The US-Iran Nuclear Deal Leading Up To The 47 Traitors

[symple_box]Sabria Chowdhury Balland is an international columnist specializing on US political and legal matters and is published in several international publications. She is also a professor of English and French residing in the US and France. You can follow her on Twitter at: @sabriaballand[/symple_box]

“I have learned to hate all traitors, and there is no disease that I spit on more than treachery.” ~Aeschulus (Ancient Greek Dramatist, 525BC-456BC)

It is unheard of that a foreign head of state addresses a joint session of the United States Congress to argue a position that the Commander-in-Chief actively supports. In fact, President Obama is not alone in supporting a nuclear deal with Iran, as the Republican Party seems to falsely believe. The US is among 5 other countries which support the same: China, Russia, France, Britain, Germany.

House Republican Speaker John Boehner inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu to speak to Congress to oppose a nuclear deal with Iran is a direct, unprecedented blow not only to the President’s position on the issue but to the US system of governance and protocol in general.

This move was seen as a direct political stunt on the part of Benjamin Netenyahu, since his speech to Congress was scheduled on March 3, 2015, just two weeks before the Israeli elections. The principal reason for the US to avoid inviting foreign heads of state to speak to Congress so close to their election date is simple: the US does not want to be seen as meddling in the political nor electoral process of a foreign nation. In the case of Israel and the Middle East in general, this presents an even further critical and complicated situation.

However, the underhanded plan of Speaker Boehner and the Republicans and Prime Minister Netenyahu was far from beneficial and in fact backfired on both of them, as it was perceived as what it really was: a purely political move. It failed to gain any support from not only Democrats, but from American Jews and Israelis, including politicians.

The Republican war-mongering ploy is clearly at work again. As if it was not sufficient enough for the US to be involved in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria…a new “threat” has to be concocted imminently in Iran.

Prime Minister Netenyahu has made several baseless claims in his speech to Congress on this imminent threat that Iran poses (supported obviously by Republicans). Just to state some such baseless inconsistencies made by Prime Minister Netenyahu:

-Any nuclear deal with Iran should also hold it responsible for its human rights violations. Wrong. An Iran nuclear deal would not alter US policy or sanctions on Iran’s human rights abuses.

-Additional sanctions and military threats will be more beneficial in securing a better deal with Iran than current negotiations. Wrong. Decades of US sanctions on Iran have failed to convince the regime to give up its nuclear program. Only multilateral negotiations have been fruitful in bringing Iran to the negotiating table and accepting compromises.

-The only good deal with Iran is one which leaves it with zero enrichment capacity. Wrong. The demand that not a single centrifuge is left spinning in Iran is neither achievable, realistic nor necessary.

-Any deal with Iran is a bad deal because the mullahs can’t be trusted. Wrong. A nuclear deal with Iran would be based on continual rigorous verifications. It is not a question really of trust. These rigorous verification and inspection procedures will ensure that Iran lives up to its end of the bargain.

-It would be wrong to engage in any nuclear deal with Iran unless that deal also held it accountable for its support for terrorism and extremism in the region and beyond. Wrong. An Iran nuclear deal would not change US policy nor impact its sanctions with regards to the Iranian support for terrorism. In fact, a nuclear deal with Iran could potentially open the doors to improved US-Iran relations.

We see clearly that the Republicans, along with Prime Minister Netenyahu have ardently pushed their political agenda, attempted to undermine President Obama and created yet another “enemy” to wage potential war against. What we see even more clearly is that fortunately, this plan backfired, gained no momentum and failed to gain public support on a large scale, both in the United States and in Israel.

As if the deeds of the Republicans were not abbhorent enough with the invitation of Prime Minister Netenyahu behind the President’s back, they have done it again! This time around, their disingenuous actions involve 47 of their Senators undermining diplomatic efforts with Iran, commenced by President Obama.

“Traitors”, according to the New York Daily News, referring to these 47 Republican Senators, including several Presidential hopefuls. They have signed a letter to the Iranian government with the goal of derailing these very sensitive and potentially historic nuclear negotiations.

This is explicit evidence of the disrespectful, reckless and dangerous display meant to embarrass the President in front of the world. The Republicans have once again grossly overstepped their boundaries and their attempts to block legitimate, diplomatic negotiations with Iran are simply shameful.

The positive news is that just like their Netenyahu plan, the Republicans have once again fallen flat on their faces. Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif replied the “47authors” that they are ignorant of their own Constitution. He stated that “the letter held no legal value and is mostly a propaganda ploy.” Righfully so.

Whether it be on the subject of a nuclear deal with Iran or any other subject, what is sadly and shamefully clear is this: Republicans do and will oppose the President no matter what. Hence the expression: “Republicans hate President Obama more than they love America”. Judging from their actions, this is tragically true.