But $100 billion for Iran, Mr. Obama?
The world has not been following up as diligently as it should be doing on the 5+1 talks with Iran on its nuclear plans. There are now more questions than answers about the process including the continuous postponement of the final date. In addition, there are contradictory statements emerging, with some saying a successful conclusion is imminent, while others claim progress has halted.
Those with the most interest in these talks are from the Gulf region. Nations in this part of the world are understandably concerned about a potentially rogue regime having weapons of mass destruction a few kilometers from its borders.
There is good reason to worry. Iran has continued to meddle in the internal affairs of other nations, in effect conducting proxy wars through its support of militias in the region.
The United States has recognized this reality, and has even been negotiating with Iran on the affairs of Iraq. Now Tehran, to the exasperation of many, has the right of veto on Baghdad’s decisions.
A deal to freeze Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons for 10 years in exchange for lifting sanctions is dealing with only one part of the problem. After all, Iran will keep its current reactors. It will refrain from developing them, but would have the ability to restart the process at any time it chooses.
In addition, lifting of sanctions will give Iran more than $100 billion in terms of trade and investment opportunities, which could benefit its people and the entire region, but there is a considerable likelihood it will use this windfall to fund its expansionist dreams.Iran has already lost billions of dollars by supporting the regime of Bashar Assad in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Operation Decisive Storm has revealed how Iran has been sending huge amounts of weapons to the Houthi militias in Yemen. This wasteful expenditure on political adventures took place even as its economy was hemorrhaging. There are also increasing indications that Barack Obama, heading up a weak administration, is offering ever more concessions to the Iranians in an attempt to chalk it down as an achievement before he concludes his final term as president.
The Americans are miscalculating badly if they consider conflicts in the region, fueled by Iran’s behavior, to be minor aberrations. They have already made a critical error in judgment to reduce their involvement here. Terrorism is like an infectious disease, leaving no country immune. Witness the chaos engulfing Syria, Iraq and Libya; and the rise of Daesh and other terrorist groups.
There is therefore an urgent need to curb Iran’s aggression and make sure it abides by international law and respects the sovereignty of other states. Any agreement must include clauses preventing it from using its finances to create more problems in the region, with the Security Council acting as the watchdog.
It will be a grievous mistake to leave things as they are. The people of the region are desperate for security, stability and development. They are tired of war and economic problems. It is time for the world to find real solutions rather than short-term and expedient remedies that have only served to mask the symptoms of the real ailments afflicting the region.
Source
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Read the above article with this link and one gets the correct impression of Iran Assad Obama trio
The US defense secretary just gave a very telling answer to a question about Obama and Assad
(REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on "Counter-ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) Strategy" on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 7, 2015.
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate and US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) asked Defense Secretary Ash Carter:
Who will leave office first, Syrian President Bashar Assad or US President Barack Obama?
The Pentagon chief reportedly answered, "I hope Assad, but I don't think so."
Carter's answer highlights the basic contradiction of the US policy regarding Assad. Over the past four years, the Obama administration has repeatedly said that Assad needs to step down — but has done very little to make that a reality.
"Are you actively discussing ways to remove [Assad] as a part of that political transition?" a journalist asked Obama in November.
"No," he said.
Carter's response on Tuesday reflects the Obama administration overall policy in Syria, which is focused on training Syrians to fight Islamic State militants while the Assad regime continues to bomb, imprison, torture, and rape Syrian civilians en masse.
Obama has said that supporting nationalist rebels has "always been a fantasy" because the opposition of "former doctors, farmers, pharmacists, and so forth" was fighting "a well-armed state backed by Russia, backed by Iran, [and] a battle-hardened Hezbollah."
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-defense-secretary-just-gave-164000957.html
The world has not been following up as diligently as it should be doing on the 5+1 talks with Iran on its nuclear plans. There are now more questions than answers about the process including the continuous postponement of the final date. In addition, there are contradictory statements emerging, with some saying a successful conclusion is imminent, while others claim progress has halted.
Those with the most interest in these talks are from the Gulf region. Nations in this part of the world are understandably concerned about a potentially rogue regime having weapons of mass destruction a few kilometers from its borders.
There is good reason to worry. Iran has continued to meddle in the internal affairs of other nations, in effect conducting proxy wars through its support of militias in the region.
The United States has recognized this reality, and has even been negotiating with Iran on the affairs of Iraq. Now Tehran, to the exasperation of many, has the right of veto on Baghdad’s decisions.
A deal to freeze Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons for 10 years in exchange for lifting sanctions is dealing with only one part of the problem. After all, Iran will keep its current reactors. It will refrain from developing them, but would have the ability to restart the process at any time it chooses.
In addition, lifting of sanctions will give Iran more than $100 billion in terms of trade and investment opportunities, which could benefit its people and the entire region, but there is a considerable likelihood it will use this windfall to fund its expansionist dreams.Iran has already lost billions of dollars by supporting the regime of Bashar Assad in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Operation Decisive Storm has revealed how Iran has been sending huge amounts of weapons to the Houthi militias in Yemen. This wasteful expenditure on political adventures took place even as its economy was hemorrhaging. There are also increasing indications that Barack Obama, heading up a weak administration, is offering ever more concessions to the Iranians in an attempt to chalk it down as an achievement before he concludes his final term as president.
The Americans are miscalculating badly if they consider conflicts in the region, fueled by Iran’s behavior, to be minor aberrations. They have already made a critical error in judgment to reduce their involvement here. Terrorism is like an infectious disease, leaving no country immune. Witness the chaos engulfing Syria, Iraq and Libya; and the rise of Daesh and other terrorist groups.
There is therefore an urgent need to curb Iran’s aggression and make sure it abides by international law and respects the sovereignty of other states. Any agreement must include clauses preventing it from using its finances to create more problems in the region, with the Security Council acting as the watchdog.
It will be a grievous mistake to leave things as they are. The people of the region are desperate for security, stability and development. They are tired of war and economic problems. It is time for the world to find real solutions rather than short-term and expedient remedies that have only served to mask the symptoms of the real ailments afflicting the region.
Source
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Read the above article with this link and one gets the correct impression of Iran Assad Obama trio
The US defense secretary just gave a very telling answer to a question about Obama and Assad
(REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on "Counter-ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) Strategy" on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 7, 2015.
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate and US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) asked Defense Secretary Ash Carter:
Who will leave office first, Syrian President Bashar Assad or US President Barack Obama?
The Pentagon chief reportedly answered, "I hope Assad, but I don't think so."
Carter's answer highlights the basic contradiction of the US policy regarding Assad. Over the past four years, the Obama administration has repeatedly said that Assad needs to step down — but has done very little to make that a reality.
"Are you actively discussing ways to remove [Assad] as a part of that political transition?" a journalist asked Obama in November.
"No," he said.
Carter's response on Tuesday reflects the Obama administration overall policy in Syria, which is focused on training Syrians to fight Islamic State militants while the Assad regime continues to bomb, imprison, torture, and rape Syrian civilians en masse.
Obama has said that supporting nationalist rebels has "always been a fantasy" because the opposition of "former doctors, farmers, pharmacists, and so forth" was fighting "a well-armed state backed by Russia, backed by Iran, [and] a battle-hardened Hezbollah."
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-defense-secretary-just-gave-164000957.html
