Iran deal: Obama earns his Nobel

[bemildred]

The Iran nuclear agreement, which was reached in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday, is an incredible diplomatic victory for the United States. It contains terms that are far better than anyone would have expected. Short of dismantling altogether Iran’s nuclear establishments – and albeit leaving Iran as a threshold state – the US negotiators led by Secretary of State John Kerry have succeeded in getting Iran to agree to a complex, almost water proof set of limitations that aim at extending the time Iran would need to “break out’ and make a dash toward a nuclear weapon.

Take a look at the actual terms and conditions that the US negotiators got Iran to agree to:

Iran will give up around 14000 of its 20000 centrifuges.
Iran will only retain its most rudimentary, outdated ‘first-generation’ centrifuges.
Iran will be prohibited from building or developing newer models of centrifuges.
Iran has to give up all but 300 kilograms of its vast stockpile of 10000 kilograms of enriched uranium.
Iran will destroy or export the core of its plutonium plant at Arak.
Iran shall ship out all spent nuclear fuel.
There will be no enrichment activity at the underground Fordow site.
IAEA inspectors will monitor not only the nuclear facilities but the entire supply chain, including uranium mines and mills.
The heavy water reactor at Arak will be rebuilt so that it cannot produce weapons grade plutonium.

In return, Iran benefits out of the suspension of US and EU sanctions and the removal of UN sanctions. On the other hand, the agreement makes sure that a year-long warning of a potential Iranian break-out is available.

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2015/04/03/iran-deal-obama-earns-his-nobel/

[bemildred]

1. Iran Nuclear Deal: Bad News To Republicans, Israel, North Korea

Israel and Republicans in the U.S. Congress now share common cause with North Korea on one critical topic: they hate the nuclear deal that negotiators from the U.S. and five other countries have struck with Iran.

While Israeli leaders and commentators denounce the agreement and Republicans vow to fight it in the U.S. Congress, North Korea has already stated that it will never give up its nuclear weapons. Six-party talks with North Korea, hosted by China, screeched to a halt nearly seven years ago and aren’t likely to resume as long as North Korea really has nothing to talk about.

That doesn’t mean, though, that North Korean leaders will not be watching closely to see how the deal works out even if they’re not going to follow Iran’s example.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/donaldkirk/2015/04/03/iran-nuclear-deal-anathema-to-republicans-israel-and-north-korea/

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2. U.S.-Iran nuke deal creates new political dimension for Mideast and Central Asia: Sisci

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Russia’s full involvement with Iran is yet to occur, and China’s ties are very complex. It’s possible that Beijing is warmer to Jerusalem and the Saudis than to Tehran. And while Israel may be warming up to Moscow and Beijing, ties are not very hot, or not as hot as with the U.S. So we have a situation where geopolitical tensions are increasing on one hand, and decreasing on the other.

Besides these broad geopolitical concerns, the U.S. pushed its deal with Iran because America feels it can use Iran’s support against the Islamic State raging across Iraq and Syria. The other reason is that nobody, including Israel, managed to provide a convincing alternative to the U.S.-Iran nuke deal. At the end of the day, the crux of the matter hinges on nuclear capability, rather than the weapon itself. It’s the spectre of a little reliable anti-Jewish clergy in Tehran with their finger on the trigger of a bomb.

The big question is: What now? The possibility of Israel sabotaging the deal seems far fetched. But the ambitions of the Saudis, and perhaps Turkey, to go nuclear may have grown.

One possible avenue is for Israel to initiate rounds of confidential consultations with the Americans and Chinese on Iran. This would focus on Iran’s political evolution and development in the region. The U.S. would have the extra advantage of engaging China on a very practical project. Beijing, for its part, would be eager to proceed, because of its plan for the “One Belt, One Way,” Silk Road project. Joint Chinese and U.S. involvement could help assuage Israel’s legitimate existential fears, and help pressure Iran from another side.

http://atimes.com/2015/04/u-s-iran-nuke-deal-creates-new-political-dimension-for-mideast-and-central-asia-sisci/

[chillfactor]

3. good grief!

the rethugs would go ballistic if Obama won another Nobel prize

[azurnoir]

4. Thank you this is indeed a good deal

[bemildred]

5. It's kind of hard to deny.

Though of course here on the internet anyone can deny anything that's what free speech is about you can say what you want regardless of whether it's true out in meat-world.

Any time I see thwarted War Party politicians and enraged Neocon talking heads I know it can't be all bad.

Actually, I am impressed, but I am also a bit leery of such pleasant positive impressions, so we'll see. On the face of it, it shows a lot of political sophistication, in my view, it is well-defended politically, both sides can claim success and a good deal, most of the planet is cheering loudly, everything else is going to hell in a handbasket, and the US public wants peace NOW! The principal opponents are tied down in other wars, other crises, and if it works until the end of Obama's term, it will be very hard to reverse, nobody would follow our lead, and that looks so tacky.

[Jefferson23]

6. kick..not often is there good news. n/t