France and Israel Reject Obama's Amateurish Deal-making with Iran

The Jerusalem Post reported today that in the view of the Israeli government, it’s vocal objections to the proposed interim nuclear deal being considered by Iran and western powers is having a positive effect on the parameters of any future agreement. Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, who is currently in the United States to lobby pro-Israel supporters on the need for a more robust approach toward the Iranian regime, told Army Radio on Monday that “Israeli opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran is beginning to bear fruit....We want a good deal.” Bennett said. “The state of Israel’s goal is to get to an agreement that dismantles Iran’s nuclear machine, and not a deal that simply pushes the pause button for a few months.” French President Francois Hollande, who is in Israel for a three-day visit, spoke before the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, and was very much on Israel's side, affirming that France would not surrender to nuclear proliferation and would stand firm by its demands before consenting to an interim agreement. As French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who singlehandedly halted the US-Iran march toward a nuclear deal earlier this month in Geneva looked on, Hollande told the Knesset that France is not convinced that Teheran has "definitively renounced" its alleged nuclear weapons program, declaring : "I confirm here that we will maintain the sanctions as long as we are not certain that Iran has definitively and irreversibly renounced its military program to obtain nuclear weapons....France will not let Iran arm itself with nuclear weapons," the French President promised to general Knesset applause. Since arriving in Israel on Sunday, Hollande has constantly reassured Israel of France's determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Israel and the West have long accused Iran of engaging in a program to give it nuclear weapon capability, allegations denied by Teheran, which insists its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes. "Everything must be done to resolve this crisis," Hollande told the Knesset, saying the P5+1 group of world powers had made "credible and solid proposals" in negotiations with Iran in Geneva. Hollande was firm : "Now it is up to Iran to respond, not just with words nor with vague promises - no. By concrete and verifiable steps." Israel itself has vociferously criticized the proposed interim agreement, warning that it offers Iran the 'deal of the century.' "I'm concerned, gravely concerned, that this deal will go through and in one stroke of the pen it will reduce the sanctions on Iran - sanctions that took years to put in place - and in return for this, Iran gives practically nothing," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a joint news conference with Hollande on Sunday. Netanyahu had earlier made the same warning on a CNN Sunday news program telecast in the US. At a Jerusalem press conference, President Hollande spelled out precisely what conditions France would demand in any Iran nuclear deal : (1) all Iran’s nuclear installations be placed under international controls, (2) the suspension of all uranium enrichment to 20 percent, (3) the reduction of existing stockpiles of enriched uranium, and (4) a complete halt to the construction of the heavy water reactor at Arak. “These are four points fundamental for an agreement to be reached,” Hollande said. ~~~~~ As if to drive home Israeli determination to prevent Iran's acquiring a nuclear weapon, former national security adviser Yaakov Amidror said Sunday that Israel has the ability to strike Iran, and is willing to do so alone. Amidror, in a Financial Times interview clearly timed to send a message to the world, said Israel could halt Iran’s nuclear capability “for a very long time,” and that the air force has conducted “very long-range flights... all around the world” in preparation. “We are not the United States of America, of course,” Amidror said, “but we have enough to stop the Iranians for a very long time. We are not bluffing. We are very serious - preparing ourselves for the possibility that Israel will have to defend itself by itself.” Asked how Israel would respond if Hezbollah retaliated by firing missiles and rockets at Israel, Amidror said the government would be ready to “use ground forces to go into the urban centers and to deal with the people who are launching the rockets, and to destroy the rockets and launchers." Experts have said that the proposed agreement, if reneged on, would allow Iran to restart its progam and build a nuclear weapon in less than 6 months. However, if Israel took out Iranian facilities, it would require 3 years to rebuild them and make a nuclear weapon. ~~~~~ Meanwhile, in a move obviously meant as a sabre-rattle before this week's Geneva negotiations and to undercut the French stand in Jerusalem, Iran unveiled a new aircraft Monday that it says is the biggest drone it has yet developed, capable of staying aloft for up to 30 hours, according to Iran Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, who said the reconnaissance and combat drone Fotros has a range of 1,250 miles. That would cover much of the Middle East including Israel. "This drone is able to carry out reconnaissance missions and carry air-to-surface rockets for combat operations," the official IRNA news agency quoted Dehghan as saying. Iran claims that it managed to reverse-engineer the American RQ-170 Sentinel, which it seized in December 2011 after it entered Iranian airspace from its eastern border with Afghanistan, and that it is capable of launching its own production line for the unmanned aircraft. The existence of the new drone cannot be independently confirmed, however, and experts say a picture of the alleged Fotros published by Iran's IRNA news agency on Monday looked similar to another Iranian drone unveiled last year. It wasn't immediately clear whether the Fotros was an entirely new model, or an upgraded version of the earlier Shahed-129, reported to have a similar range to the Fotros, but which can only stay aloft 24 hours. Dehghan called the new drone a key strategic addition to Iran's military capabilities, developed despite tough sanctions against Iran over its suspect nuclear program : "Sanctions by enemies can't create an obstacle in the path of progress for our defense industries," IRNA quoted him as saying, in what was undoubtedly an effort to appease the Iranian hardliners opposed to any nuclear agreement. Iran's move to unveil the Fotros on Monday came just days before the reconvening of ongoing negotiations between the Iran and the international community aimed at ending a long-term standoff over the allegations of weapons development by means of a diplomatic breakthrough. ~~~~~ Dear readers, French President Hollande's remarks, made two days before the start of the next round of talks in Geneva aimed at rolling back Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, will add to the already-considerable difficulties faced by US President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry, who insist that France is united with the US in its effort to get an Iran nuclear deal. What is becoming clear is that France, and possibly the UK and Germany, are no longer willing to trust US President Obama to decide for them about Iranian good faith in the nuclear negotiation. They are independently seeking assurances that will protect Europe, along with Israel and other Middle East states, from possible Iranian treachery. As Benjamin Netanyahu said to America yesterday, when the Arab world and Israel agree on any issue, the world - and Barack Obama - should listen, because these countries live with and understand Iran and their insights are valuable. If Mr. Obama refuses to accept sage advice, one other thing seems clear. The US Congress has had enough of Obama's amateurism and will not let Iran slip through the net to become a member of the nuclear club.