(Washington Times) Clifford D. May - The president had been demanding that Iran's rulers dismantle key elements of their nuclear program and disclose past weaponization activities. Now, he appears prepared to settle for disconnecting some centrifuges or reducing the uranium gas fed into them (both easily reversible), deferring demands that Iran's rulers admit past weaponization until after a deal is signed, and hoping that breakout to nuclear weapons can be deterred through enhanced inspections and whatever economic leverage the West retains - probably not much since a senior official in charge of the negotiations is already promising to suspend major sanctions soon after a deal. The Islamic State's flamboyant barbarism has been consuming the oxygen, making it easy to forget that Iran has long been, according to the U.S. State Department, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Negotiations with Iran are to conclude Nov. 24. The president would be wise to make clear that no agreement is preferable to a bad agreement. The writer is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
2014-10-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive