Diplomacy is the practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states through the intercession of diplomats with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, war, and human rights. In a social sense, diplomacy is the employment of tact to gain strategic advantage or to find mutually acceptable solutions to a common challenge. A common challenge for the world, particularly the Middle East, is dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear ambition and the prospect of building a nuclear arsenal. Warmongers in Israel and America, primarily America, have panted for a war against Iran for another opportunity to kill Muslims and assert American dominance in the Middle East. President Obama has sought a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear threat, and yesterday, diplomacy won a small victory as Iran kept up their part of the historic agreement and began scaling back their nuclear facilities.
Exactly on schedule, and according to the agreement reached in November, Iran kept up its part of the agreement and unplugged banks of centrifuges involved in its most sensitive uranium enrichment work at a facility in central Iran while inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) witnessed the shutdown. Iran also started converting part of its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium to oxide, which can be used to produce nuclear fuel, and refrained from commissioning its 40-megawatt heavy water reactor under-construction in central Iran. Iran is also giving IAEA inspectors unfettered daily access to all of its nuclear enrichment facilities.
The White House said “These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program, and roll it back in key respects,” and that Iran is providing U.N. inspectors with increased, and unprecedented transparency, including more frequent and intrusive inspections. “Taken together, these concrete actions represent an important step forward.” What the Obama Administration did not say, was that Iran’s actions were a result of diplomacy, and not threats from warmongers in the House and Senate serving the interests of Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Last week, President Obama spoke out against the Senate effort to impose new sanctions meant to break the historic agreement and lead America into another Middle East war to satisfy their masters in Israel.
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President Obama’s National Security Council spokeswoman, Bernadette Meehan, said, “If certain members of Congress want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American public and say so. Otherwise, it’s not clear why any member of Congress would support a bill that possibly closes the door on diplomacy and makes it more likely that the United States will have to choose between military options or allowing Iran’s nuclear program to proceed.” The certain members of Congress claimed their new sanctions bill is not a sign they want war with Iran, but they are all liars; Democrats and Republicans alike.
According to the legislation, S. 1881, the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013, Section 2 (b) (5) says, “if the Government of Israel is compelled to take military action in legitimate self-defense against Iran’s nuclear weapon program, the United States Government should stand with Israel and provide, in accordance with the law of the United States and the constitutional responsibility of Congress to authorize the use of military force, diplomatic, military, and economic support to the Government of Israel in its defense of its territory, people, and existence.” America is already Israel’s staunchest ally, funds an enormous percentage of Israel’s defense budget, and chose diplomacy over the threat of war to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions and protect Israel, but they (warmongers in Israel and America) want war, not diplomacy.
On its website, the Israeli legislative arm controlling Congress, AIPAC, signaled it is shifting its warmongering effort from the Senate to the House (H.R. 850) and outlined steps to break the diplomatic agreement with Iran and prepare America for war with Iran. They claim Iran has no right to pursue nuclear energy, but Iran signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that Israel refuses to sign and according to Article IV of the NPT, “Nothing shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with articles I and II of this Treaty.” AIPAC also demands that “The United States must back Israel if it feels compelled in its own legitimate self-defense to take military action against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.” There is no better proof that Israeli warmongers control major factions in both houses of Congress than the wording on AIPAC’s website that mirrors language in legislation to thwart the President’s diplomatic efforts and engage America in a war with Iran after Israel attacks.
Part of the agreement with Iran and the so-called P5+1 (five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany) was there would be no new sanctions that Iran’s foreign minister said would end negotiations and prove America could not be trusted. Hardliners in Iran hoped the Senate would act to tell Iranian moderates like President Hassan Rouhani “we-told-you-so” and give them ammunition to reassert their grasp on policy; Israeli and American warmongers are of the same mindset as hardliners in Iran. Now that Iran adhered to the agreement on schedule, and followed through allowing increased scrutiny of their commitment to avoid war, it is obvious the President’s policy of a diplomatic solution is working where years of Israeli and American threats of war have not. There is still a long six months of negotiations for a permanent agreement, but the agreement is dead with any new sanctions that Iran promised will leave them with little option but to ramp up their nuclear ambitions.
Although Iran following the historic agreement is a small victory for President Obama’s diplomacy-first policy, it was a victory all the same and likely irritated warmongers in Israel and America who went to great lengths to break the U.N. agreement with Iran. The President was right in demanding the senators pushing for more sanctions admit their intent was preparing a path for war because the language in the legislation committed America to war when Israel attacked Iran. None of the Democrats had the courage to come forward and admit they were leading America to war, but their intent was crystal clear in the legislation’s wording.
It is unfortunate that AIPAC turned their attention to the House because Republicans inclined to oppose anything the President supports coupled with their devotion and loyalty to Israel’s leaders increase the possibility the warmongers will prevail and get what they want; another Middle East war. President Obama has kept his campaign promises that his predisposition is to seek diplomatic solutions first and keep military action as a last resort. Although it has kept America out of another Middle East war so far, there are members of Congress in his own party that are more loyal to Israel than keeping America out of war. One expects warmongering from Republicans serving Israel’s interests over their own country, but not from 16 Senate Democrats who are either pandering for the Jewish vote, hate the idea of diplomacy, or love the idea of America at war putting them in the same category as warmongering Republicans.
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
