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March 14, 2016 12:41 pm
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Will Obama Call Out Iran on Its Nuclear Violations?

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avatar by Shmuley Boteach

Opinion
President Barack Obama announcing the Iran nuclear deal, with Vice President Joe Biden. Photo: Screenshot.

President Barack Obama announcing the Iran nuclear deal, with Vice President Joe Biden. Photo: Screenshot.

The attitude towards a nuclear Iran in this country today is dangerously naive. Many have supported and feel safe knowing that we’ve made an agreement with the Iranian ayatollahs, even as the very politicians who voted in favor of this deal express concern at the flaws and weaknesses within it.

Since the Iran nuclear 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 violations of 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 deal.

The administration seems unconcerned that the world’s largest sponsor of terror 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, even within its own country. 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. Shaheed said that there had been a “staggering surge in the execution of at least 966 prisoners last year — the highest rate in over two decades.

Much more worrisome, however, is the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. And its 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, knows that the principle of MAD — mutually assured destruction — is a consistent deterrent. 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 was an innovators of modern-day terrorism and helped invent the idea of the suicide bomber. Iran’s fundamentalist ayatollahs follow and truly believe radical Islamist theology that there is no greater reward than dying while killing infidels in the process. 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 suicidal naiveté in the extreme. No world expert could ever guarantee that Iran would never end up using its nukes, especially given its radical Twelver Shiite theology, which teaches that one third of the world must die in war before the return of the “messiah.”

Now let’s imagine for a moment that Iran had nuclear weapons. First off, its threats of annihilation towards the state of Israel would take on a whole new meaning. It would likely claim that the Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah has been armed with nukes and will use them if Israel ever dares to try to stop its terrorist activities. This threat alone would be such a high-level risk that large numbers of businesses and foreign investors would flee the Jewish state. Untold numbers of Israelis would also likely choose to leave the state 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 and take control of Saudi Arabia’s oil, sparking a global energy crisis. Iran could tell world powers that if anyone tried stopping it or bombed it in retaliation, he would face Iranian ballistic missile technology that 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 to have smuggled nukes into American cities. And there would be no way to be sure it wasn’t a bluff.

Iran must be stopped 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.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, “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.

The opinions presented by Algemeiner bloggers are solely theirs and do not represent those of The Algemeiner, its publishers or editors. If you would like to share your views with a blog post on The Algemeiner, please be in touch through our Contact page.

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