John R. Bolton, ambassador to the United Nations in President George W. Bush’s administration, isn’t pulling punches about the United States’ forged agreement with Iran: It’s a poor deal.
In his own words: It’s an “abject surrender by the United States,” he said in a commentary penned for The Weekly Standard. It’s a “Hail Mary” agreement that comes at considerable U.S. costs, he said. But that’s what happens with an administration that would rather have any deal than no deal, he said.
“The inescapable conclusion is that … the White House actually did prefer a bad deal to the diplomatic process grinding to a halt,” he said, The Hill reported.
The biggest problem for the United States is that the deal doesn’t ban Iran from enriching uranium — and Capitol Hill lawmakers agree on that point, he said.
On top of that, the deal means that once again the Obama administration has put the nation in an inferior light on the international stage. It gives Iran more legitimacy, Mr. Bolton said, and because of the soft stance on sanctions, the United States has sent a clear message to the world: We’re not going to crack down on Iran, even if that nation’s leaders violate the terms of the agreement.
“In truth, an Israeli military strike is the only way to avoid Tehran’s otherwise inevitable march to nuclear weapons, and the proliferation that will surely follow,” he said. “Making the case for Israel’s exercise of its legitimate right of self-defense has therefore never been more politically important.”
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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