Obama & the Iran Nuclear Deal

Obama’s Iran Deal, The Art of Misdirection

The View from the Middle

The debate is on concerning whether the Iran deal is good for us or just for Iran.  Is the breakout time for Iran to create a nuclear weapon long enough?  It is currently just three months, and now with this deal it is a year.  Doesn’t sound significant to me, but we can debate that.  Are the inspections tough enough?  The President originally talked about 24-7 access but the deal now allows up to 24 days between request and inspection, and Iran is on the panel that decides the timing.  While 24-7 and 24 days have the same numbers in them, there’s a huge difference to me, and not a good one. 

There are other issues like the development of ballistic missiles and the purchase of conventional weapons by Iran, but I’m going to resist the temptation to discuss them.  That is exactly what the Obama administration wants.  Most of Congress and the entire nation of Israel would say these concessions are insane and we got nothing for them.  But as the world discusses these issues, we all fall for the Obama misdirection, again.

Misdirection is a strategy this administration has employed often during its tenure.  With Obamacare, they had us debating provisions when we should have been asking why this law was even passed – without a single Republican Party vote in either house of congress.  On Benghazi, it was, “look at this terrible filmmaker” not our embassy security or the fact that Chris Stevens shouldn’t have even been there at all.  With ISIS it was, “what would Reagan have done once ISIS exploded into Iraq”, not why did we screw up the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) which allowed them access in the first place.

And now they’re at it again.  As we debate the number of centrifuges and enriched uranium we allow, we’re not talking about why we are negotiating with these guys at all!  There are two huge reasons why we shouldn’t be at the table with Iran.

The most important thing to consider before entering negotiations with anyone is: what is the likelihood that I can trust this person (or country) to honor their commitments?  The Quran actually encourages Muslims to lie to their enemies or infidels (we are both) in order to defeat them. 

The Iranian leaders can commit to virtually anything.  They have every intention of violating this compact at their convenience and feel fully justified in doing so.  What Iran wants is the $100 billion in frozen assets we have agreed to release and the suspension of trade sanctions which will further enrich them.  Once the assets are released and trade begins, it will be impossible to “snap (them) back”, and the Ayatollahs know it.

Side note – the actual negotiations were really amusing.  Once Iran figured out that Obama would do anything to get a deal for his legacy, they couldn’t help themselves from asking for outrageous concessions.  They have no intention of living up this agreement, but this deal will cause them to have to cheat less.

So, reason #1 on why we shouldn’t negotiate with Iran – WE CAN’T TRUST THEM!  Anyone remember North Korea?  Can you say Déjà vu?

The second reason we shouldn’t even be talking to these thugs is that the sanctions were working.  The world should shun and isolate countries that act like sociopaths, and the results will be negative in the short term, but positive in the long term.  In the short term, the people of that country will suffer, but it is this suffering that will inspire them to overthrow their government so that they can rejoin the world community and enjoy the benefits that come with that. 

Even Hillary Clinton agrees that the sanctions were working.  She said this is what brought Iran to the negotiating table.  To Hillary, I say – see reason #1.  If anything, we should strengthen the sanctions until we get a new government to negotiate with.  Iran needs the world more than the world needs Iran.  Wait until Iran has a leadership that doesn’t chant, “death to American and Death to Israel.”  So, reason #2 – IF SOMETHING IS WORKING, KEEP DOING IT.

Unfortunately, we are where we are.  Approval of the deal is racing through the UN before our Congress even gets to vote on it.  This pressures our Congress to do what looks good instead of what is right.  Iranians are dancing in the streets (still chanting death to us) and Israel is having a national migraine.  Who do you think got the best deal?

In closing, don’t fall for the misdirection.  Don’t debate the details of the deal.  Press for the big answer.  Why did we even go the negotiating table with a deceitful regime that was struggling to maintain power as a result of our sanctions and is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism?  I predict that Iran will begin to violate this agreement before this President leaves office and this administration will call it “bumps in the road”.  I also predict a very bumpy road when Iran gets to full strength.  Bumpy for us, existential for Israel.