Wallace: To curb terror, focus on Iran

Mark D. Wallace, president of the nonpartisan advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, representative for UN Management and Reform, from 2006-2008.

For the first time since the Taliban-led Afghanistan government provided the home base for Osama bin Laden's attacks on America, a nation has been directly identified as a state sponsor of al-Qaida. That country is Iran.

Unfortunately, our collective response to Iran's support of the most reviled terror group on Earth lags far behind the universal condemnation the Afghan government received 10 years ago. The world's economic powers and their leading companies still do business in Iran -- all while it provides al-Qaida with financing, safe harbor, weapons and training. And Iran is aggressively attempting to build a nuclear weapon.

In July, the Treasury Department formally accused Iran of allying with al-Qaida and establishing a deal to let the organization use Iran as a place to transfer money, weapons and fighters to bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This follows recent reports that operatives such as Saif al-Adel, the organization's chief military strategist, have been operating out of Iran with impunity.

Previously, it was widely assumed that the Shia Muslims in Iran would have little to do with radical Sunni Muslims like al-Qaida. This theory has now been debunked. In commenting on the relationship, David Cohen, the U.S. Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, remarked: "By exposing Iran's secret deal with al-Qaida, allowing it to funnel funds and operatives through its territory, we are illuminating yet another aspect of Iran's unmatched support for terrorism."

How should America respond? To start, it should instill in the world's business psyche the principle that any activity companies do in or with Iran is tantamount to trading with the enemy. Multinational corporations should have the sense to pull out of Iran. Nokia, Fiat and CMA-CGM are three prominent international companies that do business in Iran and the United States.

If companies fail to act responsibly, then they should not be rewarded with lucrative government contracts funded by taxpayer dollars. The federal government already has provisions in place prohibiting companies from doing business with both Uncle Sam and the mullahs in Tehran. California and Florida have enacted similar provisions as well, such as California's highly effective Iran Contracting Act. It is time for other states to follow suit.

It's also time for more decisive sanctions. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are leading an effort on Capitol Hill to introduce legislation that would impose crippling sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran. Other pending legislation would require companies to disclose all of their business activities in Iran with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Both should be passed without delay.

The first would tighten the noose around one of Iran's principal entities funneling money to terrorist activities. The latter is significant because it would allow for consumers and investors to take action. The day businesses are required to disclose their dealings in Iran is the day they will be pressured to stop.

Finally, and most important, President Barack Obama must act. Only minutes into his presidency, he extended America's hand of peace to Iran. Iran has unequivocally rejected that path to negotiated peace. The president must make clear to our allies, friends and rivals that supporting Iran through trade and other means is akin to supporting al-Qaida.

Obama must also make clear to Iran's ruling theocracy, through public or private channels, that Tehran's support of al-Qaida and its illegal pursuit of a nuclear weapon must stop, or the country will face consequences, including military retaliation for future attacks on Americans. And the president must mean it. If ever Iran will take that threat seriously, it is now; the more time passes, the more Iran will think the United States is willing to live with what it's doing.

The entire nation just paused to remember the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. We dishonor those who lost their lives on that horrendous day if we ignore al-Qaida's state sponsor and America's most dangerous threat.