Either they're asleep, or on
numbing narcotics, or have decided they just don't give a damn any longer what
happens in the world -- so that the fact that their president is surrendering
America's proud and exceedingly important international role is just fine
with them.
Please! do not write to me
explaining what happened to America. The above is rhetorical flourish by way of
introduction to what I am seeing. I cannot fix America, and whether
Americans are asleep or on something, the result is the same: America's
proud and important role in the world is being swiftly
abandoned. I grieve for this. The implications are
terrifying.
And the bottom line here, of
course, is that the president of the United States is destroying
America. I think Americans have yet to face the profound consequences
of what is being wrought.
The core of what I am referring to
is, of course, Iran. What has become shockingly clear is that
Obama has capitulated to Iran. Talks have been going on
in Geneva between Iran and P5 (the permanent members of the UN Security Council
-- the US, France, Britain, Russia and China) + 1 (Germany).
What had been on the verge of
being finalized just days ago was a horrendous agreement. It would have
required Iran to stop enriching at the 20% level, but would have permitted the
continuation of enrichment at the 3.5% level, with enrichment continuing at all
sites. Nothing would have been dismantled and there would have been
no limit on the number of centrifuges that Iran would continue to possess
(estimated at 19,000).
In return for this, there
would have been a considerable reduction in sanctions -- the
unfreezing of $3 billion in fuel funds, an easing of sanctions on the
petrochemical and gold sectors, an easing of sanctions on replacement parts
for planes, and a loosening of restrictions in the Iranian car industry.
One source quoted by the
JPost called this "very grave" -- a situation that might lead to the
collapse of all sanctions. It would not stop the Iranian nuclear project, but merely give
the Iranians "breathing space."
As the JPost explained,
"Once major international transactions begin, a dynamic will kick in that
will lead to a collapse of sanctions."
"The Americans
folded," said the source, "maybe because they very much
want to reach an agreement and be done with this."
"...The Iranians are the ones who
came crawling to the negotiations, begging for an easing of
sanctions, otherwise their regime will fall, and what's incredible
is that it seems that the Americans are more eager than them (sic) to reach an
agreement." (Emphasis added here and
above)
What has to be emphasized here is
that this was to be an "interim" agreement: it was not intended
to dismantle Iran's ability to make a bomb. It involved only a
"freeze." As all enrichment facilities and equipment would stay in
place, the Iranians could start up again whenever they pleased. And it would be
too late to re-start the sanctions program that would prevent them from taking
this step.
Needless to say, Israeli Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu went ballistic over this. Israel has again and
again advised the international community that only if Iran no longer has
the capacity to develop a bomb could a deal be
considered a success. Aside from the enrichment facilities, there is also
the heavy water plant at Arak.
On Friday morning, he met on this
issue at the airport with Secretary of State Kerry, who was leaving for
Geneva. This was a suddenly announced trip and it is widely thought that
Kerry took himself there to secure credit for the deal he anticipated would be
finalized shortly.
Then, later, on learning more
about what was transpiring in Geneva, Netanyahu met with reporters, and
said (emphasis added):
"I understand that the Iranians are walking around very
satisfied in Geneva -- as well they should be because they got everything and
paid nothing. Everything they wanted; they wanted relief of sanctions
after years of a grueling sanctions regime, they got that. They are
paying nothing because they are not reducing in any way their nuclear enrichment
capability."
He explained that, "the international community got a bad
deal, a very bad deal" while Iran "got the deal of the century."
And then he made it clear that, "Israel utterly
rejects [the deal] and what I am saying is shared by many in the region, whether
or not they express that publicly. Israel is not obliged by this
agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself and the
security of its people."
On the cite above you will find a video clip in addition
to Netanyahu's words in print. Please notice how agitated and drawn he
looks.
~~~~~~~~~~
With this statement, the prime minister has put the world
on notice. No one can ever say he/she didn't know that Israel was going
to/on the cusp of deciding to hit Iran.
I am keenly aware of the balancing act Netanyahu is
engaged in, with regard to hitting Iran. If negotiations fail
(and more on this below), this becomes an appropriate time. If a bad deal
is struck, then he must face the ire of the international community, which will
claim it had been on the edge of securing a peaceful situation, when
he, a warmonger, upset the dynamic. That doesn't mean that he wouldn't do
it anyway. Not at all.
But I have the sense of his weighing various options with
the utmost seriousness possible. And I also have a vivid and painful
awareness of the fact that the window of opportunity for Israel to act is going
to close very very soon.
