What happens when you elect a damn fool
The BBC on Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Iran deal:
Calling it “decaying and rotten”, he said the deal was “an embarrassment” to him “as a citizen”.
Going against advice from European allies, he said he would reimpose economic sanctions that were waived when the deal was signed in 2015.
In response, Iran said it was preparing to restart uranium enrichment, key for making both nuclear energy and weapons.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said: “The US has announced that it doesn’t respect its commitments.”
Trump has announced.
But then what is Trump but everybody’s idea of The Worst American?
Analysis by Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent
With a stroke of his pen President Trump has jeopardised the one agreement – good or bad -that seeks to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
He launched a scathing assault on the deal and its deficiencies, but he offered no alternative policy to put in its place.
He has put US diplomacy on a collision course with some of Washington’s closest allies.
And some fear that he may have brought a new and catastrophic regional war in the Middle East that much closer.
Other than that…
France, Germany and the UK – whose leaders had tried to change Mr Trump’s mind – have said they “regret” the American decision. The foreign ministry of Russia, another signatory, said it was “deeply disappointed”.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said the EU was “determined to preserve” the deal.
Former President Obama said on Facebook that the deal was working and was in US interests.
…
The United Nations secretary general’s spokesman said Antonio Guterres was “deeply concerned” at the announcement and called on the other signatories to abide by their commitments.
But Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he “fully supports” Mr Trump’s “bold” withdrawal from a “disastrous” deal.
And Saudi Arabia, Iran’s regional rival, says it “supports and welcomes” Mr Trump’s moves towards pulling out of the deal.
Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia. Brilliant.
I don’t get why Bibi hates the Iran deal so much. He’s always banging on about stopping Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and this deal worked. Why scuttle it?
Because Bibi’s in deep political shit with corruption accusations and wat with Iran is red meat for his particular base. There’s no real downside for him personally because the US is more than willing to do his dirty work for him (the Saudis are surely counting on this as well).
BKiSA, exactly. Trump is in fact being a very easy patsy for both of them.
Trump is a chump and a patsy, all the while thinking he is making them into chumps and patsies.
Aha. It’s scary he is willing to prod Iran to say “fuck it, we’re starting up our nukes program again” so he can look tough.
No wonder he likes Trump: no ethics, no concern beyond himself – two peas in a pod.
@learie
Because the deal is one of the chief accomplishments of Obama, and Trump tries to destroy Obamas legacy where he can.
@Sonderval
I suspect it is as simple as that.
Just a short note (been busy recently but drop by occasionally to refuel !…) rehashing a bit of what I commented back in 2015 when the accord was signed.
Actually wielding nuclear weapons is far more difficult, not to mention perilous, than popular opinion would imagine, and even crazy people like Kim Jong Un and Khamenei are unlikely to hazard total annihilation when their dictatorships aren’t at risk. No, to my eyes the nuclear element was actually less important than the money it freed up for the ayatollahs, who promptly expanded their support of Hezbollah (which now pretty much controls Lebanon, where I still have relatives) and – along with Putin, of course – of Assad, allowing him to murder or displace half of Syria. (Truthfully, I can’t imagine a nuclear bomb being more catastrophic than what Assad has accomplished.) Not to mention that it ensconced a regime in Tehran that hangs gays, tortures journalists, stones women, etc., all with impunity. Simply discarding the accord at this date, however, is stupid. A statesman could have tried to renegotiate the details to counter with what has happened on the ground in the last 3 years, in particular the hellholes of Syria and Yemen. But no one has yet accused the Schtroumpf of statesmanship. (Let’s see what comes of his meeting with Kim Jong Un.)
The mullahs have not improved or reformed. There has always been a simmering background of dread around the deal. We are dealing with crazies who want to exterminate Jews, and bring on the Apocalypse.
BUT. The deal has kept some lines open, and with vigorous supervision it is at least a temporary stabilizer. Israel, and the Saud clan, are not unreasonable in fearing Iranian ambitions. But to rely on a maniac like Trump in a situation this fraught is as crazy as he is.
#8 Helena,
Indeed. Having been otherwise busy myself, I’m still not up to date on this blog, but the US relationship with Iran and NK are similar and the two “rogue nations” have been suspected of trading in secret.
When he rips up one “deal” this cavalierly on a whim, who will ever believe he intends to honor the next one?
As some wise person remarked: What happens when you elect a damn fool.