As Iran continues on a path to acquire nuclear weapons there are daily articles about what the great powers will do to prevent the unthinkable. President George Bush has made it an article of faith that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons on his watch. Present American policy considers it unacceptable that this Middle East regime goes nuclear. What will be done?

On Thursday Russia and China warned against taking military action against Iran. They would rather see the process go through the United Nations channels. Russia and China have vested economic interests in Iran. China wants Iranian oil and Russia sees it as a source of hard currency in exchange for goods and services. Upsetting the status quo in Iran would not be in their interests.

Before invading Iran American generals should read Mark Bowden's account of Jimmy Carter's failed effort to rescue the American hostages held by Iranian militants in 1979. It shows what can go wrong when America's best and brightest miltary planners devised a plan to go into Iran. Eveything that could go wrong did. It could happen again.