First Posted: 4/4/2015
By The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
APRIL 4, 2015 — The co-founder of the Stimson Center, a global security think tank, has boldly proclaimed that “President Obama’s strategy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons has worked.”
Barry Blechman says the “framework agreement” announced Thursday by the United States, Iran and five other nations not only will stop Iran from building nuclear weapons for at least a decade, if not forever, “safeguards and inspections” built into the deal will give the U.S. ample warning to act militarily, if need be.
We’re not sure on what planet Mr. Blechman resides but it most assuredly is not this one.
The agreement to a “framework” that is to serve as an outline for an actual “deal” to be reached this summer is so full of naive assumptions and gross capitulations that the more accurate assessment is “We got played.” That’s how former Reagan administration Defense Department official KT McFarland characterizes the agreement. “We’ve just given away the bank,” she adds.
And the touted inspection regimen? Swiss cheese.
Iran, of course, sees this framework as “historic.” And with good reason. Uranium enrichment will continue unimpeded, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif claimed only hours after President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry came close to a peace-in-our-time, Neville Chamberlain moment. And the supposed phasing out of sanctions will be immediate, Mr. Zarif added.
Some “framework.” Some “landmark deal.” Welcome to what surely is shaping up to be the ultimate appeasement.
