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Obama Betrays Iran On Nuclear Deal |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| One thing for sure can be said about Obama. He's consistent.
He says one thing. He does another - virtually always. He predictably betrays the public trust with disturbing regularity. He flouts agreements with other nations - blaming them for his wrongdoing. It's unsurprising he breached the framework nuclear deal with Iran. It's disturbing how quickly. On the one hand, his so-called fact sheet includes stipulations contrary to terms reached. On the other, he surrendered to congressional anti-Iranian hardliners without a whimper of protest. Lausanne is dead. Chances for concluding fair and equitable final terms with Iran by June 30 are virtually nil. Business as usual triumphed. US neocons, Israel, its Lobby and other Iran-haters won. Obama agreed to sign the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act of 2015 (INAA) when passed by both houses - likely by a veto-proof margin. On Tuesday, it cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously. Republicans and most Democrats are in lockstep. It gives Congress final say on any nuclear deal reached with Iran. It effectively undermines whatever may be consummated. It assures months of talks were wasted. Perhaps Obama never wanted a deal in the first place. Maybe he just pretended to want one - while privately plotting betrayal. He's as hardline as neocons infesting his administration. Their notion of a deal with Iran is unconditional surrender. US-led opposition to Iran's known peaceful nuclear program has alway been red herring cover for regime change - replacing sovereign Iranian independence with stooge government Washington controls. Unnamed White House officials lied saying they got last minute congressional concessions. They got nothing meaningful. Ben Cardin is Democrat Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member. "Only Congress can change or permanently modify the sanctions regime," he said. In other words, no sanctions relief will be forthcoming without unconditional Iranian surrender to Washington, Israel and its Lobby. Everything agreed on is null and void unless Congress says otherwise. INAA legislation requires the White House send Congress the final text of any deal reached as soon as concluded - along with classified material. It gives Congress 30 days to decide up or down whether to lift sanctions - 60 days without a final deal by July 9. It has final say - contrary to framework terms. Final INAA provisions aren't concluded. Congressional hardliners want tougher measures added. It remains to be seen how much worse INAA may get. It's already a deal-killer. Israel hailed it. Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said Obama "fold(ed)" in the face of congressional pressure. He called it "an achievement for Israeli policy. We are certainly blessed this morning." "It means more pressure and another hurdle in the way of a bad agreement, so the administration and negotiators will work harder to fill the gaps to reshape the deal into a better, more reasonable one that can win Congress approval." AIPAC issued a press release praising unanimous Senate Foreign Relations Committee INAA adoption. Saying it "believes that it is imperative for Congress to assert its historic foreign policy role." "Congress should review any agreement to ensure it meets US objectives and object if it fails to do so." "Serious concerns have been raised over the framework understanding." "A final deal, with its immense national security implications, must be subjected to the constitutional system of checks and balances…" "AIPAC urges the full Senate to adopt this legislation and the House to take action on congressional review legislation." Fact: Congress only has advise and consent authority over treaties. It has no legal foreign policy say other than what's constitutionally authorized. Fact: It has no legitimate say over Iran nuclear framework or final terms unless granted by the White House. Fact: The whole world knows Iran's nuclear program is peaceful. Fact: It has no military component. US and Israeli intelligence say so. Fact: Iran threatens no other country - not now, earlier or going forward. No security issues whatever exist related to its legitimate nuclear program or foreign policy. Iran insists all sanctions be lifted immediately once final terms are consummated. Otherwise, it won't accept them. On April 15, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi called on P5+1 nations (mainly Washington) to stop making unreasonable demands on Iran - if they're serious about consummating a final fair and equitable agreement. Doing so requires they "show more cooperation and a better understanding of the realities," he said. Supreme Leader Ali Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said any deal reached must lift all sanctions immediately - "on the same day of any agreement." President Hassan Rohani stressed the same thing - indicating Iran will never relinquish its right to develop and use peaceful nuclear power. Foreign officials and IAEA monitors "shouldn’t be allowed at all to penetrate into the country's security and defensive boundaries under the pretext of supervision, and the country's military officials are not permitted at all to allow the foreigners to cross these boundaries or stop the country's defensive development under the pretext of supervision and inspection," said Khamenei. He added he's neither in favor or against Lausanne terms "since nothing has happened yet, and no binding issue has occurred between the two sides." Longstanding US anti-Iranian sentiment persists. Obama conspired with Congress, Israel and its Lobby to maintain business as usual. Renewed regime change efforts may follow - maybe by war if other options fail. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs. |
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