May 8, 2018Gronda Morin

aside Max Boot Argues Why the President Should Not Blow Up Iran Nuclear Deal Bur He’s Not Listening

MAX BOOT is a conservative Russian-American author, consultant, editorialist, lecturer, and military historian. He worked as a writer and editor for Christian Science Monitor and The Wall Street Journal in the 1990s.(Wikipedia)

Today’s the day, 8th day of May 2018, when the republican President Donald Trump plans to announce his intent to have the US back out of the 2015 Iran Nuclear deal despite the advice by his own Defense Secretary General James Mattis and the allied leaders of numerous

countries.

The president is instead listening to the professionals whom he has recently placed in his cabinet like the National Security Adviser John Bolton and the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all of whom have a history in favor of tearing up this deal and for promoting regime change in Iran.

As per April 13, 2018 “Middle East Eye,” Mike Pompeo had said, “”I’ve seen no evidence that (Iranians) are not in compliance today,” he told the committee. “I want to fix this deal. That’s the objective.”

“If there is no chance to fix it, I’ll recommend to the president we do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and better deal. Even after May 12th … there’s still much diplomatic work to be done.”

It seems that the new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was arguing for a softer withdrawal or a time delay, but his advice was not heeded.

It appears that Israel is driving US foreign policy. No one has a problem with this stance except when Israeli interests conflict with what is the US national security interests.

See: The U.S. Will Withdraw From Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump Tells Macron/ New York Times

Image result for cartoon iran nuclear deal trump

Here is the rest of the story…

On May 1, 2018, Max Boot for the Washington Post penned the following op-ed piece, “Trump should strengthen the Iran nuclear deal, not blow it up”

“Credit Israeli intelligence for another coup: Its agents smuggled 100,000 pages of documents out of Iran about that country’s nuclear program. The mullahs will now have to patch a major security leak. But the revelations contained in those papers are not quite as newsworthy as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a made-for-American-TV presentation on Monday. “I’m here to tell you one thing: Iran lied. Big time,” Netanyahu  said. So what did Iranian leaders lie about? That they had a secret nuclear-development program called Project Amad … that was shelved in 2003.”

Image result for photos of the iran nuclear deal being worked on

“No kidding. Iran’s nuclear-weapons development program was widely known — and it was, in fact, the justification for the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, Germany, Britain and France to conclude the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran in 2015, imposing strict limitations on Iran’s ability to enrich and reprocess fissile material.”

“Netanyahu claims that Iran has violated the JCPOA, a.k.a. the “Iran nuclear deal.” But on that score his evidence is thin. “In 2017,” he said, “Iran moved its nuclear weapons files to a highly secret location in Tehran.” It’s possible that Iran did not come clean about its past nuclear activities, as it was supposed to do under the deal, but no one ever expected that the agreement would eradicate Iran’s nuclear know-how. It was only supposed to stop the actual development of nuclear weapons. Netanyahu is clearly eager to torpedo the nuclear deal, and if he had compelling evidence of Iranian violations he would have presented it — but he doesn’t and didn’t.”

Image result for photos of the iran nuclear deal being worked on

“There is nothing in Israel’s revelations that contradicts that assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that Iran is complying with the terms of the nuclear deal. In February, Dan Coats, director of national intelligence,stated that “the JCPOA has extended the amount of time Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon from a few months to about one year” and that it “has also enhanced the transparency of Iran’s nuclear activities.” Just last week, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis toldCongress that, after reading the entire text of the nuclear agreement three times, he was impressed that “the verification, what is in there, is actually pretty robust.”

“These sober assessments hardly justify President Trump’s hyperbolic claims that the Iran nuclear agreement is the “worst deal ever.” It is, in fact, a successful deal that appears to be constricting Iran’s nuclear development — just as intended. There were, of course, real limitations on the scope of the nuclear deal, which is why I and other critics argued that President Barack Obama should have held out for tougher terms. It doesn’t allow unfettered inspection of all Iranian military bases. It doesn’t ban Iranian nuclear development in perpetuity; the caps on centrifuges will begin expiring in 2026. It doesn’t ban ballistic missile testing. And it doesn’t prevent Iran from destabilizing its neighbors.”

