Historic Iran Nuclear Deal Today, Even More Historic -- and Terrible -- Reckoning to Come

We are about to hear plenty of celebratory remarks about the “historic” Iran nuclear deal reached in Vienna.

For those inclined to celebrate, this is supposed to be the big payola, the grand finale of the diplomatic extravaganza that stretched on through half a dozen missed deadlines, across continents, with the American secretary of State finally parking himself for more than two solid weeks at the negotiating table in Vienna — determined to close a deal, whatever concessions that might take.

By President Obama’s calculus, this deal is supposed to mark the moment when the nuclear threat of Iran starts to seriously recede… a proposition akin to his claims in 2012 that the tide of war was receding.  Worse, actually, because we have here the makings of a nuclear arms race, not only in the Middle East, but likely to spill well beyond.

So, yes indeed, this deal is historic. It is historic in ways that, for instance, President Obama’s 2009 chairing of a United Nations Security Council meeting on freeing the world of nuclear weapons was not (does anyone even remember that UN summit? It was the first time an American  president had stooped to chair a meeting of the UN Security Council; it did absolutely nothing to stop nuclear proliferation).

This deal is an historic disaster. Not only does it legitimize Iran’s nuclear program, but it goes far to confer legitimacy on Iran’s regime — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. For the U.S., it’s a variation of running up massive U.S. government debt, and leaving the next American president — as well as America’s people, and our allies — to face the real cost. Which in this case involves nuclear weapons.

Congress will now get its chance to weigh in. So will the UN Security Council. How those might mesh is a troubling question — we may soon learn more.

For the immediate big picture, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, gave a terrific speech on Monday on the Iran negotiations, addressing an organization called Christians United for Israel. He’s posted it, and it is worth reading in full. He makes a lot of vital points, including his observation that those most immediately endangered by Iran — Israel and America’s Arab allies — were not included at the bargaining table. (Russia and China were there, along with France, Britain, Germany and the U.S.).

There are so many flaws to this deal that even though Dermer lists them in brief, it’s a long list. I’ve culled out a few excerpts, on the next page (boldface mine, on an item that should be of particular interest even to the most tuned-out Americans) …

Though Iran has made its intentions perfectly clear, few people have been paying attention.
Last year, when Iran’s charming foreign minister Zarif laid a wreath at the grave of Imad Mugniyah, the terrorist mastermind who killed more Americans than any terrorist besides Osama Bin Laden, few people paid attention.
A few months ago, when Iran’s navy blew up a mock American aircraft carrier, few people paid attention.
On Friday, when President Rouhani went to a rally in which American and Israeli flags were burned, few people paid attention.
And on Saturday, when the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, said that Iran plans to continue its struggle against an “arrogant” America, few people paid attention.

Many people have eyes that do not see and ears that do not listen.
The truth is they do not see and listen because they do not want to see and listen.
In the name of peace, and with the best of intentions, they are determined to avoid confrontation at all cost.
We have seen this happen before.

…So many red lines have already been crossed.
The promise of anytime, anywhere inspections looks more like sometime, somewhere inspections that will enable Iran to continue the cat and mouse game that it has played with IAEA inspectors for years.
The promise of phased sanctions relief looks more like a one-time jackpot for the Ayatollah regime.
In a few months, this deal would give Iran 150 billion dollars.
Iran has a 300 to 400 billion dollar economy. A 150 billion dollar infusion of cash into Iran’s coffers is like 8 trillion dollars flowing into the US treasury.

… The truth is that billions of dollars will be used to replenish the Iranian regime’s ATMs in the region.
Those ATMs are the Ayatollah Terror Machines – the Shiite militia in Iraq, Assad’s regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and the many other Iranian’s terror proxies throughout the region. 

Billions of dollars will also go to strengthen Iran’s vast global terror network that is has used to perpetrate terror attacks on five continents and 30 countries – from Buenos Aires to Burgas to Bangkok.

Watching the breathtaking collapse of the positions of the P5+1, it is hard to believe that two years ago we were promised that the sanctions regime would only be dismantled if and when Iran’s illicit nuclear program was dismantled.

Instead, this deal dismantles the sanctions regime in exchange for partial and temporary constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.

Partial, because Iran will be allowed to continue R&D on advanced centrifuges and will continue to develop ICBMs, whose sole purpose is to carry nuclear payloads. 

I’ve got a newsflash for you. Israel is on the same continent as Iran. So those intercontinental ballistic missiles are not for us. They’re for you. 

The constraints on Iran’s nuclear program are only temporary because the most important ones will be removed in a decade.
And those constraints will be removed whether or not Iran changes its behavior.

…For many years, Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned that the greatest danger facing our world is the coupling of militant Islam with nuclear weapons.

This deal could become the marriage certificate for that nightmare – and our children and grandchildren will never forgive us.