It has happened yet again.
President Trump took an action, and most of the rest of the world has reacted in anger and disgust to it.
This time, it is in reaction to Trump's announcement that he was withdrawing the United States from the Iran Nuclear Deal, claiming that it was "one-sided" and that it did not, and would not, prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In that past, Trump has suggested that this Iran deal was the "worst ever." Last evening, Trump announced that he would issue a presidential memorandum reinstating sanctions on Iran.
The reaction was instant and resounding, as much of the world condemned this latest decision by President Trump. Even some high-ranking members of his own administration felt that it would be in America's best interest to stay in the deal, and that any shortcomings or imperfections within the deal could be more easily dealt with by staying in the deal, rather than in breaking it and hoping to obtain a better deal in the future, as Trump seems to suggest will happen now.
Part of the deal stipulated that Iran would begin anew with it's uranium enrichment program if sanctions were ever reimposed, and Iran has declared in the past that it would go ahead with that if the United States withdrew. Several European leaders paid visits to the White House in recent weeks, hoping to change the President's mind about the Iran deal and urging him to reconsider his leaning towards cancelling the deal, and all of them seem very frustrated with the obtuse nature of the Trump White House in the aftermath of this latest news.
Indeed, the agreement was between the P5+1 countries (France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China), and the European leaders are now scrambling to try and make the deal still stand up without the United States, although it is difficult to tell precisely what will happen now, and how long, if at all, they can keep the deal in place without the United States.
Most experts around the world generally supported the deal, and have suggested that the inspections were the most intrusive ever imposed on any nation in history.
Senator Bernie Sanders sounded off in condemning Trump's actions, stating that this might do irreparable harm towards American efforts to negotiate any nonproliferation treaties, and perhaps any other major treaties, in the near, and perhaps even distant, future. For all intents and purposes, the United States is going back on promises made when the deal was signed. Sanders warned that this might undermine American efforts to reach a deal with North Korea, as it seems to undermine the certainty of any promises made by the United States in future negotiations based on which way the political winds are blowing at the moment. He said that the possibility of any nation reaching a serious agreement with the United States will likely think twice now, with a reckless sitting president making a habit of breaking binding international agreements.
Sanders also warned that this puts the United States on a dangerous path towards yet another long, drawn out war in the Middle East, likening the rising tensions and possible future developments that could lead to the breakout of armed conflict with recent military ventures in Afghanistan or Iraq after the invasion there in 2003. He said that despite nobody wanting another war like either of those, Trump's actions seem to be leading the United States towards exactly that same kind of conflict. Nor is Sanders alone in such criticisms, as many have previously warned of the exact same thing.
Sanders also warned that this puts the United States on a dangerous path towards yet another long, drawn out war in the Middle East, likening the rising tensions and possible future developments that could lead to the breakout of armed conflict with recent military ventures in Afghanistan or Iraq after the invasion there in 2003. He said that despite nobody wanting another war like either of those, Trump's actions seem to be leading the United States towards exactly that same kind of conflict. Nor is Sanders alone in such criticisms, as many have previously warned of the exact same thing.
Trump announces US withdrawing from Iran nuclear deal by Conor Finnegan, May 8, 2018:
No comments:
Post a Comment