148 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 60 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 7/31/17

Is Trump Trying to Sabotage the Nuclear Deal to Lay Groundwork for War with Iran?

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   2 comments

Democracy Now
Message Democracy Now

See original here

ame>

The White House appears ready to abandon the landmark Iranian nuclear deal in favor of what experts say could lead to war with Iran. The New York Times reported last week that President Donald Trump has instructed his national security aides to find a rationale for declaring that Iran is violating the terms of the accord. The order came despite the fact the Trump administration reluctantly certified that Iran has complied with its obligations under the agreement earlier this month.

Last week, Trump intensified his threats against Iran during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio. Observers say Trump's actions are laying the groundwork for a disastrous military confrontation with Iran. We speak with Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council.

Transcript

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Is President Donald Trump trying to sabotage the Obama-brokered nuclear agreement with Iran and seek a war instead with Iran? According to The New York Times, Trump has instructed his national security aides to find a rationale for declaring that Iran is violating the terms of the accord. The order came despite the fact the Trump administration begrudgingly certified that Iran has complied with its obligation under the agreement earlier this month. Last week, Trump intensified his threats against Iran during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: [The Iran deal], which may be the single worst deal I've ever seen drawn by anybody, if that deal doesn't conform --

TRUMP SUPPORTER: Nuke 'em!

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: -- to what it's supposed to conform to, there's going to be big, big problems for them. That, I can tell you.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, we're joined by Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council, whose new piece for LobeLog is titled "The Mask Is Off: Trump Is Seeking War with Iran." We usually speak to Trita in Washington, D.C. He's in Uppsala, Sweden, right now.

Trita, as you listen to President Trump, the speech he gave just a few days after he recertified the deal he so criticized, but what is this you're hearing about what his plans are?

TRITA PARSI: Well, I think we never before have seen a desire to unravel and destroy an arms control deal having been telegraphed as openly as President Trump is doing. He's essentially saying that he -- he said in the interview with The Wall Street Journal that he would never have certified that they're in compliance 180 days ago, when he first had to do it. So, he's intent not to do it.

In the opening piece, you said that New York Times is reporting that Trump has ordered his staff to find a way to refrain from certifying, and being able to claim that the Iranians are in violation. In reality, he has told them to fabricate a way, because what the plan appears to be is to try to request access to Iranian non-nuclear sites, knowing very well that as long as those are based on zero proper intelligence, the Iranians are going to reject. And once they reject, the Trump administration calculates that they will be able to say that the Iranians are out of compliance with the deal, and, that way, start moving towards what ultimately, most likely, will be some form of a military confrontation.

JUAN GONZALEZ: But, Trita, given the fact that this was a deal reached not just between the United States and Iran, but several other countries, as well, what would be the impact? Wouldn't the United States be further isolating itself from the rest of the international community, if it did attempt to flout the will of the other signatories to the deal?

TRITA PARSI: Certainly. It is not going to be an easy thing, but here's something quite important. Had it been up to Trump, he would have done it in the most reckless way possible, which is just to completely deny that the IAEA has certified that Iran is in compliance, and then claim that Iran isn't, and try to break the deal that way. The adults in the room, the so-called moderates that are around Trump, argued against this, but they didn't argue against it on the basis of trying to save the deal. They only argued against it in order to find a more clever way of doing it so that the cost to the United States, the isolation that you just mentioned, would probably be a bit less.

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Must Read 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Democracy Now Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Democracy Now!  is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

After Trip to Gaza, Anthony Bourdain Accused World of Robbing Palestinians of Their Basic Humanity

Glenn Greenwald: Why the Obama Administration's Persecution of Bradley Manning Should Terrify Us All

Julian Assange on WikiLeaks, Bradley Manning, Cypherpunks, Surveillance State, from DemocracyNow

Bernie Sanders on Resisting Trump, Why the Democratic Party is an "Absolute Failure" & More

Seymour Hersh: Obama "Cherry-Picked" Intelligence on Syrian Chemical Attack to Justify U.S. Strike

Seymour Hersh Details Explosive Story on Bin Laden Killing & Responds to White House, Media Backlash

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend