YOUR AD HERE »

Muftic: Why an Iran deal is good for the U.S.

Felicia Muftic
My View
Felicia Muftic
Courtesy Photo |

Looking out for No. 1 should be the primary concern of Congress’ position on the Iran nuclear deal. That means us, the United States.

A deal as outlined in the framework is in the interest of our country because it is the best way to avoid getting involved in another ground war in the Middle East. The alternative is to remove any constraints on military conflicts with a march to war and an inevitable risk the U.S. will find its boots on the ground as we fight on behalf of our allies in the region whose backs we have pledged to protect.

All out military conflict would be in no one’s interest, especially the civilians from Israel to Iran who will bear the brunt of the carnage. There is a body of thought that bombing Iran’s physical facilities would also require boots on the ground to be effective. Whose boots? Ours?



The devil is in the details still in process of being negotiated. The fat lady has not sung and there are those both in the U.S. and Iran who are out to sabotage the framework without waiting for the final aria. Those attempting to abort the embryonic deal are U.S. neocons such as John Bolton who want to do a pre-emptive military strike against Iran now, those who do not trust any verification methods to work, and hard liners in Iran who do not want to give up their ability to develop their nuclear weapons.

Those U.S. neocons are the same ilk who talked us into invading Iraq. If we did not learn anything from Iraq, the futility, the loss of blood and the heartbreak of wounded warriors, then there is no hope for this country ever acting rationally. However, the U.S. killing the deal would leave drummers for war as the ones in the drivers’ seat in Iran, with our Middle East allies, and in Congress, since there would be no restraints or constraints or alternatives left.



One possible scary outcome is that both Iran and Israel, who already has nuclear WMD, would be at a standoff f reminiscent of the Cold War’s mutually assured self-destruction. We would then see Sunni Arabs race to get their own bombs. One itchy trigger finger could unleash the unthinkable.

The simplistic alternative, to reinstate the sanctions, works only if Iran is the one to scuttle the deal. If the U.S. kills it, it is doubtful our partners in negotiations, France, Germany, United Kingdom, the EU, Russia and China, would continue since the purpose of the sanctions was to get Iran to negotiate and their chief partner, the U.S., pulled that plug.

Republicans and some Democrats in Congress have become deaf to credible safeguards against Iran cheating. The reassurance of one of our chief negotiators, the Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, a nuclear physicist, carries more weight than politicians’ partisan speculations. Congress is also deaf to those they represent. The American people support a nuclear deal by a nearly 2-1 margin per a Washington Post/ABC News March 30 poll.

For links to sources tapped, visit http://www.mufticforumblog.blogspot.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

The Sky-Hi News strives to deliver powerful stories that spark emotion and focus on the place we live.

Over the past year, contributions from readers like you helped to fund some of our most important reporting, including coverage of the East Troublesome Fire.

If you value local journalism, consider making a contribution to our newsroom in support of the work we do.