Iran Nuclear Agreement

Dear Friends,

A deal has been reached among Iran, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China, Germany and the United States to limit Iran's nuclear program.  I doubt that I will ever read the agreement, and even if I could or did I would not understand what I was reading or the implications.  Nevertheless I would like to know if it is a good deal worth supporting or not.  President Obama, of course, is saying it is a good deal and that it will keep Iran from getting a nuclear bomb.  As you know, I have no confidence in what President Obama says.  So how will I know.

I follow two approaches in this type of situation.  If they both lead to the same conclusion, I am satisfied that it is the right conclusion.  The first is rather simple.  Understand who is against the deal and what their alternative is.  In this case (as in all cases other than the TPP) the Republicans are virtually unanimous in their condemnation of the deal which the Obama Administration has made.  That is a good start to say that I should be for it, but the result from this approach is confirmed by two other factors.  First Prime Minister Netanyahu is adamantly opposed to the deal calling it an "historic mistake".  Second, neither the Republicans nor Prime Minister Netanyahu have a better approach.  As usual they will opt for war and violence over artful (and negotiated) diplomacy.  So as to my first approach.  I should support the deal.

My second approach is to try to find some independent thoughtful source to help me understand.  In this case I found two articles on the BBC website that were very understandable and made a very strong case for support of the deal.  The first article, entitled "Iran nuclear deal: Key details" (here), explains in plain English the key details of the deal which to me sound very reasonable.  The second article, entitled "Iran nuclear deal: A good deal, for now?" (here) makes a logical case for why this deal is a good one that should be supported.

So I thank Secretary Kerry and all of the negotiators on all sides for their hard work, long hours, perseverance and most of all creativity and stedfast belief that a deal could be reached.  The world is far better off with this deal than without it.  The second article ends with these paragraphs:

This agreement narrowly relates to Iran's nuclear programme. But the Iranian regime will not change overnight.
Its foreign policy entanglements in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza - many of which are seen as unhelpful by the West - will continue.
Many wonder if in the wake of this deal there should be further talks on the wider security problems of the region in which Iran is now such a central player.

We may only be taking baby steps, but they are in the right direction.  The successful negotiation of one deal, particularly a difficult one, can well lead to other successful negotiations and improved relations.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal