Ten years ago in 2015 President Obama and our European allies signed a nuclear agreement with Iran to restrict Iran's ability to acquire a nuclear weapon. The agreement had safeguards and inspections that denied Iran the ability to enrich uranium and plutonium to weapons grade level. It was a good effective agreement with enforcements.
Israel's Netanyahu opposed the agreement, was invited to speak to congress by the GOP members and lied when he told them Iran was only months away from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And now ten years later when Israel launched their attack, Iran has still not reached a level of enrichment of uranium and plutonium to weapons grade according to the latest report from the Atomic Energy Community who has inspected the facilities.
Donald Trump during his first term withdrew the U.S. from the treaty using the same excuses as Netanyahu and lies and Iran responded by starting to enrich uranium and plutonium to try and reach weapons grade. Netanyahu and Trump were both wrong and if the treaty were still in effect, the unprovoked attacks would not have been necessary and in fact the treaty would have had plenty of time to even be upgraded. But the facts remain, Netanyahu and Trump do not believe in diplomacy. If they did, both of them had 10 years to come up with a better plan if they had one. But no such plan was ever revealed or given to Iran.
Sixty three years ago this October, President Kennedy faced a situation with the Cuban missile crisis that was 1000 time more dangerous and or threatening than Iran when Russia installed ICBM missiles in Cuba with nuclear warheads only 90 miles from the east coast. President Kennedy, being a veteran of WWII knew what war was all about and how this situation could get out of hand so he addressed the nation, had our military ready to respond but thought "diplomacy" should be sought first. While "diplomacy" was being worked on, the President ordered a Naval quarantine of Cuba to stop any Soviet ships carrying any armaments to Cuba. In the end, "diplomacy" worked, Russia removed all of its missiles and nuclear weapons and our Navy verified that all the missiles and armaments were indeed removed.
President Kennedy was not on TV every day talking about "there will be hell to pay" or assassinating leaders or lying about the threat. Kennedy was a President and Commander in Chief who knew his responsibility to keep the country and its people safe and how to be prepared for such a situation. That was a time of true leadership, which is lacking today.
Trump and Netanyahu are responsible for their lack of leadership for the past 10 years concerning Iran. They lead two of the most powerful nuclear nations in the world and resorted to attacking a non nuclear power nation named Iran. And those who suffer the most are the civilians and children of all sides who have no say so in the matter. Their failure to seek diplomacy, failed their responsibility even though time was on their side to seek diplomacy.
President Kennedy passed the leadership test, President Trump and Netanyahu failed the leadership test on all counts as the issue they faced was a flea.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
