The U.S., its allies and Russia completed a framework of agreement with Iran concerning its nuclear program. The framework will now be put in a written draft to cover the subject matter by the end of June. The final written agreement when approved will be submitted to congress for approval.
So far the chicken hawk republicans in congress, Israel's Prime Minister Natanyahu and some democrats are opposed to the framework and Natanyahu and the 47 senate republicans who wrote a letter to Iran would like to see the framework die. They prefer another war in the middle east as they have no alternative to the framework of understanding.
North Korea and Iran advanced their nuclear programs during the previous administration and North Korea actually tested their very first nuclear weapon on the watch of President George W. Bush. Bush's policy on Iran's nuclear program was zero because he had the U.S. bogged down in an unnecessary war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.
The present talks with Iran started over 6 months ago and Iran agreed to halt most of its program during that time and they did comply. In fact international nuclear inspectors have inspected and run through their nuclear facilities. The U.S. and its allies now know more about Iran's nuclear program than they know about the nuclear programs of Israel, India and Pakistan and those three countries have stock piles of nuclear weapons and have possessed them for many years.
In this writers judgement the President's policies have been the right ones. Since he announced U.S. ground troops would not be deployed in a direct combat role in Iraq and the middle east several of those countries are now fighting the ground war in Iraq with U. S. and allies air support and have taken back territory it had lost previously. And now Saudi Arabia and others have joined the fight against ISIL and some rebel groups in Yemen. This writer does not think that would have taken place had the President not put the middle east on notice that it is their war to fight and win.
Most nuclear experts agree that the framework is a good one and that despite all the negative talk Iran did indeed make deep consessions in the framework of agreement. Natanyahu said years ago Iran was only 6 months away from making their first nuclear bomb and yet they do not possess any. He and Israel have been wrong and do not want any progress in the middle east on any terms but their own. They are a threat to America's interest and a threat to the middle east peace process.
Regardless what happens with the framework of agreement with Iran it will not end the nuclear issues in the middle east or elsewhere. At some point some other country will say: Well lets see, those who possess nuclear weapons say, no one else can have them but us. In other words they can threaten my country and try to intimidate, so for protection my country will pursue nuclear weapons. If any one thinks that sounds silly why do you think India and Pakistan has those nuclear weapons? And as I wrote several years ago in "PolitiDose" if some one ever uses nuclear weapons in the middle east or that part of the world you can bet it will be Israel, Pakistan or India who launches the first strike.
If all parties to the agreement framework sign onto the written agreement then the U.S. senate should vote to ratify the agreement. This writer trust that the President will not sign onto a faulty agreement. I think his record proves that.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
