A Diplomatic Victory

The G3+3 have reached an interim six-month agreement with Iran on its nuclear program.  This is the best news on foreign relations that we have had for a long time.  Let's hope the war-mongers, neocons, lobby-influenced Congressmen, and Benjamin Netanyahu don't manage to find a way to scuttle it before the next stage.  Even as this past weekend's negotiations were getting underway, Senators, including Democrats, were lining up to impose additional sanctions on Iran.  Pro-Israel groups, mainly AIPAC, contributed no less than $12.5 million to congressional candidates during the period from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012 - putting them solidly among the top special interest group lobbies in the country.   Nevertheless, the historic agreement, interim though it may be, was made and initial indications from Congress are that they will allow time to see if the agreement will work. 

As Reuters reported on Sunday November 24: "Iran and six world powers clinched a deal on Sunday curbing the Iranian nuclear programme in exchange for initial sanctions relief, signalling the start of a game-changing rapprochement that would reduce the risk of a wider Middle East war.  Aimed at easing a long festering standoff, the interim pact between Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia won the critical endorsement of Iranian clerical Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei...The agreement, which halts Iran's most sensitive nuclear activity, its higher-grade enrichment of uranium, was tailored as a package of confidence-building steps towards reducing decades of tension and ultimately creating a more stable, secure Middle East."  The negotiators noted that this was an important first step, that "the accord created time and space for follow-up talks on a comprehensive solution to the dispute".  Iranian Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Mohammed Javed Zarif said "in an interview broadcast on state television that Iran would move quickly to start implementing the agreement and it was ready to begin talks on a final accord."

Some US allies in the Middle East - particularly Saudi Arabia and Israel - are not happy with the détente in US-Iranian relations.  Netanyahu went so far as to call the negotiated agreement a "historic blunder."   To which should be said that Saudi Arabia and Israel should have no fears.  Just because we are lessening the chances of war in the Middle East doesn't mean they are no longer our allies. The amount of military aid and sales to these countries is staggering.  Israel receives direct US military aid - averaging 1.8 billion dollars annually since 1987 and increasing to 2.4 billion/year in 2008.  Saudi Arabia purchases billions of dollars of military equipment from the American arms industry.  With a more peaceful Middle East, perhaps there would not be a need for these expenditures. 

Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  As such, it has the right to develop its nuclear industry for peaceful purposes.  It also has the obligation to allow periodic inspections. As noted in a Washington Post article from August 2012, "IAEA inspectors are regularly in Iran, but the core of the current dispute is that Tehran is not letting them have unfettered access to all of the country’s nuclear installations."  Apparently that has changed with the agreement reached this weekend. 

Israel is not a signatory to the treaty and not subject to inspections of its nuclear facilities.  It is estimated that Israel has at least 80 nuclear weapons, although they have never admitted it publicly.  The last person to disclose the Israeli nuclear program, nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu, "was kidnapped by Israeli agents in Italy, taken home to trial, convicted and served 18 years in jail, much of it in solitary confinement." [Washington Post]

Maybe it's too much to hope for but a totally nuclear free Middle East would be a good thing.  And a totally nuclear free world would be even better.  That would give us all something to be truly thankful for. 

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Happy Thanksgiving! The Left Bank Café will be back after the Thanksgiving holidays.

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