Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The Dear Leader, President Obama, Gets His Bad Iran Deal

Early this morning the Dear Leader, President Obama, got his dream and a treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran that essentially simply delays the capability to build a nuclear bomb by 10 years.
The text of the agreement is here. I will not pretend to have read all 159 pages, and you should not either.
But here are the highlights:

Keep it uranium enrichment levels at no more than 3.67%, down from near 20$.

Maintain a uranium stockpile (at the prescribed level above) under 300 kilograms , well below the 10,000 kilogram stockpile. President Barack Obama says this works out to Iran reducing it's nuclear stockpile by 98%.

Phase out it's IR-1 centrifuges within 10 years, keeping over 5,000 centrifuges running during that stretch at it's Natanz facility. "Excess centrifuges and enrichment-related infrastructure at Natanz will be stored under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) continuous monitoring." Nationwide, Obama said that Iran will put away two-thirds of it roughly 19,000 current centrifuges. 

Not have any nuclear material at is Fordow facility for 15 years, converting that site "into a nuclear, physics and technology center."

Limit certain research and development activities for the next eight years. 

"Design and rebuild a modernized heavy water research reactor in Arak ... using fuel enrichment up to 3.67%" after getting international authorities' OK on the final design. "The reactor will support peaceful nuclear research and radioisotope production for medical and instructional purposes." Iran will not add any other heavy water reactors for the next 15 years. 

Ship spent fuel outside its borders. 

Even the linked Reuters article notes that essentially Iran is mothballing the program for 10 years.
In return for a questionable deal, Iran gets all of the sanctions that the European Union, United Nations and the United States lifted.
What this does is simply delay rather than literally put the brakes on the Iranian nuclear program. While it sounds good and that the deal makes Iran use it's program for alleged peaceful purposes, the problem is that there are no guarantees.
And the process of inspection is vague at best if not favorable to Iran.
I will read the 159 pages and write more detail, but when anything is described as a win-win, it is not good. And that is what this deal is. No good.

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