I make no secret of my conviction that,
as matters stand, he must hit. But there is no certainty yet. In
fact, there will be no certainty until it's been done.
Netanyahu has spoken repeatedly about the need to tighten
the screws on Iran with regard to the sanctions. This is apparently in the
hope that it might yet cause the implosion of the current regime, or, far more
likely, weaken it sufficiently so that the mullahs hold off on crossing
that red line -- especially as Israel presents a credible threat.
Yet, as matters have transpired in the last days, this is
an unlikely prospect.
~~~~~~~~~~
When Netanyahu made his statement on Friday, he believed
the deal was about to be finalized. What happened yesterday, however, is that
France - as I understand it, and astonishingly - took Netanyahu's warnings
seriously and pulled back from agreement. The French referred to the
prospective arrangement as a "sucker's deal," and so at present there is no
deal.
Some reports have the other P5 + 1 parties that are
involved - apparently still eager to finalize that deal - minimizing French
objections: No no, everyone is on board, France is just addressing some
technicalities. Whether France will hold out remains to be seen.
As matters currently stand, there will be a short break,
before negotiations are resumed on November 20. In the meantime, Netanyahu
intends to do a great deal of lobbying. Yet, again.
~~~~~~~~~~
Whether this deal goes through or not, whether France
holds out or not, whether Netanyahu convinces some other nations to take a
more careful look at what they are doing or not, I hold the Obama
administration culpable at the most basic levels.
Once, not so long ago, the US was the leader of the free
world, and demonstrated strength and perseverance. Now, from all
indications, the US was terribly eager to sign a very bad deal. This after
Kerry had pontificated that no deal is better than a bad one.
How shameful is it, that it could be said that America was
more eager for a deal than Iran. What does this tell us?
And what an indictment, that perhaps the Americans caved
because they want to be done with it already. What a gross and shocking
dereliction of Obama's basic responsibility to his nation, and to the
international community this would be.
~~~~~~~~~~
It seems to have been the case that the US stance softened
in the course of these recent negotiations. What is still speculative is
the reason why. A desire to "be done with it already" is only one possible
reason. There are other perspectives being advanced.
The Netanyahu government is especially incensed that the
degree of reduction in sanctions the US was prepared to agree to was greater
than Israel had been told it was. Reportedly early on Friday, before the
negotiations for the day began in Geneva, Kerry told Netanyahu that there would
be "minor" sanctions relief offered to Iran that would "not be
significant."
And so there have been suggestions of deliberate
deception. Jonathan Tobin of Commentary wrote that "Obama is Lying About
Iran Sanctions."
The Daily Beast ran an exclusive two days ago
regarding "Obama's Secret Iran Detente":
"The
Obama administration began softening sanctions on Iran after the election of
Iran’s new president in June, months before the current round of nuclear talks
in Geneva or the historic phone call between the two leaders in September.
"...the
key condition for Iran—relief from crippling sanctions—began quietly and
modestly five months ago."
What
this suggests is that the Obama administration didn't simply cave at the last
minute during negotiations, but was eager all along to provide relief
to Iran -- and to show Iran a weak negotiating stance.
Then
the indictment against Obama is far graver: it becomes an issue of
pre-meditated intent to cut Iran as much slack as possible, and, yes, allow
Iran to go nuclear. And we have to ask which side Obama is on.
(Again -- please, don't write to tell me.)
~~~~~~~~~~
As might be expected, Israeli-US relations
are in a state of considerable tension right now. And there is a way in
which I consider this healthy. For Netanyahu can harbor no illusions about a
quid pro quo if Israel makes concessions, or about trusting the US to stop Iran
from becoming a nuclear power, or about the US having Israel's back.
Netanyahu's
predisposition to respond to American pressure has to be slight at
best. We must trust that he will now proceed on the basis of what is
best for Israel. Period.
Obama
is simply not to be trusted.
~~~~~~~~~~
I
want to circle back to a discussion of the "negotiations" -- for certainly what
I have written here has serious implications in that regard as well. In
fact, the prime minister himself alluded to this issue in his statement about
the bad deal with Iran.
Because
I have something of significance to share concerning Israel's stance on the
negotiations, I am going to save this for tomorrow's post.
As
well, I hope to take a look at other ways in which Obama is weakening the
country he was elected to lead.
~~~~~~~~~~
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Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner,
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