NO HOLDS BARRED: Will Obama call out Iran on its nuclear violations?
Just this last Tuesday, Iran violated another UN resolution by testing two ballistic missiles.
By SHMULEY BOTEACHUpdated: MARCH 14, 2016 20:51Iran launches missile from undisclosed location(photo credit: REUTERS)
The attitude toward a nuclear Iran in this country today is dangerously naive. Many have supported and feel safe knowing that we’ve made the agreement with the Iranian ayatollahs, even as the very politicians who voted in favor of this deal expressed concern at the flaws and weaknesses within it.Seeing as how the Iran nuke deal is a cornerstone of Obama’s foreign policy legacy, the mullahs in Tehran know that they can get away with serious violations of the deal and UN resolutions with no fear of repercussions. Just this last Tuesday, Iran violated another UN resolution by testing two ballistic missiles. On the missiles were written the words “Israel must be wiped out” in Hebrew. However, the White House does not want to do anything that could lead the Iranians to kick out inspectors and tear up the agreement.The administration seems unconcerned that the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism continues to cheat on the agreement. It seems similarly unconcerned at how Iran has been emboldened by the agreement to go on a killing spree. Last week Newsweek reported, “Executions in Iran rose to almost 1,000 in 2015, according to a United Nations investigator, the highest level since 1989... The figure represents a two-fold increase on those executed in 2010 and a ten-fold increase on those executed in 2005.” Much more worrisome, however, is the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. And their repeated violations of the nuclear accord this early in the game does not bode well.When North Korea threatens to use its nukes, world experts generally do not go into emergency mode, because they know that North Korea, like all other nuclear nations, has MAD – mutually assured destruction – as a deterrent.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would not want to use his nukes because he knows that North Korea would be blasted back to the stone age as a result, and the dictator enjoys too many other aspects of his corrupt life to risk losing his power and lifestyle. Most other nations with nuclear weapons follow this MAD model.But Iran is different. The Iranian leadership were some of the innovators of modern-day terrorism and helped invent the idea of the suicide bomber. Iran’s fundamentalist ayatollahs follow and truly believe radical Islamist doctrines, including that there is no greater reward than dying while killing infidels. There is no MAD when it comes to these madmen.Unfortunately, many believe that a nuclear Iran would not be that bad and like other nuclear nations, would guard its weapons responsibly and never actually risk a nuclear war. However, this is naive in the extreme – suicidal in fact.No world expert could ever guarantee that Iran would never end up using their nukes, especially given its radical Twelver Shi’ite theology that teaches that one third of the world must die in war before the return of their messiah.Now let’s imagine for a moment that Iran had nuclear weapons. First off, their threats of annihilation against the State of Israel would take on a whole new meaning. They would likely claim that the Shi’ite terrorist group Hezbollah has been armed with nukes and would use them if Israel ever dared to try to stop its terror activities. This threat alone would be enough for large numbers of businesses and foreign investors to flee the Jewish state. Untold numbers of Israelis would also likely choose to leave rather than live with the very real threat that one day barbaric savages might just set off the bomb in an Israeli city.Iran could also use these nukes to threaten the entire world and force it to do its bidding. Iran could choose to invade Saudi Arabia and take control of its oil, sparking a global energy crisis.
Iran could tell world powers that if anyone tried stopping it or bombing it in retaliation, they would face Iranian ballistic missile technology which would send dozens of nukes against major capitols around the globe. All this sounds far-fetched, but would match perfectly with Iran’s Twelver theology.Using this method, Iran could quickly become the dominant power in the Middle East. Unless Western nations themselves faced imminent danger, they would never risk taking an action that could mean the destruction of their cities.Iran would hold the world hostage.Further, as Iran gained more bombs and became more powerful, it could claim that it had smuggled nukes into American cities. And there would be no way to be sure it wasn’t bluffing.Iran must be prevented from getting nuclear weapons at all costs. This will not happen if steps are not taken to punish it now for serious infractions of an agreement it has not even bothered to sign.The author, “America’s rabbi,” is the international best-selling author of 30 books, winner of The London Times Preacher of the Year Competition and recipient of the American Jewish Press Association’s Highest Award for Excellence in Commentary. He will shortly publish The Israel Warrior’s Handbook.