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An interesting point about the “Iran Deal” that people need to remember. Thank you CFS

Big Al
July 7, 2018

A Trip Down Memory Lane: In 2015 the Obama Administration Said the Iran Deal Wasn’t Even a ‘Signed Document’
By DAVID FRENCH
May 10, 2018 6:08 PM

President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry at a meeting in China in 2016. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
How easy we forget. On November 19, 2015, the State Department sent a letter to then-Representative Mike Pompeo that severely undercuts the notion that the Iran deal represents any form of binding American commitment. It turns out that the Obama administration not only acknowledged that the deal wasn’t a treaty (obvious enough), but it also admitted that it wasn’t “an executive agreement” or even a “signed document.” Here are the key paragraphs:

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is not a treaty or an executive agreement, and is not a signed document. The JCPOA reflects political commitments between Iran, the P5+1 (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China), and the European Union. As you know, the United States has a long-standing practice of addressing sensitive problems in negotiations that culminate in political commitments.

The success of the JCPOA will depend not on whether it is legally binding or signed, but rather on the extensive verification measures we have put in place, as well as Iran’s understanding that we have the capacity to re-impose — and ramp up — our sanctions if Iran does not meet its commitments.

You can read the entire letter here.

The Iran deal was no sacred American commitment. This was the action of one administration, working with allies and other nations who were fully aware of American domestic skepticism and fully aware of the nature of the “political commitment” they were making.

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As our Joel Gehrke reported in 2015, “President Obama didn’t require Iranian leaders to sign the nuclear deal.” In short, there was nothing truly binding about this deal. From its inception it existed only so long it was politically or strategically expedient for the relevant parties. The only thing truly concrete that came out of the JCPOA was the substantial financial benefit to the world’s most dangerous jihadist state.

COMMENTS
Finally, let’s not forget that one of the justifications for the deal was the entirely faith-based belief that it could represent a turning point in American-Iranian relations, one that would ultimately lead to Iran “fully rejoin[ing] the community of nations.” That didn’t happen. Instead, Iran doubled down on jihad and doubled-down on its efforts to directly threaten Israel from bases in Syria. A foundational premise of the agreement went up in the choking smoke Middle Eastern war.

The Iran deal wasn’t binding then, and it’s not binding now. It wasn’t a true “agreement” then, and it isn’t now. America can’t break its word when it never made a promise.

RETURN TO THE CORNER

DAVID FRENCH — David French is a senior writer for National Review, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. @davidafrench

Discussion
24 Comments
    CFS
    Jul 07, 2018 07:00 PM

    I am not an attorney and do not have any degrees in law.
    I am, however, old and have had extensive experiences over the years in court in several countries and can read and, I believe, understand law books.

    I could not determine the legal basis under which Obama was able to send plane-loads of money to Iran, without any appropriation or authorization from Congress so to do.
    To the best of my belief, it was an illegal act, which under any strict interpretation of UN rules was also a sanctions-busting illegal act. Under a one possible interpretation it could be considered an act of treason in aiding a sponsor of terrorism.

      Jul 08, 2018 08:43 AM

      CFS:

      You fail to say that it was Iran’s money in the first place and the US violated international law to seize it.

      Iran is not a country working on nuclear weapons and they certainly are not the source of terrorism in the Middle East. That would be Israel that is nuclear armed and who has exported terrorism for 70 years.

      But they control the media and you are not allowed to know that or to criticize them

      They do have a lot of useful idiots working in their interests.

        CFS
        Jul 08, 2018 08:13 PM

        Actually, Mr. Moriarty, I believe Obama gave the Iranians more than their own money back and also gave it in US dollars and Euros; not in Rials.

          CFS
          Jul 08, 2018 08:49 PM

          What can one say about the average intelligent of young Americans?

          ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Buzzes To $76 Million Debut
          By JAKE COYLE – Associated Press – Sun Jul 8, 2:12PM CDT

          NEW YORK (AP) — Despite its heroes’ diminutive size, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” opened
          According to record studio estimates Sunday’ the “Ant-Man” sequel easily surpassed the $57 million debut of the 2015 original in North America. The 20th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and the 20th to debut no. 1 at the box office — “Ant-Man and the Wasp” comes on the heels of two mammoth Marvel successes this year: “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”

            CFS
            Jul 08, 2018 08:01 PM

            intelligence not intelligent….my computer incorrects again.
            (and I’m too stupid to remember to turn off auto-correct.)

          Jul 10, 2018 10:51 AM

          CFS:

          You are a master at stating the meaningless. The money wasn’t seized in Rials, it was seized in dollars. And you can believe in both the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny for all I care, that doesn’t make it so.

        CFS
        Jul 08, 2018 08:58 PM

        Actually it did not violate UN rulings, but was endorsed by the UN.

        The US also paid $150,000 for each Iranian killed when it shot down the Iranian Airliner and gave a replacement plane, whereas there are still many US claims against Iran for Americans killed or held hostage that have NEVER been paid. (Incidentally the unsettled court judgments in US courts against Iran exceed the amount given back to Iran.

        The full story (as also with Israel) is always greater than the random “facts” you present Mr. Moriarty.

          Jul 10, 2018 10:54 AM

          CFS:

          What is a greater fact than 17 US intelligence agencies all agree that Iran has no nuclear weapons program?

          You are mumbling again. How many Americans did Iran kill and what are the claims? You are now stooping to making crap up.

