To many of us – certainly to me – the Iran “deal” looks horrible now. But what will it look like years from now?
Larry Elder, the always-worth-reading syndicated columnist has some thoughts on this. Here is the beginning of his latest commentary:
Barack Obama is a young man. By the time he leaves office, he will be in his mid-50s. Based on life expectancy, he could live for another 40 years or so. So he will be around to see the full consequences of his disastrous Iran nuclear “framework.”
The deal is done.
No matter what Republicans do, Europeans fully intend to let sanctions expire. They just needed an excuse to do so, an excuse that Obama provided. Someday, nations will ask why the world\’s superpower ignored chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel” and allowed Iran to slow-walk toward getting nuclear weapons.
A little recent history. Under the watchful eye of the International Atomic Energy Agency, North Korea became a nuclear power — despite having signed a nuclear non-proliferation treaty. For 25 years, as it developed its nuclear bomb, North Korea insisted it had no such plans. Then-President Clinton dispatched former President Jimmy Carter to dissuade the North Koreans. Carter was convinced of North Korea\’s sincerity. Carter said: “The world in 1994 was marching toward a war that was neither wanted nor necessary. … I hoped that Kim Il-Sung was looking for a way to resolve the crisis peacefully. … My expectations proved to be correct. Kim Il-Sung wanted to deal, and he and I negotiated an agreement.”
Carter triumphantly announced on CNN the terms of the deal he brokered to get North Korea, he said, that got them to end their nuclear program. North Korea took the economic assistance — and continued its nuclear program. Shortly after Carter\’s visit, North Korea became an acknowledged nuclear power. These “successful” talks led, in part, to Carter\’s receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Unfortunately, days after the announcement of Carter\’s Peace Prize, North Korea publicly admitted that it never ended its nuclear program — and that the country intended to continue it.
You can read the rest of Mr. Elder\’s column – it will be more than worth your while – and find plenty more just like this.
But his point is dead-on, isn\’t it? There is no such thing as guarantees with a rogue nation that doesn\’t care whether it cheats on deals. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were too naive to understand this, which is why North Korea is nuclear today.
Barack Obama has learned exactly nothing from their naivete – either that or he is happy to see Iran get its shot at becoming nuclear.
Which of those two is the good choice?
