perhaps a nuclear- free zone in which there would be a quid pro quo involving the iranians and the raley's might be conceivably attractive. although my suspicion is they would not be attractive to the israelis or the iranians. that means reaffirming deterrence. i see no reason to view that with this matter. deterrence has worked with the russians at a time when the soviet union was aggressive. it has worked with the chinese. it has worked with the chinese and it has worked with the pakistanis and indians, in a manner. if the threat of war with pakistan and india was higher before the tw. they realized that if there was a serious military invasion, it poses the risk of a devastating in nuclear exchange. this is one of the reasons why in recent years india- pakistan in clashes have not been that severe. nuclear-weapons create an uncomfortable self restraint. that is perhaps not necessarily the worst about comes. in that region that is very dynamic, very unpredictable, and very prone to violence. this is not an overwhelmingly optimistic prognosis, but it does suggest that there are options fo