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If Iran's Leaders Don't Want Nuclear Weapons, Why Did They Insist on the Sunset Provision?

(The Tower) Martin Peretz - If Iran's leaders don't want nuclear weapons, why did they insist on a time limit for the nuclear agreement - the sunset provision? The Iranians have managed to achieve sanctions relief, the legitimacy that comes from press conferences with great powers, and an eased path to nuclear weapons - all without having to pause their "Death to America" street rallies, return their American hostages, curb their aggression in the Middle East, or release their presidential candidates from house arrest. Strangely, the President and the Secretary of State wanted to separate the issue of the nature and conduct of the Iranian regime from the nuclear issue. Most would think that a negotiation over the details of uranium enrichment would take into account the behavior of those who will control the uranium once it is enriched. The Iranians certainly recognized these two issues as linked, and used that linkage to their advantage, insisting on the easing of the arms embargo. So the U.S. excluded nonnuclear issues in order to get a deal, while Iran included non-nuclear issues to their benefit. The writer is former editor-in-chief of the New Republic (1974-2013).
2015-08-03 00:00:00
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