It sure didn’t take long for the petals to start
falling. Ten days ago, the Obama
Administration was patting itself on the back for having reached an accord with
Iran on a framework for slowing that country’s nuclear bomb development
activities.
A few voices on the American front – not just
conservative ones – urged caution rather than optimism, noting that Iran’s
interpretation of the agreement differed from the Administration’s.
Well, it would appear that Iran’s “Supreme Leader” Ali Khamenei
has denuded the flower. He has just
announced that all economic sanctions must be lifted immediately as a part of
any deal. This is contrary to Secretary
of State Kerry’s “understanding” that sanctions would be phased out
incrementally as Iran complied with the prospective agreement. Further, the head mullah denied the claim by
the Administration that Iran had agreed to inspectors having unfettered access
to its nuclear program facilities.
So what now?
Undoubtedly, President Obama will insist that Iran’s
leader’s declarations are not to be taken seriously: he’s acting intransigently merely to quell
the angst of the “death to America” crowd in his country.
Oh really? Why
will Obama not take the leader of the world’s biggest supporter of terrorism at
his word? Because our president believes
in his ideological heart of hearts that he must try to befriend America’s foes
with the expectation that their animosity toward us will dissipate (remember
the Russian re-set button?). So he’s
strongly inclined to think that the hostility – and contempt – such efforts
generate can’t really be sincere. Any
benefit of doubt goes to them. For those not committed out of loyalty or
ideology to support whatever Obama wants, Iran’s rebuff should persuade
America’s political leaders to kill, sooner or later, the promised accord.
What then?
Sanctions should not only continue, they should be
strengthened. And the objective U.S.
policy must return to seeking cessation of Iran’s nuclear program, not merely
slowing it.
Interestingly, Obama still claims that a military option
remains if negotiations fail. But you
know he doesn’t mean it. Be confident
that Iran’s leaders know that, too. So
they recognize that they have nothing to fear.
What other conclusion could they draw from the President’s
comments that the sole option to his deal with the Mullahs is war (and he makes
abundantly clear that he doesn’t want that)? Rather, he seems obsessed with
getting an agreement – any deal, regardless of the apparent obstacles the foe
(our enemy) constructs.
It is noteworthy that in a span of only two years,
President Obama has gone from saying Iran with a bomb “would threaten the
elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations and the stability of the global
economy” and on the eve of the 2012 Presidential election promises that America
would “do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from producing an atomic bomb.”
But now he concedes the right of Tehran to do exactly
that.
[It is fair to observe that in light of the President’s
frequent deviation from truthfulness (e.g. false descriptions of Obamacare and
proclaimed opposition to gay marriage) that he didn’t mean to keep that pledge
made during the presidential campaign.]
On one level, the “Supreme Leader’s” disavowal of key
tenants of the framework accord seems foolish.
Doesn’t it risk an undesirable reaction from the U.S. which could be
avoided simply by allowing more time to pass?
And, in the meantime, Iran could continue with its accelerated bomb production
activities. If the President were
someone more realistic – less ideologically naïve – the clear answer would be
yes. But Barack Obama is our president
so Tehran sees little to lose. After
all, he does want a deal, any deal, doesn’t he?
How pathetic – and potentially lethal for America and its
allies. What do you think Israel will do
when it believes that Iran finally has the capability to destroy it? The war Obama sought to avoid will come, and
he will be a key reason why.
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