Really, why should Iran’s nuclear weapon program details have anything to do with implementing a deal to deny them a nuclear weapon for the next 8-15 years? One of the sticking points is the side deal between Iran and the IAEA, which was meant to investigate Iran’s past nuclear weapons work and the current state of that program. This is rather necessary in order to “establish a baseline” for investigating all their work, their personnel, their facilities, and how far along they were in developing weapons. What would the consequences be if Iran obstructed this investigation? Iran said it had no bearing. The Obama admin said it does. And now? Obama and Kerry have capitulated once again to Iran
(Business Insider) Now we have the answer. On October 19, a Wall Street Journal report cited anonymous US officials who “said the IAEA report would have no bearing on moves by the international community to lift sanctions.”
“That final assessment, which the IAEA is aiming to complete by December 15th, is not a prerequisite for implementation day,†a senior US official told The Journal. “We are not in a position to evaluate the quality … of the data. That is between Iran and the IAEA.â€
As The Journal notes, “Secretary of State John Kerry and other US officials had previously said sanctions wouldn’t be lifted unless Iran substantively cooperated with the UN probe.”
Even before the agreement goes into effect, the US is shifting its interpretation of the JCPOA in a way that makes the accord more palatable to Iran.
In the process, the US has essentially decided that the investigation of past nuclear-weapons work, and the state of current Iranian weaponization expertise, is nonbinding on a treaty specifically meant to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Of course, the deal is only meant to restrict Iran’s nuclear weapons program for a period of 8-15 years, at which point they are free to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them willy nilly. Iran has been pushing the envelope left and right, even dictating terms for the implementation of the deal. They’ve tested Ehmad missiles, in violation of current sanctions, and would be against the Iran deal.
The US has retreated in connecting the weaponization disclosures to the full implementation of the deal — at the same time Tehran is acting as if it doesn’t really value cooperation with its negotiating partners.
Consequently, it looks like Iran looking to push the still-to-be implemented JCPOA as far as it possibly can.
It looks like Iran is looking to push Obama and Kerry as far as they possibly can, and Obama/Kerry capitulated once again.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
