29 October 2015

Khamenei’s conditions gut nuclear deal


The Clarion Project has an article by Meira Svirsky about duplicity by the Iranians:
Contrary to the international media’s announcement that Iran’s Supreme Leader had finally approved the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world’s powers, Ali Khamenei (photo) has outlined nine conditions to his acceptance that basically change the entire agreement.
The conditions were detailed in a letter written by Kahmenei to Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, translated into English, and published by the official Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting authority.
An analysis of the letter provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) shows that “the set of conditions laid out by Khamenei creates a situation in which not only does the Iranian side refrain from approving the agreement, but, with nearly every point, creates a separate obstacle, such that executing the agreement is not possible.”
MEMRI also notes that “in his introduction to the new conditions, Khamenei attacks the US and President Obama with great hostility, and called for Obama to be prosecuted by international judiciary institutions.”
The conditions involve a number of stall tactics regarding Iran’s fulfillment of its obligations according to the agreement. For example, Khamenei is now demanding the timeframe for dismantling certain functions at its Arak reactor be changed until all sanctions are lifted. In addition, instead of shipping out enriched uranium and receiving in exchange raw uranium, as stipulated by the deal, Iran is now demanding receipt of low-level enriched uranium in its place.
With regards to sanctions, the agreement calls for the sanctions to not be merely lifted (meaning, there would be the possibility of snap-back in the face of Iranian violations); Khamenei is demanding all sanctions be permanently cancelled. In addition, he says no new sanctions may be imposed on the Islamic Republic, even if Iran engages in terrorism or human rights violations. If new sanctions are imposed, Iran would consider the agreement null and void.
Khamenei’s announcement of the nine conditions follows the Islamic Republic’s audacious testing of a new, long-range, surface-to-surface ballistic missile, a weapon whose sole purpose is to deliver a nuclear weapon. Yet, according to the agreement, “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons.”
Judging from the reaction to this violation of the United States, who instructed UN Ambassador Samantha Power to “prepare a report” for the Security Council, the United States has chosen to ignore this blatant violation. Europe, who already sees its coffers being filled from sanctions relief, had a similar yawn about the missile test.
Clearly, America and the rest of the P5+1 world powers tasked to make an agreement with Iran with little regard to the circumstances, have decided to ignore Khamenei’s machinations and, judging from the lack of international reaction to them, act as if they are nonexistent.
It is a sad commentary for the West that they have chosen to back down instead of confronting one of the world’s worst state sponsors of terrorism and violators of human rights. History will show for us, and our children, what the consequences of such an enormous capitulation will be.
Rico says what a surprise; an Ayatollah saying one thing and meaning another...

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