Kowtowing to Iran by repeating JCPOA won’t serve US interests - opinion
A solid starting point may be garnered from the spirit of our Declaration of Independence.
By BRUCE PORTNOYTHEN-CANDIDATES Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaign for president and vice president in Wilmington, Delaware, in August. (photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)
On January 20, 2021, the Biden/Harris administration will be sworn in as a divided nation awaits their official to-do list and the resources they are willing to commit to achieve a stable, secure, healthy and civil, United States of America.On the medical front, the pervasive COVID-19 pandemic, which is rapidly approaching the third leading cause of death, will be finally challenged by recently approved vaccines, starting with the proven efficacy, Pfizer vaccine. Still, the precise order within groups and subgroups as to the priority of who gets the injections first, as well as the protocol of dealing with any heretofore unanticipated program intricacies remains an open question. This may prove complicated, and likely require civil patience while solutions are worked out. Still, this American accomplishment will be regarded historically as a true modern-day miracle.On the social front, there are a number of outstanding issues demanding resolution not the least of which includes racism and the other equally destructive “ism,” antisemitism. This type of hate has the potential to rip our country apart and must not be allowed to persist. Once effectively dealt with, we can then proceed to other troublesome issues facing and overcoming all obstacles on our journey to achieving a lasting “civil” Americanism, of which we as a nation can be proud.A solid starting point may be garnered from the spirit of our Declaration of Independence. People should have at a minimum equal access to adequate food, shelter, clothing, health and work so as to participate, on equal footing as our country moves forward.Also a priority is tackling the escalating gun violence plaguing large American cities and primarily affecting people of color. The current prevalence of resentment, anger, and hate is further aggravated by the ubiquity of semi-automatic, rapid fire weapons. America may well be sitting on a powder keg with a short fuse. Although we are wary of this uncontrolled slide into violence, we are befuddled by our inability to effectively control it, let alone end it.Perhaps the Biden administration will be open to accepting the challenge and put into motion a fresh effort involving input and involvement from citizenry, elected officials and enforcement agencies – local, state and federal. Acting in unison and under an empathetic cabinet level representative accountable to the president, we may yet determine the means to save more of these needlessly lost lives.THE MOST imminent peril, possibly an existential threat, stems from Iran. This nation appears to gain strength from promoting divisiveness and looking for potential enemies everywhere. There appears too many similarities between Iran and pre-war Nazi Germany, to stand aside and idly let events unfold without sufficient oversight. Imagine what could have resulted had Germany then had the capability of developing “weapons of mass destruction.”Even with the best of American leadership intentions; conditioned by self-serving Iranian assurances of keeping its nuclear bomb capability at bay; at the end of the day, the seemingly rushed through and allegedly unsigned agreement by Iran (JCPOA, 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal) appeared marginal, at best. At worst, the billions of fresh US dollars that subsequently flowed into Iran may have elevated the danger risk, not just to Israel, its avowed mortal enemy; but also to the United States, which it labeled, “The Great Satan” nation. Also the funding may have found its way to subsidize its proxy terror organizations including Hamas, Hezbollah, among others, as well as various intrusive militias in Iraq and Syria.The incoming new United States leadership will soon find itself grappling in a more hostile world environment; and require all the proven friends it can accumulate. Israel, a long-term proven friend and loyal ally in the Middle East, must never again be summarily dismissed as it was in 2015, little doubt the result of hostile agitation emanating from outrageous elements; whose priorities were lopsided.
Kowtowing to Iran by offering a repeat of the original 2015 JCPOA sanction relief plan would not serve the best interests of the United States and must not be viewed as a credible option today.It is also advisable that our government keep in mind that US dollar, Iranian funding; either directly, or indirectly under the guise of sanctions relief which ultimately funds the manufacture and subsequent use of a nuclear weapon(s), of known catastrophic capability, may portend potential criminal and civil liability. Too many of our enemies would like nothing better than to see us brought to trial in the International Criminal Court system as a precedent for other lesser issues.The stakes are too high and the risks too great to ignore or minimize Iran’s budding capabilities. The likelihood of Iran accumulating nuclear weapons, including the more versatile dirty weapons, capable of being assembled closer to intended targets, in addition to their long range ballistic missile technology also portend an even higher risk of international destabilization.Should the above challenges be met in a sincere comprehensive manner, President Biden and Vice-President Harris will have not only assured their legacy, but secured our children’s future for generations to come.The writer is the author of the geo-political thriller, ‘First,’ and the ‘Saturday People’