Image result for photos of the iran nuclear deal being worked on

“But that’s not an argument for blowing up the JCPOA, as Trump seems intent on doing as early as May 12 (the next deadline for reimposing sanctions lifted under the deal). That’s an argument for strengthening it. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in their visits to Washington last week, offered Trump a way to accomplish this goal by negotiating a side agreement with the Europeans. The United States and European Union could state their intent to apply sanctions on Iran if it tests ballistic missiles, continues destabilizing its neighbors, dramatically expands the number of working centrifuges, or attempts to weaponize its nuclear program at any point in the future. The United States could also declare that it will keep troops in eastern Syria to contain Iranian power — something Trump is loath to do.”

“The beauty of a side agreement is that it would not require the assent of Iran, Russia and China — which is unlikely — and it would give Trump the ability to boast, truthfully, that he had increased the pressure on Iran. But it would require him to cease his incessant denigration of the nuclear deal, which he seems to hate mainly because he wasn’t the one who negotiated it, and force him to admit that he failed to rewrite it.”

Image result for photos of president benjamin netanyahu

“That would be the grown-up thing to do, which is why our juvenile president is unlikely to do it. As Macron said, he is likely to “get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons.” Netanyahu’s performance on Monday night, clearly coordinated with the Trump administration, is intended to give the president the excuse he needs to act on his impulse.”

“But has Trump thought about what comes next? Silly question, I know. If the United States reimposes nuclear sanctions on Iran, even though there is no evidence that Iran is cheating on the nuclear deal, Iran may continue abiding by its limitations — or it may not. The Europeans may go along under threat of secondary sanctions — or they may not. No one knows what will happen next, but the likelihood is that nuking the JCPOA will undermine, rather than strengthen, attempts to limit the Iranian threat.”

This cartoon just won First Prize at Iran’s “Trumpism Cartoon and Caricature Contest”(2017)

“Trump is already dealing with one nuclear crisis in North Korea. It is hard to know why he wants to start another one in the Middle East.”

See: Obama Blasts Trump’s “Misguided” Decision to Withdraw from Iran Deal/ Mother Jones

22 comments

  1. Trump did not listen to his knowledgeable advisors such as Mattis, nor did he listen to our European allies. In one lousy decision, the fool has made the entire world less safe. Netanyahu lied and played games to convince Trump to listen to him. And this minute, while the Israeli people are said to be cheering in the streets, the Israeli military is on high alert. We have a bloody fool for a “leader” and he just made the second most stupid decision he has made in his 15 months.
    Hugs!!!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Jill,

      Forgive me, but I better never find out that Israel or a representative of Israel has financially greased the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s hand in order to have the president acting at the direction of Israel against the US national security interests. The president has made his most dangerous move to date.

      Thanks a million times over for all of your support and for this reblog.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 2 people

      • I would not be surprised to find exactly that. Remember how Kushner was the one who was going to achieve Middle-East peace, and how many trips he made to Israel? And he has business interests there. Nothing, anymore, surprises me, but it still brings me to a white-hot rage, as I have been in tonight. Hugs!!!

        Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Jill,

      I think I have figured out how/ why the president could be acting at the behest of Israel. I am just about to publish the theory as to how Israel has kompromat on the president. It involves Elliott Broidy.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Reblogged this on Filosofa's Word and commented:
    Gronda has covered this one, for which I am so grateful, because I am too furious to write it! Today, Donald Trump made one of his most stupid decisions in his 15 months in office. He ignored the advice of all the people who understood what the Iran deal actually accomplished and why we needed it, and he withdrew the U.S. Our European allies are not happy, those of us who understand this are not happy, but Donnie made his buddy Bennie (Netanyahu) happy, so what else matters, right? Please take a few minutes to read Gronda’s comprehensive post, for she did a great job with it! Thank you, Gronda!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Looks like it is time to revive my Israeli-Arab War theory that I last brought up when Trumphole tried to move his embassy in Israel. He wants to start a war between Israel and the Arabs, preferably a nuclear war. He wants them to blow each other to smithereens, and get rid of two opposing forces and peoples at the same time WITHOUT BEING SEEN TO CHOOSE SIDES. He loudly professes his hatred of Muslims, but hides his hatred of Jews though he hates them too. Right now they are useful to him, but once his plan succeeds he will rejoice at their diminished power.
    His policies are very transparent, if you allow yourselves to look at them open-eyed.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Rawgod,

      I am seeing red because I am so furious at the president for placing the interests of Israel over what is in the best interests of the USA.

