OPINION: Booker should put American security ahead of partisanship and vote against the Iran Deal

By Ian Linker | The Save Jersey Blog

I really have very little doubt about what Sen. Cory Booker will do regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran Nuclear Deal. He is an Obama Democrat – a politician with soaring ambition. And frankly, I just don’t see him sacrificing the support of his party to do what is right and demonstrate real leadership. But I can still try to convince him to put partisan politics aside and do the right thing for his constituents and the country; that is: vote against the Iran deal.

Can’t I?

Here goes nothing:

It was my view that no deal was better than a bad deal. But that was before I learned recently that the UN’s atomic energy watchdog, the IAEA, entered into a secret side deal with the Iranians to allow the Islamic state to conduct its own inspections of certain highly sensitive military installations, including the site at Parchin where it is believed the Iranians have worked on their nuclear weapons capabilities in secret. And that was before I learned the Obama administration has been assuring other nations the United States will do nothing to ensure sanctions “snap back” on Iran if the regime violates the accord. Now, not only do I know the Iran nuclear deal will not accomplish its stated objective – preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon – but it appears the international community, including the U.S., has no real desire to stop them.

This deal is beyond bad. It’s a disaster – a capitulation camouflaged to look like an accomplishment.

We are being sold a bill of goods, not unusual from this President, of course. Spot inspections of all relevant sites, including military facilities, should have been a mandatory requirement. The agreement, however, makes no provision for the inspection by the IAEA of military sites, and now we have learned Iran will inspect its own military sites. And spot inspections? Well, those are a pipe dream, apparently, as well. It seems the deal has a 24-day notice-of-inspection requirement in it. So the IAEA can inspect non-military sites as long as it provides the Iranians 24-days notice. That should be an effective way to monitor the Iranians’ nuclear activities. Not!

And who, besides the Iranians, will monitor their activities at military installations? Not a soul.

The deal also should have prevented Iran from acquiring a nuke, permanently. Right? Well, it doesn’t. It places limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, including the number of centrifuges the regime may use for enrichment, and Iran’s uranium stockpile, but only for 15 years. The Administration claims the inspection regime will remain in place even after the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities are lifted. But the inspection regime is a paper tiger. Under the terms of the agreement, international sanctions against Iran will be lifted, but should “snap back” if the IAEA discovers evidence of non-compliance. However, that was before the Obama administration advised the other signatories, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and Germany, they needn’t worry about re-imposing sanctions if – more likely, when – Iran violates the deal.

To the extent the agreement contained a legitimate mechanism to prevent the Iranians from developing a nuke in secret, a debatable point, at best, it flew out the window when the Administration all but signaled to the Iranians there are no longer economic consequences for violating the deal.

A nuclear-armed Iran is simply unacceptable. And this deal just doesn’t cut it, despite what the President and his Administration tell us. Iran is one of the World’s largest state sponsors of terror, its leaders have called for the destruction of Israel, our only true friend in the region, and it has gone back on its word countless times over the past 36 years. Iran is dangerous. Iran cannot be trusted.

Senator Booker has the opportunity to do something bold and right for his constituents, for his country, and the World. He has the opportunity to demonstrate real leadership. He should vote to reject this deal.
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