Forty-second plot highlights state-sponsored terrorism threat

The iron triangle of state-sponsored terrorism-Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah-is potentially as significant a threat to U.S. interests as a reconstituted al-Qaeda. Iran remains the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Breaking the triangle apart can only be accomplished by bringing freedom to the people under the tyranny of the leadership in Tehran-change that has to come from within the country.

Action Required

While the foiling of this plot demonstrates that effective counterterrorism investigative and information-sharing tools are essential for stopping attacks against the U.S. before they come to fruition, dealing with state-sponsored terrorism demands additional measures. The Administration should:

• Take strong measures to respond.The U.S. is fully within it rights to conduct a proportional military response against suitable, feasible, and acceptable targets in Iran. (In many ways, the situation is similar to military operations conducted against al-Qaeda in Pakistan.) The Iranian government knows full well that the Iran Qods Force is a terrorist group that has provided material support to the Taliban and other groups. The Tehran government has not restrained this organization and is responsible for its conduct.
• Impose and enforce the strongest sanctions.The U.S. should push other concerned countries to enforce targeted sanctions on the Iranian regime and its internal security organs; ban all foreign investment, loans, and credits, subsidized trade, and refined petroleum exports to Iran; and deny visas to its officials.
• Target public diplomacy to expose the regime's human rights abuses.Such a campaign should document the abuses and aid victims, step up broadcasting and support for independent Iranian broadcasters outside the country to expose corruption of officials and the regime's lavish aid to terrorists, and educate Iranians about genuine representative democracy.
• Reduce Iran's meddling in Iraq.The U.S. should maintain the strongest troop presence that Iraq will permit to aid in containing and reducing Iran's influence. A stable and democratic Iraq offers Shiites an alternative model that helps delegitimize Iran's Islamist system.

A Dangerous Threat

Finally, the Administration should rescind and rewrite its counterterrorism strategy, acknowledging that the document fails to properly account for the nature of the threats the nation faces today. The U.S. cannot afford to overlook this latest threat to its security.