      I have been at a loss to explain all of this, his acquiescence to Russia and now, Israel along with the UAE.

      I think that I have figured it out with the help of NY Magazine where the author was brave enough to publish the theory that Mr. Cohen did not pay off $1.6 million dollars to hush up an affair for Elliott Broidy but for President Trump who allegedly had an affair with with a former playmate and impregnated her. Elliott Broidy by participating in the scam gets leverage/ kompromat over the president. Mr. Broidy is a major lobbyist/ representative of Israel and UAE.

      The president has been prone to enact foreign policies that favor those entities which have kompromat on him like Russia, and now, possibly, Israel. Stormy Daniels has this benefit as well.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

    • @rawgod

      Interesting conspiracy theory, pitting two enemies against one another is typical US protocol for destabilizing regions of the world… esp the middle east. Hence all the coloured revolutions, regime changes, assassinations, military strikes and war over the years.

      However, the Trumphole is too impetuous and shortsighted to arrange such a scenario. Ie: first he wants to pull out of Syria, now he wants to commit and attack?! Same goes for N. Korea, first he threatens without provocation, now he’s best friends with Kim Jong Un? The man doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.

      Also his son in law and daughter are Jewish, he also has deep ties with Israeli business and Bibi Netanyahu, it would go against his personal financial interests to hurt Israel. I don’t see any major conflicts happening between Israel and Iran, Russia would intercede before a hot war breaks out. Blogger Lada Ray wrote extensively about the US, Israeli, Iran triangle.

      https://futuristrendcast.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/new-predictions-iran-crisis-are-israel-and-us-trying-to-break-up-russia-turkey-iran-alliance/

      Like

      • Dear 1EarthUnited,

        In the past I have found Lady Rada’s blog to be a mixture of truth and “fake news.” While I do not claim to have all the answers, especially when it comes to middle east, I do try to be careful about what I write.

        I do concur that Israel and Russia have been playing footsies at the expense of Iran.

        It is my opinion/ theory only that Israel is assisting Russia by bombing Syrian positions with Iranian backed forces. This benefits Israel because its leaders would prefer Russia to have the upper hand in Syria rather than Iran. Russia needs that Syrian naval base in Syria, bigly.

        With US sanctions against Iran, especially oil products, then the prices of oil prices will rise which benefits the Russian economy.

        Hugs, Gronda

        Liked by 1 person

  6. The PRIMARY reason tRumpsky rejected the Iran Deal is because it had Obama’s name on it. And no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Nan,

      We both know the the president would act impulsively on the basis of his hate for President Obama.

      This is not good news. I am praying that the other countries which signed onto the Iran deal , United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China—plus Germany) and the EU stick with the deal along with Iran.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

  7. Gronda, very relevant. In short,
    – the world is a less safe place after today
    – Trump thumbed his nose at our allies and trading partners
    – with a median age of 35, we had the chance to change the paradigm toward America through commerce. That will now change.

    Making poor decisions which isolate America (Paris, TPP, tariffs and this) to appeal to an uninformed and misinformed base is unwise.

    That is what this old fart thinks. Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Keith,

      This is his worst decision to date. He is placing the the US national security interests at risk/ in danger. The republicans will not be able to white wash their complicity with this president when and if we end up at war with Iran.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

      • Gronda, take a quick peek at my post this morning. I heard this on NPR, but like his travel ban, he did not do much planning or communication of what this all meant. Keith

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:

    Anyone surprised? … I’m so angered by this idiotic, unprepared decision …. this is not the America I knew!!
    ‘Today, Donald Trump made one of his most stupid decisions in his 15 months in office. He ignored the advice of all the people who understood what the Iran deal actually accomplished and why we needed it, and he withdrew the U.S. Our European allies are not happy, those of us who understand this are not happy, but Donnie made his buddy Bennie (Netanyahu) happy, so what else matters, right?’ FIDIOTS!!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Horty,

      I can’t tell whose interests the president represents, Israel, Russia or the US national security and well being.

      He is clueless about these deals like Iran Nuclear deal, Paris Climate Change Accord, NAFTA, TPP, DACA but he knows how to destroy them all.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

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