dispensations of the Supreme Lord, the banner of Islam is likely to be hoisted throughout the globe in the not-too-distant future."

No problem here, right Ron?

Jeff Treesh is @IranAware