      AJ
      Jul 08, 2018 08:51 PM

      Obama Bribed Iran $400 Million to Release U.S. Prisoners?
      https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-bribed-iran-400-million-to-release-u-s-prisoners/

        Jul 08, 2018 08:12 PM

        AJ:

        Sorry but it’s impossible to bribe someone with their own money. Or did you forget to mention that?

    Jul 07, 2018 07:08 PM

    I believe part of the money was a return of money Iran had paid the US for weapons purchased before the revolution, and had never been delivered. The remainder was the return of frozen Iranian assets. All of the money belonged to Iran in the first place, so it did not cost the U.S. anything.

    Jul 07, 2018 07:36 PM

    This is probably one of the most important comments of the Weekend, CFS. i am very surprised at the extremely low level of comments.

    It seem as though alls people want to do is bitch and that is a real shame!

      b
      Jul 08, 2018 08:28 AM

      “aiding a sponsor of terrorism”

      What are people supposed to do Al?

      The american people dont realize they are the #1 terrorists on the planet.
      Heck, they thank people for their military service.

      Take cfs for example (no offence cfs) it seems he doesnt realize the U.S. drops a bomb every 12 minutes, how can this not be considered terror?

      Yet Iran is the terror state.

    CFS
    Jul 07, 2018 07:34 PM

    Big Al, with July 4th being on a wednesday, I know a lot of people that have taken this whole week as vacation.
    There are also a number of people, so turned off by media bias that they have simply lost interest in news and politics.

    Jul 08, 2018 08:42 AM

    When the FBI interviewed the non-Jewish workers at Urban Moving Systems which was a Mossad front company, one of the people said that he was terrified of the Jewish workers at UMS because they told him they would take control of the media and in 20 years destroy the US.

    That’s not my opinion, it’s in the FBI report. I think they are on schedule. Only fools confuse the Zionists as allies of the US. They intend to destroy the US.

    Iran is an ally of Syria and is there at the invitation of the legal and democratic government. Anyone whining about Iran and a threat to Israel forgets the Yinon paper done in 1982. These are the real monsters in the Middle East.

    http://www.awdnews.com/index/israeli-religious-leader-suggests-poisoning-palestinian-water-supply/

    Jul 08, 2018 08:14 PM

    Were Isreal so dangerous they would’ve nuked somebody by now.

      Jul 10, 2018 10:57 AM

      Buzz:

      You have set a new low in logic for the site. That’s quite remarkable logic. Why should they bother nuking anyone when they can poison the water to Gaza and shoot 22 year old medics in the back. Bullet and poison are really cheap.

    CFS
    Jul 08, 2018 08:09 PM

    Ever ask yourself why Korea or Iran have a ballistic missile program if they have no intention of creating nuclear offensive capability.

    If Iran was not a sponsor of terrorism, why does it:

    a. Say that it is their desire that Israel ceases to exist.
    b. Give rockets and other arms to Hamas and Hezbollah.

    Of course, it must be because they want peace.

      b
      Jul 08, 2018 08:45 PM

      Korea wants nukes simply to defend itself, it has no choice, the americans can not be trusted.

      Iran gives support to Hamas and Hezbollah because the IDF shoots Palestinian children for sport.

    b
    Jul 08, 2018 08:35 PM

    CFS,

    Iran supreme leader touts 9-point plan to destroy Israel
    Ayatollah Khamenei says West Bank should be armed like Gaza, and Jewish population should return to countries it came from.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-supreme-leader-touts-9-point-plan-to-destroy-israel/

    He is not talking about destroying Israel, he is talking about ending the Zionist regime.

    The “proper way of eliminating Israel,” he suggested, is through a “public and organized referendum” for all of the “original people of Palestine including Muslims, Christians, and Jews wherever they are…” However, “the Jewish immigrants who have been persuaded into emigration to Palestine do not have the right to take part.”

    Geez, an organized referendum, those Iranians are scary as heck.
    Violent it is to suggest referendums.
    Obvious why some people want Iran nuked.

    Might be an idea to stop believing the Zionist controlled media.

    The 9 point plan was printed in the Times of Israel in 2014.

    Not all Israelis are Zionists.

    Give Brother Nathanael a listen.

      CFS
      Jul 08, 2018 08:35 PM

      “Geez, an organized referendum, those Iranians are scary as heck.
      Violent it is to suggest referendums.”

      Except the Iranians only would allow anti-Jews to vote. So fair and democratic!

        b
        Jul 09, 2018 09:02 AM

        not true cfs,

        for all of the “original people of Palestine including Muslims, Christians, and Jews wherever they are…”

        “the Jewish immigrants who have been persuaded into emigration to Palestine do not have the right to take part.”

        It really looks like your not differentiating between Jews and Zionists.
        Not just on this issue but over time.

        The Iranians have no issues with Jews.Never have.

        The Zionists? They want gone, no question.

        So do alot of other people around the world, especially those enamored with banking and wars for profit etc.

        The Iranians are simply unafraid to say it out loud.

        Jul 10, 2018 10:59 AM

        CFS:

        Actually the most anti-democratic government in the Middle East would be your brethren. They were against a democratic election in Gaza. They were against a democratic election in Syria and they don’t allow half the people they control to vote.

    b
    Jul 08, 2018 08:35 PM

    Brother Nathanael – YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBqVgzL_cDv_t9o2hFiXXg
    Here you will find all of Brother Nathanael’s amazing videos!