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Diplomacy 1: Warmongering 0! First small step towards
peace with Iran
By mickielynn on 2013-11-24 12:58:46
[caption id="attachment_5217" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
UNITED STATES
Graphic from new Iranian Peace and justice
group, Berim, meaning "Let's Go!" in Farsi[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5220" align="aligncenter" width="426"]
Secretary of State John Kerry shaking hands with iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif after the nuclear deal is reached on Sunday, November 24, 2013[/caption]
US secretary of State, John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif shake hands at the ceremony
celebrating the historic interim peace deal at the United Nations, Sunday November 24, 2013. In the midst of
congratulations by all representatives of the six nations negotiating with Iran. [caption id="attachment_5222"
align="aligncenter" width="600"]
-
LEU Foreign policy chief at
Geneva negotiations, Catherine Ashton with members of her negotiation team, November 22, 2013[/caption] These talks
would never have succeeded without the one on one meetings between Catherine Ashton and Mohammad Javad Zarif who
met together throughout the negotiations to work through the more difficult obstacles. This is a description of their meetings
from an AP story earlier in the week:
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, center, next to members of her delegation attends talks over Iran's
nuclear program in Geneva on Friday Nov. 22, 2013. The nuclear talks being held formally group six world
powers with Iran. But the seven nations have convened only once since the current round of talks started
Wednesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton have met
instead to try to find common language on a first-step deal. The two resumed their talks Friday. (AP
PhotoFabrice Coffrini,Pool)
[caption id="attachment_5227" align="alignleft" width="300"] Secretary of
State John Kerry arrives at the Geneva international airport, Saturday November 23, photo by Denis Balibouse/AP[/caption]
As most people who have been following the 6 nations talks with Iran now know a first step, interim 6 month agreement to
ease some of the most severe sanctions in return for Iran freezing any enrichment or production of nuclear materials
including Uranium over 5% and the building of a light water reactor for the production of Plutonium and also opening itself
up to an extremely intrusive set of inspections by the IAEA (which is currently headed by a US friendly and less than
objective chief of inspections). What this agreement basically does is to give Iran some sanctions relief which will improve
economic conditions for the Iranian people who have been suffering greatly under the current conditions. It also serves as a
place holder for continued negotiations to reach a long term agreement that will lead to the roll back of previous sanctions
and the secure and stable provision of a way to verify that Iran is using its nuclear materials for power production and
medical isotopes and not for weapons development. There were very low expectations for success in this limited agreement
and the media kept talking about the "gaps" in the possibility of a settlement but when John Kerry and other top level
negotiators headed back to Geneva it was clear that a breakthrough was imminent. Here's_a good AP article about the
conditions of the six month agreement. And here's another with more details about the "fine print that needed to be worked
out by Catherine Ashton of the EU and Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif. But the interesting thing about
both articles is that within them are contained descriptions of some of the hawkish enemies of peace with Iran who could
still sabotage the success of this fragile agreement and progress towards a working relationship between Iran and the rest of
the world. Of course Benjamin Netanyahu is the major enemy of a peaceful settlement. Even today he's been saying that the
agreement is a big mistake and (in violation of International laws) threatening that Israel will reserve the right to bomb Iran's
nuclear facilities. An insane statement since the results if such an attack would spread radioactive fallout all over the region
and harm millions of people. But Israeli right wing politicians have been trying to foment a war against Iran for the past
decade. You might remember Bibi's yearly statements for the past 5 or more years that Iran is just a year away from
developing nuclear weapons. Still no evidence of that but here's the 2012 farcical illustration of the "red line" theory during
Netanyahu's UN speech: [caption id="attachment_5216" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu draws a red line on an
illustration describing Iran's ability to create a nuclear weapon as he addresses the 67th United Nations General Assembly at
the U.N. Headquarters in New York, September 27, 2012. REUTERS/Keith Bedford[/caption] In addition there was the time
several years ago when the Pentagon was talking about Iran's potential for developing ICBM's as a lobbying point for
developing missile defense systems (with no military or intelligence findings to back up these speculations) when Benjamin
Netanyahau ran with that theory and began fear mongering that Iran was "just a year away from" developing an ICBM that
could reach the US! I think that if Bibi feels that sanctions are so effective in getting other countries to change their behavior
then perhaps the growing worldwide movement for sanctions, boycotts and divestment from Israel might change his
behavior towards the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and also curb the military attacks on Israel's neighbors (the
latest being on Syria). If the threats of unprovoked military attacks by Israel against Iran continue in the midst of peace
negotiations then perhaps it's time for the US to stop sending Israel billions of dollars in military aid until they learn how to
behave as part of the world community solving conflicts in a diplomatic way. [caption id="attachment_5215"
align="alignright" width="300"] ma! Prime Minister, Francois Hollande speaking
during a visit to Israel on November 17, 2013[/caption] But there were other more surprising opponents to a negotiated
settlement that made things more difficult and will continue to do so over time. One of these was_the change to a "tougher"
stance by France's Prime Minister Francois Hollande on the weekend before talks resumed. Of course the visit to Israel and
the praise that Prime Minister Hollande received from the Israeli government was one reason for this change of conditions
that threatened to undermine progress already made. There are additional theories about why he acted the way that he did.
Iranian American author Trita Parsi spells this out in an interview with Real News on November 14th, during the pause
between official negotiations. What came to light during the negotiations was the hardline stance taken against peace with
Iran by Saudi Arabia and other fundamentalist Gulf State nations. Since the US and EU have financial and military
arrangements with these nations this poses a serious threat to reaching a long term peaceful settlement. The most dangerous
obstacle to a long term settlement and even to honoring the current interim settlement with Iran is the habitually violent and
hawkish members of the United States Congress. So far President Obama has managed to get them to agree to postponing
any talks of further sanctions against Iran but the threat of doing so in the face of what is unprecedented diplomatic progress
remains. There have been many campaigns to ask the House and Senate to be compassionate towards the people of Iran and
to lift the current sanctions in exchange for the nuclear concessions and the most recent one is a petition from the group
called Berim. It's a letter from Americans to their Senators and this is the message: "After decades of hostility, we've just
witnessed a deal between the United States and Iran. This deal is a first step towards ensuring we don't get entangled in
another senseless war in the Middle East. We call on you to publicly support the deal between the United States, Iran and
the international community -- and be a champion for diplomacy." Here's a real chance to further peace and security in our
world and in the Middle East. Let's continue to work with Congress and with the President. With our State Department and
with those who want to bring about what could be the first change in world wide ways of dealing with conflicts. This first
few weeks will be especially important to making sure that this process continues. Join us in taking action for Peace.
[caption id="attachment_5233" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
j Image
from Jes Richardson's celebration of the Iranian New Year in San Francisco, 2011.[/caption]
