© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
An update has been released for the Android version of the WAMC App that addresses performance issues. Please check the Google Play Store to download and update to the latest version.

Herbert London: One Year Anniversary Of Iranian Betrayal And American Deception

If one believes the fantasy conjured by the vivid imagination of Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s Deputy National Security Adviser, the Iranians who have negotiated the nuclear deal with the P5+1 are “moderates”, different from the Supreme Leader the other and extremists in this revolutionary nation. Most significantly, these “moderates” can be trusted.

This pack of lies pulled the wool over a Washington press corps that didn’t express the slightest interest in pursuing the veracity of the claims. These “journalists” wanted to believe, the inclination to do so was ingrained as part of their intellectual DNA.

Yet each day that passes, an objective observer can see the absurdity of this narrative.

There have been at least four egregious violations of the deal including the testing of advanced missiles that can carry nuclear weapons.

An American naval vessel off course in the Gulf of Hormuz was boarded by Iranian seamen and detained for several days. During that time, American weapons were seized, U.S. sailors were forced to their knees with hands behind their head and this scene was widely disseminated on Iranian TV in order to humiliate the United States.

Iranian officials have stated that since their government never signed the accord, it is not obliged to follow it. Hence, the supposition this document would forestall the Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons was false from the outset.

Moreover, a deal negotiated to stabilize Middle East insecurity has had the opposite effect. There is a widespread belief among Sunni leaders that if Iran can acquire nuclear weapons with the acquiescence of the U.S., then they should obtain these weapons of mass destruction as a deterrent. Proliferation is now underway; in fact, is a reality in the region. Surely, after one year, it can be said without hesitation that the nuclear deal has not had a calming effect in the Middle East neighborhood.

During this year Iran has stepped up its campaign of funneling money and weapons to Hamas and Islamic Jihad for the sole purpose of destroying Israel. Iranian leaders have said the state of Israel must be eliminated and has encouraged Hamas to kill Jews on sight. Ironically, Hamas has been chastised by Iranian leadership for its “moderation,” i.e. agreeing to temporary ceasefires with Israel.

Iran is sponsoring a U.N. proposal to create a state of Palestine organized without negotiation or Israeli involvement. The goal, of course, is the creation of a state beholden to Iran.

As a result of the nuclear deal, Iran is on its way to being the region’s dominant force. Since the revolution of 1979, Iranian leaders have said their goal is the “Shia Crescent,” an area of Iranian domination across the Levant. In the last year, that goal appears closer to realization. Every tactical move by the government has this goal in mind. For example, Iranian courtship of Islamic Jihad is an obvious attempt to deepen Shia influence in the Palestinian areas.

The one year anniversary of the nuclear accord is upon us. How might one assess its merits? From the standpoint of the U.S., there aren’t any merits. An accord to make the Middle East safe has made it unstable. The Iranian moderates who presumably negotiated the deal have vanished like soap bubbles. President Rouhani, may enjoy Western food and culture, but he also admires terrorism as a way to advance Iranian interests.

We have been duped; duped by the president and his aide. They flaunt their lies, abuse their power and jeopardize the standing of this nation. In some quarters, this behavior might be described as treason; in Iran it is described as victory.

Herbert London is President of the London Center for Policy Research, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of the book The Transformational Decade (University Press of America). You can read all of Herb London’s commentaries at www.londoncenter.org

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

Related Content