I’m half French (my father’s side; my mom’s Irish.) And I have to admit, maybe “acknowledge” is a better word, that our relationship with the French has been, let me be diplomatic here, shall we say – challenging.
After September 11th, 2001, there was the perception by many Americans that France didn’t really have our backs, despite our fathers’ and grandfathers’ and great-grandfathers’ generations coming to their rescue in World War I, and World War II. Examples of American pique were an effort to change French fries to “freedom fries” and terms like “surrender monkeys” being thrown around. (In France’s defense, the French navy sure came in handy against the British at the battle of Yorktown, the last major battle of the Revolutionary War, which resulted in American independence. And Lafayette is one of only two portraits hanging in the United States House of Representatives – the other being George Washington.)
Now to modern times. Iran is perhaps the greatest threat to a civilized world today. They are well down the road towards enriching uranium for developing a nuclear weapon. As they are the world’s greatest contributor to terrorism, most major powers, including the United States, have proclaimed that this cannot be allowed to happen.
In order to avoid the necessity of taking military action against Iran, sanctions have been the weapon of choice. After years of coordinated sanctions by the United States, our European allies, and others, the sanctions are finally starting to bite. And just when it looks like sanctions may be having the desired effect, the United States and our allies, last week, came perilously close to making a really bad deal, and letting Iran off the hook.
In essence, the deal would have lifted the sanctions, in return for Iran’s PROMISE to slow down its nuclear enrichment program. However, Iran would NOT have to reduce its already-enriched uranium, which is nearly weapons-grade, and Iran could continue construction of its nuclear reactors.
The French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, called the proposal “a fool’s game”, and the bad deal was sidetracked, at least for the time being.
Senator John McCain commented, “France had the courage to prevent a bad nuclear agreement with Iran.” Senator Lindsey Graham said, “Thank God for France.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, which has the most to lose from a bad deal with Iran (maybe its very existence), commented that under the deal “Iran gives practically nothing, and gets a hell of a lot. That’s not a good deal.”
Why would the Obama Administration have been willing to agree to such a bad deal in the first place? Here’s what I think. Obama’s poll numbers are in the toilet, principally because of the Obamacare debacle. The economy’s still struggling. Unemployment even ticked up last month. He desperately wants a victory, somewhere, anywhere. And an agreement with Iran, which LOOKS LIKE we’re getting Iran to back down from their nuclear program, may be just what the doctor ordered.
Fortunately, a really bad deal for the United States, our European allies, Israel, our allies in the region, really for the world, has been at least temporarily averted – thanks to the leadership of – France.
Vive La France!
