Obama makes a deal and Iran gets relief from sanctions
By Roger Caldwell
“Today, after many months of tough, principled diplomacy, we have achieved the framework for that deal. And it is a good deal. It will make our country, our allies, and our world safer” says President Obama on April second in the Rose Garden. This is a historic agreement that is still being ironed out by P5+1 powers. The P5+1 consist of the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
President Obama’s statement came after negotiations in Switzerland announced that they had reached a framework for a deal. It is obvious that at any moment any member in the group can decide to break off the agreement and refuse to sign the deal. The goal is to have the agreement finalized by June 2015, which is not far off.
At the Rose Garden, the President discussed some of the details of the framework, and also outlined in a fact sheet the deal that was distributed by the White House. There are many critics on both sides of the agreement, and some Republicans are saying that the President is making a deal with the devil. Israeli intelligence officials released a statement shortly after the framework was announced that the United States was “disconnected from reality.”
It is too early for anyone to have a position on the agreement without reading and studying the deal in detail. Iran is a major power in the Middle East, and it is better to work with diplomacy, than fighting a war with this country. War is expensive, people die, and no one really wins.
President Obama addressed some of Netanyahu’s concerns in the Rose Garden by saying, “It’s no secret that the Israeli prime minister and I disagree.
This is the best option and I believe our nuclear experts can confirm that. There is no daylight when it comes to our support for Israel’s security.”
The President has directed the White House’s national security team to work closely with Israel, and address any concerns about potential threats. But, Israel has certainly not made any friends in that part of the world, and there are times when they are the aggressor. Iran has stated that they want death to Israel, and it appears that at any time the two countries can start a war.
With danger at every turn, President Obama said, “Iran has met all of its obligations. Iran has agreed to the most robust and intrusive inspections and transparency regime. This deal was not based on trust. It’s based on unprecedented verification.”
In this agreement it seems that many of the details for a nuclear plan are covered with a long timeline. To begin with, certain provisions will be in place indefinitely, and other agreements will be implemented in phases. Some provisions will be in place for 10 years, others 15 years, and some as long as 25 years. This deal is not just made between Iran and the United States, but other major powers in the world are included in the agreement.
The major powers in the world and the United States will help keep Iran honest, and make sure there is no cheating. “Iran will never be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon. In return for Iran’s actions, the international community has agreed to provide Iran relief from certain sanctions,” explained President Obama. If Iran violates the deal, the sanctions will be snapped back in place.
The sanctions were hurting Iran’s economy and the residents were devastated on many different levels. The agreement is a win-win for everyone involved, and the President will give Congress oversight over the agreement. The deal is moving in the right direction, but it is not completed until everyone signs the agreement.
