IRAN 1-23-2015

23, January 2015                   IRAN

The Obama administration (and Pope Francis) deserve credit for normalizing relations with Cuba. They should now move vigorously to normalize relations with Iran. A resolution would bring Iran back into the global economy; give us a useful ally against radical Islamists who are a major threat to world order. Our media has acknowledged that Iran has been on the front lines fighting ISIS.

We are expending major military resources on degrading ISIS. Why then would we not combine our efforts in fighting a common foe?  A little over a year ago an interim deal was signed between Iran and The P5+1 which included surprise inspections of all their nuclear facilities. The world intelligence community with the exception of Bibi Netanyahu states there is no evidence that Iran is working on a Nuclear Weapon. On the contrary Israel possess between 100-200 nuclear warheads and has refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Incoming Chairman of the Senate Foreign relations Committee, Bob Corker, stated that we should act in US interests and not necessarily in Netanyahu’s interests. Speaker Boehner seems determined to scuttle the talks by inviting the highly, polarizing divisive Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, to Washington. AIPAC is supporting this effort and is a direct threat to our functioning democracy. Boehner seems unconcerned that bypassing the White House is a serious violation of protocol by upending Obama’s diplomatic efforts. If they succeed Rouhani’s influence would be marginalized and the hardliners could regain power with devastating consequences.

Note: The P5+1 is a group of six world powers which in 2006 joined the diplomatic efforts with Iran with regard to its nuclear program. The term refers to the P5 or five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France, plus Germany.