White House Ignores Advice From The Iranian Resistance

Nuclear-armed Iran a greater threat than ISIS


Linda Chavez | Courier Post

12:32 a.m. EST January 3, 2015

 

The agreement this week between the governments of Iraq and Iran to enter a formal relationship to fight the Islamic State group should be deeply troubling to the United States. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is a grave threat to the region and is responsible for the horrifying beheading of American journalists and an aid worker, as well as the brutal slaughter of countless innocent Muslims and Christians in Syria and Iraq. But as grave a threat as the Islamic State is, Iran is a much greater threat — especially if it acquires nuclear weapons.

In November, the U.S. decided to extend nuclear talks with the Iranians, despite stalling on the part of the mullahs. The practical effect of the decision is to give the Iranians more time to make a bomb.
Lest anyone believe Iran’s assurances that its desire to enrich uranium is purely for peaceful purposes, a story on the United Nations’ website raises suspicion. It says International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya “Amano noted (that) the Agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” That translates from diplomatic-speak into: We’re not buying the Iranians’ story.

A comprehensive study released by the International Committee In Search of Justice shows that Iran has a dual nuclear program — a civilian side, which appears to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, and a military program, which skirts sanctions by obtaining dual-use nuclear materials or smuggling bomb-making materials into the country. Leadership for the civilian and military programs frequently overlaps, with scientists and others switching places between the two programs as needed.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration largely looks away, instead pursuing negotiations that will never persuade the Iranian regime to give up its nuclear weapons agenda. Part of the problem is that the administration doesn’t want to take on the Islamic State directly in Iraq, preferring to provide American military advisers who will play a severely limited role while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps provides thousands of troops on the ground.

But expediency in the fight against the Islamic State is a bad strategy for the U.S. and for the world. If — more likely, when — Iran develops nuclear weapons, those weapons not only will be used by Iran to intimidate its neighbors but also could well be put into the hands of terrorists whose reach extends far beyond the immediate region.

So what can and should be done? I asked Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, to give her sense of what might actually persuade the Iranians to give up nuclear weapons. “They will only forgo the bomb if they sense that their survival is in danger and if they feel that the risk of insisting on the nuclear project outweighs the risk of abandoning it,” she told me.
Rajavi talked about the mistakes the U.S. has made during the negotiations, giving the regime time to improve its ballistic missile programs, as well as enrich uranium.

Too bad the U.S. has been unwilling to recognize Rajavi’s group, only taking it off the official terrorist list after the group challenged the designation in U.S. courts. Rajavi is no threat to the U.S., but she may just be the biggest challenge to the real threat we face in Iran.

Linda Chavez is a syndicated columnist.

Actually, Babylon The Great Is The Biggest Threat To The World (Rev 17)

Lindsey Graham: Iran Nuclear Push Is ‘Biggest Threat to World’

Friday, 02 Jan 2015 03:03 PM

By Joel Himelfarb

One of Congress’ most prominent foreign policy voices has expressed alarm that Iran is moving towards becoming a military nuclear power like its longtime ally North Korea.
In an interview published Friday by the Israeli media outlet Israel Hayom, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he does not object to Iran having a nuclear energy program, but is  “very concerned” about Tehran’s uranium enrichment efforts becoming a path to atomic weapons capability.

Fifteen nations with nuclear power programs do not enrich uranium, Graham said.
That’s why I want any deal to come before Congress for our vote and approval. I fear a North Korea outcome,” he added.

The South Carolina Republican was referring to the last effort to regulate a rogue state’s nuclear ambitions – the case of  the communist regime in North Korea.

“Republicans and Democrats both bought into the idea that you could allow the North Koreans a small enrichment program and the U.N. would control the outcome,” Graham said. “Well, it didn’t work. They broke out. They have nuclear weapons.”

In Graham’s view, it is a mistake to treat the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the central threat to regional stability. The biggest problem, he said, is the Iranian nuclear threat.

“The Iranian nuclear ambitions are the biggest threat to the world in general,” he said. “Israel needs to be reassured that Congress will be there in an appropriate way.”

Graham emphasized that House and Senate Republicans who will be in the majority in the 114th Congress “will be pushing measures to make sure that the Iranian nuclear negotiations are handled properly, that sanctions are reimposed if the Iranians walk away from the table or if they cheat on any deal.”

Graham was scathing in his assessment of President Barack Obama’s performance in addressing an array of issues related to radical Islam and terrorism.

Obama “approached Iran with an open hand, not a clenched fist, but I think that his ‘leading from behind’ model has not served our national security interests well,” Graham said. “What you see is that after six years, there are more radical Islamic organizations than there were before 9/11, holding more territory, more safe havens, more money and more resources with which to strike the U.S. and our allies.”

Graham also emphasized that Congress will not support imposing sanctions against Israel over issues such as settlements, which should be resolved in negotiations with the Palestinians.

“When it comes to military assistance, economic assistance, Congress is firmly in Israel’s camp. There is absolutely no support in any segment of American political life to restrict aid to Israel. There is absolutely no support for the idea of sanctioning Israel over the settlement issue,” he said.”I just want the Israeli people to know that Congress does have your back,” Graham stated.

India Should Worry About The Neighboring Nuclear Horns

India Expresses Concern Over Pakistan-China Nuke Deal

Published: Dec 19, 2014 at 1:29 pm
InSerbia News

 

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has expressed serious concern over the nuclear deal between neighbouring Pakistan and China, saying that New Delhi will discuss the issue with Beijing.

At the same time, she said that India is “fully prepared” to safeguard national interests. “India is well prepared to deal with threats. We are fully alert. We will not allow any harm to (happen to) India,” she also said while speaking at the Lok Sabha – the Lower House of the Indian Parliament recently.

Swaraj once again assured the members of the House that the Narendra Modi government would take all the necessary steps to protect national interests. “The government remains concerned about the impact of the deal on global non-proliferation norms. It believes that countries should abide by the commitments that they have undertaken in the field of nuclear non-proliferation,” stressed the minister.

 

According to Swaraj, India is well aware of the agreement signed by Islamabad and Beijing on the basis of which China will supply two additional nuclear power reactors – Chashma-3 and Chashma-4 – to Pakistan. Although Chashma-3 and Chashma-4 reactors are under construction, Chashma-1 and 2 reactors are currently in operation.

 

A couple of months ago, the Chinese officials had informed New Delhi that its nuclear supplies to Pakistan were in accordance with its international obligations and for peaceful purposes. Swaraj added that China, as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), should not forget its responsibility to ensure that necessary safeguards are in place before exporting nuclear technology to any countries.

 

Meanwhile, she admitted that India would not raise the issue in the UN because the China-Pakistan nuclear deal was yet to reach that level. Recently, Pakistan and China have described bilateral defence co-operation as an important component of strategic co-operation between them. For long, Beijing has been providing Pakistan with military assistance and equipment. Chinese officials visit Pakistan on a regular basis to conduct acceptance tests on the military equipment supplied by them and train Pakistani soldiers on the same. The two Asian neighbours also hold joint exercises between their Armies, Navies and Air Forces regularly.