Monday, August 10, 2015

Politico: A "No" to Iran Means No Forever

By Samuel R. Berger, Aug. 9, 2015, Politico

It will be virtually impossible for Iran to cheat in a strategically significant way. Every step of its program will be monitored live by international inspectors on the ground, cameras, seals, satellites and every other modern surveillance device known to man. The risk to Iran of any significant cheating would be to undo any refurbishment of its perception in the world which they seem so anxious to achieve, and create the need for a sudden new narrative for its people.

If Iran refuses to give us access to a suspicious site, despite wild arithmetic by some critics, the deal is adequate if we have the steadfastness to enforce it. The United States, by ourselves, can trigger within 24 days a UN Security Council resolution to reimpose sanctions—“in whole or in part”—and can’t be blocked by the Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians—even the Europeans. That time period can be used quite effectively to build pressure on Iran to open the site. If we are skittish about invoking this the first time, we should not be the second time, or the third when the pattern of deception clear.

Read more: www.politico.com


Samuel R. Berger is the former White House national security advisor and current co-chair of Albright Stonebridge Group.

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