To say that this deal with Iran is good because it will prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power with the ability to create and deliver a nuclear bomb is just plain not true. And, to say, like President Obama did, that this deal was made from a position of strength is also not true. Well, unless you put Iran on the “strength” side.
After months of hype over this deal, including the false choice of if not this, the alternative is war, what we got is not a Deal or No Deal. What we got is Deal And No Deal.
Iran gives up nothing. The U.S., U.N., and the E.U. are the ones giving up. And, where the U.S. in concerned, the deal also pokes the eye of Congress. Why wouldn’t Iran sign that “deal?”
First of all, the only sites that are open to inspection are the ones that Iran itself says that it has. Consequently, their list omits all nuclear sites on military bases.
NUCLEAR
A. ENRICHMENT, ENRICHMENT R&D, STOCKPILES
1. Iran’s long term plan includes certain agreed limitations on all uranium enrichment and uranium enrichment-related activities including certain limitations on specific research and development (R&D) activities for the first 8 years, to be followed by gradual evolution, at a reasonable pace, to the next stage of its enrichment activities for exclusively peaceful purposes, as described in Annex I. Iran will abide by its voluntary commitments, as expressed in its own long-term enrichment and enrichment R&D plan to be submitted as part of the initial declaration for the Additional Protocol to Iran’s Safeguards Agreement.
This deal ends all sanctions already in place. Under the heading of
SANCTIONS
18. The UN Security Council resolution endorsing this JCPOA will terminate all provisions of previous UN Security Council resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue – 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008), 1835 (2008), 1929 (2010) and 2224 (2015)
19. The EU will terminate all provisions of the EU Regulation, as subsequently amended, implementing all nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions
A “screw you Congress” provision . . .
25. If a law at the state or local level in the United States is preventing the implementation of the sanctions lifting as specified in this JCPOA, the United States will take appropriate steps, taking into account all available authorities, with a view to achieving such implementation.
Here is the NO-DEAL deal.
26. The EU will refrain from re-introducing or re-imposing the sanctions that it has terminated implementing under this JCPOA, without prejudice to the dispute resolution process provided for under this JCPOA. There will be no new nuclear- related UN Security Council sanctions and no new EU nuclear-related sanctions or restrictive measures. The United States will make best efforts in good faith to sustain this JCPOA and to prevent interference with the realisation of the full benefit by Iran of the sanctions lifting specified in Annex II. The U.S. Administration, acting consistent with the respective roles of the President and the Congress, will refrain from re-introducing or re-imposing the sanctions specified in Annex II that it has ceased applying under this JCPOA, without prejudice to the dispute resolution process provided for under this JCPOA. The U.S. Administration, acting consistent with the respective roles of the President and the Congress, will refrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions. Iran has stated that it will treat such a re-introduction or re-imposition of the sanctions specified in Annex II, or such an imposition of new nuclear-related sanctions, as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part.
And another “screw you Congress” provision . . .
27. The EU and its Member States and the United States, consistent with their respective laws, will refrain from any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalisation of trade and economic relations with Iran inconsistent with their commitments not to undermine the successful implementation of this JCPOA.
So when critics of the deal say that the Obama administration is hell bent on having an historic agreement (even a bad one) was for Obama’s legacy, they’re right.
There’s more that is plenty wrong with this deal. Beginning with what happens if Iran is caught cheating. That hasn’t been worked out yet. The full text is below.
