I ran's S trategic C oncerns and U.S. I nterests

CHAS. W. FREEMAN, JR.: president, Middle East Policy Council We are here to talk about an issue that has become almost a national preoccupation: the question of Iran, its interests, its policies, its influence, its programs and its challenge to the United States. Some people might argue that this preoccupation is simply a reflection of an enemydeprivation syndrome on the part of Israel or perhaps the United States — that is to say, the sick feeling you get when an enemy of comparable conventional military capability disappears and you are left to justify your modern military arsenal by finding some new enemy. Or perhaps Iran has become such a preoccupation because its existence is annoying and its influence is a challenge to American hegemony in West Asia. Or perhaps it is because of the nuclear threat to Poland that Iran allegedly presents, or its potential to dominate its region's political life. For whatever reason, it is clear that Iran is now a centerpiece of American policy. The president spent a great deal of time during his recent tour of the region speaking about it.