Scary reveal: Iran nuclear deal should be about safety, not legacy

There are times when you have to look beyond the public face to the motivation behind the scenes.

And while on the surface the Iran nuclear deal is being pitched as an instrument for peace in the Middle East, there are just too many reasons to be concerned, too many unanswered questions, too many loose ends.

Frankly, it is beginning to look like it is a lot more about securing a major international achievement for "the legacy" and less about what is really the best decision to protect the world long into the future.

And now we find out that the deal, which is supposed to include regular inspections, has a clause -- or side deal -- that allows the Iranians to police themselves.

Really.

There seems to be an awful lot of this agreement that is a rush-rush job to get the other side to say "yes." And the bottom line seems to be that the United States lost a whole lot of clout in this negotiation process.

What has made so many leaders concerned is that there seem to be side deals, negotiation secrets that Secretary of State John Kerry is keeping from not only Congress, but the citizenry.

Understandable in a case where there is a serious and sensitive treaty at stake.

Concerning when there is so much to lose if the treaty is violated.

This is not a deal that is in the best interest of the United States -- or one of its major allies.

And there are many in the Middle East who are nervous about it as well.

The zeal with which the Obama administration is pursuing its acceptance suggests that the sense of urgency is more about making sure the credit goes to the proper president and secretary of state than actually creating a peaceful Middle East.

This deal smells -- and even some major Democrats say it is not the best move.

And we are also about to send billions of dollars we do not have to a nation that is openly hostile to our country and its people.

What we need to do is go back, in a position of strength this time, and demand real concessions and absolute accountability -- and we need to demand our hostages back as well.

No concessions, no accountability -- no money. It is that simple.

The only way to stand up to a bluff and a paper tiger is to be strong yourself.

And that is what we need right now more than anything else -- not another undeserved Nobel Peace Prize.

Published in Editorials on August 20, 2015 10:59 AM