212 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 74 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 1/26/14

U.S. "Dismantling" Rhetoric Ignores Iran's Nuclear Proposals

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   2 comments

Gareth Porter
Message Gareth Porter
Become a Fan
  (14 fans)

Under the deal hammered out between Iran and the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia, Tehran agreed to what President Barack Obama called “substantial limitations” on its nuclear program
Under the deal hammered out between Iran and the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia, Tehran agreed to what President Barack Obama called “substantial limitations” on its nuclear program
(Image by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
  Details   DMCA

Iran's pushback against statements by Secretary of State John Kerry and the White House that Tehran must "dismantle" some of its nuclear program, and the resulting political uproar over it, indicates that tough U.S. rhetoric may be adding new obstacles to the search for a comprehensive nuclear agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with CNN's Jim Sciutto Wednesday, "We are not dismantling any centrifuges, we're not dismantling any equipment, we're simply not producing, not enriching over five percent."

When CNN's Fareed Zakaria asked President Hassan Rouhani, "So there would be no destruction of centrifuges?" Rouhani responded, "Not under any circumstances. Not under any circumstances."

Those statements have been interpreted by U.S. news media, unaware of the basic technical issues in the negotiations, as indicating that Iran is refusing to negotiate seriously. In fact, Zarif has put on the table proposals for resolving the remaining enrichment issues that the Barack Obama administration has recognized as serious and realistic.

The Obama administration evidently views the rhetorical demand for "dismantling" as a minimum necessary response to Israel's position that the Iranian nuclear program should be shut down. But such rhetoric represents a serious provocation to a Tehran government facing accusations of surrender by its own domestic critics.

Zarif complained that the White House had been portraying the agreement "as basically a dismantling of Iran's nuclear program. That is the word they use time and again." Zarif observed that the actual agreement said nothing about "dismantling" any equipment.

The White House issued a "Fact Sheet" Nov. 23 with the title, "First Step Understandings Regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's Nuclear Program," that asserted that Iran had agreed to "dismantle the technical connections required to enrich above 5%."

That wording was not merely a slight overstatement of the text of the "Joint Plan of Action." At the Fordow facility, which had been used exclusively for enrichment above five percent, Iran had operated four centrifuge cascades to enrich at above five percent alongside 12 cascades that had never been operational because they had never been connected after being installed, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had reported.

The text of the agreement was quite precise about what Iran would do: "At Fordow, no further enrichment over 5% at 4 cascades now enriching uranium, and not increase enrichment capacity. Not feed UF6 into the other 12 cascades, which would remain in a non-operative state. No interconnections between cascades."

So Iran was not required by the interim agreement to "dismantle" anything. What Zarif and Rouhani were even more upset about, however, is the fact that Kerry and Obama administration spokespersons have repeated that Iran will be required to "dismantle" parts of its nuclear program in the comprehensive agreement to be negotiated beginning next month.

The use of the word "dismantle" in those statements appears to be largely rhetorical and aimed at fending off attacks by pro-Israel political figures characterising the administration's negotiating posture as soft. But the consequence is almost certain to be a narrowing of diplomatic flexibility in the coming negotiations.

Kerry appears to have concluded that the administration had to use the "dismantle" language after a Nov. 24 encounter with George Stephanopoulos of NBC News.

Stephanopoulos pushed Kerry hard on the Congressional Israeli loyalist criticisms of the interim agreement. "Lindsey Graham says unless the deal requires dismantling centrifuges, we haven't gained anything," he said.

When Kerry boasted, "centrifuges will not be able to be installed in places that could otherwise be installed," Stephanopoulos interjected, "But not dismantled." Kerry responded, "That's the next step."

A moment later, Kerry declared, "And while we go through these next six months, we will be negotiating the dismantling, we will be negotiating the limitations."

After that, Kerry made "dismantle" the objective in his prepared statement. In testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Dec. 11, Kerry said the U.S. had been imposing sanctions on Iran "because we knew that [the sanctions] would hopefully help Iran dismantle its nuclear program."

Next Page  1  |  2

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

Rate It | View Ratings

Gareth Porter 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

Gareth Porter (born 18 June 1942, Independence, Kansas) is an American historian, investigative journalist and policy analyst on U.S. foreign and military policy. A strong opponent of U.S. wars in Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, he has also (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)

Hillary Clinton and Her Hawks

From Military-Industrial Complex to Permanent War State

How Mistress Helped Petraeus

What Ken Burns Left Out of the Vietnam Story

Why Washington Clings to a Failed Middle East Strategy

Gates Conceals Real Story of "Gaming" Obama on Afghan War

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend