Trump announces withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, isolating him further from world

[txradioguy]

I find their tears delicious, but I feel for you having to enjoy it non-stop.  I prefer my schadenfreude in small doses.

I tried to escape their wailing by pulling up Fox on my laptop but Shemp was on.

[corbe]

   This further proves @TomSea's point that Ted is just another Trump wannabee.  (/s)

Sen. Cruz Applauds President Trump’s Decision to Exit the Iran Deal
May 8, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued a statement following President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran deal:

"Today, President Trump boldly told the world that the United States will not be bound by an agreement that advances the interests of an enemy committed to the destruction of our nation and our allies. I commend President Trump for exiting the Obama Iranian nuclear deal and for his commitment to confronting Iran's ‘Death to America' regime.

"The Obama Iran deal has been a catastrophe. It gave Iran's despotic regime the resources to expand across the Middle East, all the way up to the borders of our closest allies in the region, and created an incentive for the international community to turn a blind eye to Iranian military activities and atrocities. It provided Iran with vast resources that it could funnel into missile tests that could enable them to launch a nuclear weapon on the American homeland. It prohibited us from using our most powerful sanctions against the full range of Iranian aggression, but only imposed restrictions against some of Iran's nuclear activities - and even then, only temporarily. As a result, the region is now potentially on the brink of war.

"The deal was also unenforceable on its own terms. It trusted the Iranians to enforce restrictions against themselves, and as a result - as the recent presentation by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear - significant parts of Iran's nuclear weapons program went undetected. The terms also included incentives and concessions to sweeten the deal even further for Iran, including placing some of their nuclear activities under international sponsorship.

"There is little doubt that Iran poses an immediate threat to the United States. Iran is the world's foremost state sponsors of terrorism and has been caught plotting to launch attacks on American soil. They have sought to acquire nuclear weapons. They continue to hold American citizens hostage. Their money laundering and terror financing operations poison the global financial system that we rely on for continued prosperity. They have set up and funded proxies across the Middle East - Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza - who attack our allies and have launched missiles at our ships. They have seized and harassed our sailors in the Arabian Gulf. They engage in cyber warfare against us, our companies, and our interests. Their proxies smuggle drugs into the United States, eroding our health and degrading our society. They boast about having seized Arab capitals and creating a crescent of Shia control. Their forces launched an armed drone into Israel, arguably an act of war.

"Now begins the difficult work of undoing the damage caused by the deal and rolling back the gains it enabled Iran to make. We must re-impose tough sanctions that target Iran's regime. We must ensure that the U.S. and our allies are equipped to combat not only illicit conventional weapons transfers and ballistic missile tests, but the war Iran has been waging across the region. We must prioritize the release of all unjustly imprisoned U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents held hostage.

"All options must be on the table to confront Iran and ensure that it never acquires nuclear weapons. I look forward to working with my Congressional colleagues, with the Trump administration, and with America's allies in crafting and implementing a comprehensive strategy to make good on that promise."

###

[240B]

And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth...

[Right_in_Virginia]

Thanks for posting that, @Right_in_Virginia.  Good statement, well presented.

 

[LauraTXNM]

Ummm they already are allies officially.

@txradioguy Sorry, I was rushing ;(.  Russia didn't have a guarantee to defend Iran before if Iran was attacked.  But now Russia can fulfill that promise of military support.  Rmember their recent sabre-ratttling about defending any ally?  Russia is coming close to forming that kind of defensive pact with Syria, Iran, NK.

[txradioguy]

@txradioguy Sorry, I was rushing ;(.  Russia didn't have a guarantee to defend Iran before if Iran was attacked.  But now Russia can fulfill that promise of military support.

Actually they've been protecting Iranian bases since Russia and Iran got into the Syria conflict...so that's at least three years.

Their militaries signed cooperation agreements and Russia is selling arms to Terhan as fast as the Mad Mullahs can buy them.

[LauraTXNM]

Actually they've been protecting Iranian bases since Russia and Iran got into the Syria conflict...so that's at least three years.

Their militaries signed cooperation agreements and Russia is selling arms to Terhan as fast as the Mad Mullahs can buy them.

They have a coalition specifically against ISIS and coop agreements, yes.  Up to this point, if Israel and Iran got into a war, Russia was not bound to enter the conflict.  As Putin recently stated, that can now change.  They can now create a new level of defensive pact.

[edpc]

They have a coalition specifically against ISIS and coop agreements, yes.  Up to this point, if Israel and Iran got into a war, Russia was not bound to enter the conflict.  As Putin recently stated, that can now change.  They can now create a new level of defensive pact.

There’s this, as well.  I’m not particularly religious, but things could become biblical in a shooting war.


http://www.newsweek.com/china-military-tells-russia-weve-come-support-you-against-us-870070

[LauraTXNM]

@edpc +1 ;(

[driftdiver]

They have a coalition specifically against ISIS and coop agreements, yes.  Up to this point, if Israel and Iran got into a war, Russia was not bound to enter the conflict.  As Putin recently stated, that can now change.  They can now create a new level of defensive pact.

Russia has a GDP about the same size as Texas.    Russia can't afford to do much.  Their troops would be hitchhiking to get there.

[LauraTXNM]

Russia has a GDP about the same size as Texas.    Russia can't afford to do much.  Their troops would be hitchhiking to get there.

@driftdiver  This was the focus of Putin's description of their missiles that can evade our defensive systems, the arms race they've been focusing on since 2004, their super-duper new nukes.  I know his speech was preparation for the election.  But I believe it was much more specific than past talk.

[driftdiver]

@driftdiver  This was the focus of Putin's description of their missiles that can evade our defensive systems, the arms race they've been focusing on since 2004, their super-duper new nukes.  I know his speech was preparation for the election.  But I believe it was much more specific than past talk.

Putin is ex KGB and will poison anyone anywhere.

At their heyday only about 80% of their ICBMs would actually launch.  Yes they are dangerous.  They aren't supermen.

[Chosen Daughter]

Excellent news!  I was afraid he was going to stay in it.  Glad to see he's doing the right thing and getting us out of this horrible agreement.

Agree, and I know one part of the world, be it one of the smallest, but mightiest countries we are drawing closer rather than isolating.  Israel.

Oh, and I would love to see Chancellor Angela Merkels nasty ugly reaction to this!

[LauraTXNM]

@driftdiver  I am sure you're right, but they've been planning this for the past year and a half ;(.

[aligncare]

He had to. There's no way he could go credibly into talks with the Norks without taking a hardline on Iran.

Thank you. I was about to make a similar point to @txradioguy but you said it more tactfully than I would have.

Some folks still don’t understand why Trump is so successful as a negotiator. It’s the art of the deal. And until folks understand that, they will continue being “afraid” of his rhetoric.

[Right_in_Virginia]

... Oh, and I would love to see Chancellor Angela Merkels nasty ugly reaction to this!

Here it is @Chosen Daughter

Iran nuclear deal ‘should never be called into question’, says Merkel
The Local/Germany, May 9, 2018

Germany, France and Britain will "do everything" to ensure that Iran remains in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Wednesday, a day after the US pulled out of the accord.

"We will remain committed to this agreement and will do everything to ensure that Iran complies with the deal," Merkel said, adding that Berlin had made the decision jointly with Paris and London.

Expressing regret for President Donald Trump's decision to ditch the deal, Merkel acknowledged concerns over Iran's ballistic missile programme as well as its influence in Syria and Iraq.

"There are areas beyond the (nuclear) accord that we must talk about," she said.

Nevertheless, she stressed that the European powers viewed the accord as an "important pillar that we should never call into question".


More:  https://www.thelocal.de/20180509/iran-nuclear-deal-should-never-be-called-in-question-says-merkel

[driftdiver]

What is in this deal that Europe loves it so much?

[Sanguine]

Here it is @Chosen Daughter

Beautiful.  The Europeans are heavily invested in Iran and don't want to see sanctions reinstutituted.  Pure greed.

[aligncare]

Trump has been telling us for two years this was a bad deal, in every speech, in every debate he would say he would get us out. Now that he has, the talking heads on TV are shocked and surprised he tore it up. It seems liberals have a problem with memory.

[edpc]

What is in this deal that Europe loves it so much?

Airbus contracts, access to energy, and various other business dealings.  They're willing to kick the nuclear can down the road for ten years for 30 pieces of silver now.

[driftdiver]

Trump has been telling us for two years this was a bad deal, in every speech, in every debate he would say he would get us out. Now that he has, the talking heads on TV are shocked and surprised he tore it up. It seems liberals have a problem with memory.

I think they just love to use things like this to present Trump in a negative light.   Their lackeys eat this 'the sky is falling' BS up.

I doubt most of them have any better understanding of this deal then you or I.

[driftdiver]

Airbus contracts, access to energy, and various other business dealings.  They're willing to kick the nuclear can down the road for ten years for 30 pieces of silver now.

That planeload of cash we sent them bought a lot of friends.  Friends who don't care if the peasants are shot, raped, run down or blown up.

[aligncare]

I think they just love to use things like this to present Trump in a negative light.   Their lackeys eat this 'the sky is falling' BS up.

I doubt most of them have any better understanding of this deal then you or I.

I learned something this morning I wasn’t aware of. Donald Trump read the Iran deal in its entirety at least a dozen times. So much for the “Trump doesn’t read” meme.

Many folks don’t know that in addition to being a successful builder, Trump went around buying up bad business deals and somehow finding a way to turn them around and make money off the poorly written and construed contracts.

[txradioguy]

That planeload of cash we sent them bought a lot of friends.  Friends who don't care if the peasants are shot, raped, run down or blown up.

A couple of those large bales of cash happened to land in lap of MG Qasem Soleimani and the Quds force.  I feel sure they are putting it to good use.

Like with the MoBros...Obama did his best to spread terrorism around the world.

[driftdiver]

I learned something this morning I wasn’t aware of. Donald Trump read the Iran deal in its entirety at least a dozen times. So much for the “Trump doesn’t read” meme.

Many folks don’t know that in addition to being a successful builder, Trump went around buying up bad business deals and somehow finding a way to turn them around and make money off the poorly written and construed contracts.

One thing I've learned from watching him and people like him.   Contracts have meaning for both sides.   Many times the banks only want to enforce the borrowers side of the contract.