Former U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright shared her strong views about the
Iran Peace Deal/JCPOA in an editorial piece posted on
CNN.com. Monday. Below are some excerpts from her piece:
After careful review of its provisions, I have given the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action my strong endorsement.
The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran has rightfully earned a place at the top of the long list of threats to global stability. No diplomatic agreement or military action could guarantee that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon, but even most opponents agree this accord puts that goal firmly out of Iran's reach for a decade or more. From any vantage point, that is a positive development, but at a time of great turmoil in the Middle East it is especially welcome.
One of the main criticisms that has been leveled against the JCPOA is that it does not address other abhorrent aspects of Iran's behavior -- its support of terrorism, its jailing of several Iranian-Americans, its rhetoric against the United States and Israel or its other destabilizing activities in the broader Middle East. In theory, the United States could have pursued a comprehensive agreement with Iran covering issues beyond the nuclear file, but experience suggests that such an approach would not have yielded results.
By zeroing in on the nuclear issue, the Obama administration took on the most dangerous threat posed by the Iranian regime and brought together the international community around the issue that most united it in opposition to Tehran.
The completion of the nuclear accord does not preclude progress on these other issues. In fact, it gives the United States new tools to shape Iranian behavior.
Albright, the professor of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, makes several suggestions
going forward:
First, we must subject the implementation of the JCPOA to the strongest oversight possible...
Second, we must maintain a robust deterrent in the region, increase our efforts to counter Iranian proxies and further enhance the conventional military capabilities of our allies and partners relative to Iran...
Albright also expresses her confidence that JCPOA will ultimately benefit Israel:
Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public opposition to the agreement, it is all but certain that Israel and the United States will move toward completing a new long-term security assistance agreement that will further enhance Israel's already substantial qualitative military edge. And next year, the United States will significantly augment Israel's capabilities by delivering to it the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, making it the only military in the region to possess this advanced stealth fighter aircraft.
Many people I respect have voiced concerns about this agreement, but I believe the administration has provided solid answers to their questions. It troubles me that many opponents came out against the JCPOA before even reading the text.
The advocates for a vote of disapproval in Congress have also not put forward a viable alternative or any plan to deal with the consequences of rejection. And make no mistake, those consequences would be grave.
Rejection of this accord would leave the United States isolated and Iranian hardliners empowered.
Rejection of this agreement would be a strategic setback for the United States, one that our rivals and adversaries would not ignore.
To read the full article and watch a video interview with Ms. Albright, visit CNN.com
HERE.
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