Lindsey Graham on Target on Iran

By Paul Gable

Sen. Lindsey Graham is right on target regarding the recent agreement between world powers and Iran on Iran’s nuclear development program.

Graham called the deal a “huge lost opportunity”. He said the deal allows Iran to remain on the edge of a breakout for producing nuclear weapons.

Graham is not alone. The governments of Saudi Arabia and Israel are both critical of the agreement, albeit for different reasons.

Saudi Arabia thinks the agreement will allow Iran to extend its influence in the Middle East, especially in countries like Syria and Lebanon.

Israel is concerned about Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons. The Israeli intelligence minister said the deal is more likely to leave Iran closer to having a nuclear bomb.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “the leading nations in the world agreed to the enrichment of uranium in Iran by ignoring the decisions of the (U.N.) Security Council that they themselves led.”

Iran recently saw huge public demonstrations celebrating the November 4^th anniversary of the taking of American hostages in 1979.

Many of those hostages are critical of the recent deal. One former hostage, a retired Air Force officer, called the deal “foolishness.”

“My personal view is, I never found an Iranian leader I can trust,” he said. “I don’t think today it’s any different from when I was there. None of them, I think, can be trusted. Why make an agreement with people you can’t trust?”

This is essentially Graham’s position. Graham said Iran should be made to understand that after 30 years of mayhem, murder and chaos, pushed by the Iranian regime, “we’re not going to allow you to enrich, and we’re going to dismantle the plutonium reactor. That should be the demands of international community. That’s exactly what the U.N. resolutions say.”

Graham is facing a potentially difficult re-election bid with Tea Party candidates challenging his conservative credentials.

This one issue will not settle those challenges. But, on this issue, Graham’s position is correct for the long term security of the United States.