Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wendy Sherman on PBS NewsHour: Iran's Arak Reactor Not for Peaceful Purposes

Yesterday, in an interview on PBS NewsHour (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/july-dec13/sherman_12-04.html), Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, one of the architects of Obama's "agreement to agree" with Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2013/12/thomas-friedman-bibi-and-barack-sequel.html), who previously negotiated America's farcical agreement to restrict North Korea's nuclear weapons program, acknowledged that Iran's Arak Reactor is not for peaceful purposes:

GWEN IFILL: Is it fair to say that, as difficult as it was getting to this first step, as you call it, that it will be 10 times as difficult getting to the next one?

WENDY SHERMAN: I think getting to a comprehensive agreement will be very, very difficult.

GWEN IFILL: Does that include dismantling, full dismantling?

WENDY SHERMAN: This includes a lot of dismantling of their infrastructure, because, quite frankly, we're not quite sure what you need a 40-megawatt heavy water reactor, which is what Arak is, for any civilian peaceful purpose.

And yet, as part of his secret negotiations with Khamenei in Oman, Obama conceded that Iran, as part of an initial agreement, could continue to build the Arak reactor, capable of producing enough plutonium for two atomic bombs each year, without any restrictions whatsoever. Only owing to French objections, when Obama's secret agreement was brought for approval to the P5+1 in Geneva, was it deemed necessary to address the Arak reactor.

Nevertheless, pursuant to the Geneva "agreement to agree," Iran can:


Just as bad, Obama abandoned American hostages held by Iran (see: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2013/12/03/obamas-iran-deal-left-pastor-behind/).

Meanwhile Britain's Foreign Service has sent a diplomat, Ajay Sharma, to Tehran for the first time since late 2011 (see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ajay-sharma-makes-first-visit-to-iran-as-non-resident-charge-daffaires). After his visit, Sharma joyously declared:

"I had a good first visit back to Tehran today and want to thank the Iranian authorities, particularly my counterpart Mr Habibollahzadeh, for facilitating the trip. I held detailed and constructive discussions with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about taking forward our bilateral relationship on a step by step and reciprocal basis. I also visited our Embassy compounds to assess the damage caused in 2011.

. . . .

I intend to visit Iran regularly to continue the step by step process of improving relations between our two countries."

Not on the agenda of Britain's non-resident charge d’affaires during his trip to Iran was a visit to Evin Prison, where Iran continues to torture Baha'is, Kurds, Sunnis, Christians, homosexuals and political dissidents.

Britain is also brokering discussions between Hezbollah and Obama (see: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-London-is-mediating-indirect-secret-talks-between-US-and-Hezbollah-333245). Of course, Obama doesn't care about the 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing by Hezbollah, which killed 241 American servicemen, or the 1994 bombing by Hezbollah of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 and wounding hundreds. Needless to say, both attacks were undertaken at the behest of Tehran.

You see, Obama and friends are determined to dismantle the sanctions program against Iran, and it's all fast becoming lovey-dovey, notwithstanding the executions and assorted other horrors, e.g., stoning to death of women accused of adultery and rape of prisoners, perpetrated by the Khamenei regime.

Do you remember how Obama claimed in March 2012 (see: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/chips-down-israel-back-says-obama-while-reiterating-184525416.html):

"There should not be a shred of doubt by now: When the chips are down, I have Israel's back."

Well, Obama certainly has Israel's back, and he is busy putting a knife into it.

2 comments:

  1. Well, it's a mad, mad, mad world.

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  2. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4461598,00.html

    Just in from WikiGeeks...partial transcript now available:

    BO:"This is the president of the United States"
    Sarah:"Bibi, it's for you..."
    Bibi:"Yes Mr. President"
    BO:"Do you remember that transcript of the telephone conversation between Golda Meir and Henry Kissinger from the morning of October 6, 1973?"
    Bibi:"Yes sir"
    BO: "Well, uh, I'm telling you the same thing: If you dare pre-empt an attack on Iran, Israel will not receive so much as a nail from the US. Is that clear Bibi?"
    Bibi: "Mr. President, we are under existential threat here. The MAD, or, mutual assured destruction doctrine that your advisers are talking about doesn't hold water in our situation. MAD is based on the precept that if a particular city is destroyed by a nuclear
    weapon, an equivalent city of the enemy would be destroyed as well. Well, if Iran launches a 50 kiloton bomb over Tel-Aviv, it's game over for us..."
    BO:"I don't care"
    Bibi: "Mr. President, just look at a map of Israel on Google Earth. 95% of our economic infrastructure is based within a 15 kilometer radius of Tel-Aviv...We're not even talking about a missile based launch... Iran can easily send a suicide bomber of two strapped with dirty bombs into the center of Tel-Aviv. To avoid retaliation, they would smirk and proclaim in front of the UN "Don't blame us, it was a desperate Palestinian suicide bomber!"
    BO:"I don't care"
    Bibi:"What am I supposed to do?"
    BO:"Sit back and let things fall into place"
    Bibi:"And if I don't?"
    BO:"If you don't? Well, at best, all that dirt the NSA has collected on you, your friends and your family will come out. You'll follow the political path of Olmert and Deri - you may even wind up sharing a cell with Moshe Katzav. At worst, well, let's not even go there"
    Bibi:"What are you talking about? Even if the NSA has been monitoring my Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail accounts, they have nothing on me..."
    BO:"I don't care. If we have to, we'll make it all up and have Thomas Friedman write about it in the NY Times. Even for most American Jews, he's still their favorite and most influential writer we have, And as you know, he's been very loyal to me and my staff"
    Bibi:"This is outrageous!"
    BO:"Look Bibi, things are not going well for me here at home. My heath care plan never got off the ground, unemployment is soaring, we're pumping billions into the stock market every day just to keep the whole economy afloat - it's worse than anyone can
    imagine. I need a 'Clinton on the White House lawn making peace between two enemies' moment in order to restore my reputation. And I expect your help.Like the bumper sticker says, Bibi, "Be nice to the US, or we'll bring Democracy to you're country".
    Bibi:"[XXXX XXX] (redacted)

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