Efraim Halevy, former director of the Mossad (Israel's Central Intelligence Agency), recently spoke out about the deal with Iran: "What is the point of canceling an agreement that distances Iran from the bomb?" That is the exact question that many American's are asking as Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) holds out on supporting the Iran deal until he talks to some of his friends. That's right. Some of his friends. The 29 world renowned scientists, the diplomats, even the Israeli leaders were not enough to convince Wyden and others. At a recent engagement, he outwardly spoke out against it. Many of his statements can be seen in our new film, Is Wyden on the Path to War? (above).
Senator Wyden is not the first politician, or Democrat for that matter, to take issue with the Iran Deal. Like many dissenters, Wyden is scared that lifting sanctions on Iran would cause them to be a more economically viable power, that the deal is not invasive enough, and fears that Iran may "cheat".
While all of these may seem like viable questions, no one has a BETTER strategy for securing a deal. And as international diplomats and former generals agree, some deal is better than no deal; an America with no deal is completely vulnerable. An America who launches into a military assault is at war. The country is absolutely safer with this deal. As with any negotiations, lifting sanctions is some of the "give" in a give and take. Though many neo-cons and opposition would like to portray strong negotiations as those that compromise nothing, the truth is that is not negotiation. Reagan lifted sanctions from Russia. Bush lifted sanctions from South Korea. There MUST be something that gives Iran incentive to join this deal.
Nevertheless, what the Iran deal has that others DID NOT was the unilateral ability for Congress to snap all sanctions immediately back in place if Iran is even suspected of cheating. There is also nothing stopping the US or other countries from imposing sanctions on Iranian banks or businesses that are found to deal with terrorists. Punishment is still on the table for terrorism. Because this deal is not about their terrorism in the region. It is about their nuclear capacity that threatens the entire world.
The Iran deal is also seeing criticism for not being invasive enough. There's not much to say there other than that simply isn't true. Even top Reagan and Bush Administration counsel agree that they have never seen a deal SO invasive in all of their time in the foreign policy arena. The rhetoric that Iran would have "over 24 hours" to destroy evidence of their nuclear program before a visit could be scheduled is at best clever posturing, at worst an outright lie. Even if they tried to do that, we would be able to detect chemicals for up to 24 days.
Even if that happened; even if Iran did "cheat" as so many are concerned about, what of it? Is it better to be fearful of a POSSIBLE war than to be CERTAIN of a war with a country less than two months away from a nuclear bomb and no solid diplomatic relations in the West? What is the real goal here? To keep the world safe or to exert control?
It is easy for some to call people like Senator Wyden and Schumer "brave" for going against their party and "standing up for our allies". What is not as easy to see is that as Wyden's 2016 re-election campaign approaches, he will take controversial stances to secure campaign donations. After all, it was only 4 months ago that Wyden deserted his party to back the fast-track trade bill for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A trade bill the majority of the very people who got him elected do not support, but that big corporations who will benefit from outsourcing do support. That kind of support is far more lucrative to campaign financing than the average middle class citizen. Wyden doesn't care about if we are a more secure, safer nation with this deal. He cares about re-election.
Watch Is Wyden on the Path to War? and see for yourself. Let Senator Wyden and others against or undecided on the deal know that we will not stand for their playing politics with the lives of our soldiers and the American people. War is - and always should be - a last resort.
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