Bad Nuke Deal; ISIS Expansion

by Gil Elan

February 19, 2015

The Iranian Nuke Deal: 

As of this writing, more details are coming out about the “bad Deal” negotiated between Iran and the US that is supposed to be initialed, if not actually signed on March 24th. As explained in this briefing last week, the “deal” assumes that with certain “restrictions” and “controls” Iran would require at least 12 months to reach the “breakout stage”, that would enable it to construct a nuclear weapon within a week or two.

According to reliable sources both here and in Israel, the so-called “deal” does not resolve in any way the fact that Iran was, according to reliable reports, including from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), just 2-3 months away from “breakout” back in November 2013! On the contrary - according to these reports it actually increases the number of advanced enrichment centrifuges Iran can assemble and operate, does not limit the quantities of enriched Uranium Iran can stockpile. It does not address the weaponization program in the secret facility at Parchin, the ongoing construction of a Heavy Water nuclear reactor (that can produce weapons-grade Plutonium) near the city of Arak or the manufacturing, testing and deploying of long range missiles. According to the US News and World Report, it is, without a doubt, a Really Bad Deal.

And as Raghida Dergham, a columnist and senior diplomatic correspondent published this week in Al Arabiya News, it is essentially a capitulation to Iran’s demands, and acceptance of this rogue, terror sponsoring, fundamentalist Shiite Islamist regime, dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the humiliation of America...as a nuclear power.    

According to several Israeli and Arab sources, what Iran is “promising” in exchange for turning a blind eye on its nukes, is that it will “help” the US led coalition against ISIS, and will not declare itself nuclear armed until Spring 2017 (do the math...).

If, after Netanyahu addresses Congress on March 3rd (as of this writing it has not been changed), the kind of “deal” outlined above is still signed, then a regional Sunni coalition together with Israel may have to take the necessary action to do what the “deal” won’t - stop Iran from acquiring nukes.

The growth and spread of ISIS

In the past few days we have seen a video of the brutal beheadings (Warning!!! Unedited graphic video of the actual beheadings!! DO NOT OPEN LINK IF THIS WILL BOTHER OR OFFEND YOU!) of 21 Egyptian Christians by ISIS on the shores of the Mediterranean in Libya.

This is clear proof that ISIS is expanding the territory of the Islamic State and now controls parts of Northern Libya.

Five days ago we learned from the police chief of the western Iraqi town of al-Baghdadi that ISIS fighters, having just captured that town, horrifically burned alive over 45 Shiite members of the Iraqi military forces. Claiming that “a compound that houses the families of security personnel and local officials were now under attack”, Col Obeidi pleaded for help from the Iraqi government and the international community.

The huge significance of this town falling to ISIS is that the large Iraqi Ain al-Asad air base, where about 320 US Marine “advisors” are training members of the Iraqi army's 7th Division, is just 5 miles away. The base itself was attacked by ISIS, including several suicide bombers, just last Friday. They were eventually repelled by Iraqi troops backed by US-led coalition aircraft. This time, according to the Pentagon, no US troops participated in the fighting.

But with ISIS reinforcements now swarming into al-Baghdadi, the next attack is just a matter of time.

It’s clear to me that rather than being “degraded and eventually destroyed”, ISIS is expanding, strengthening, and casting its dark Islamist Jihadist shadow over more and more areas and people, while our leaders here and in Europe are debating what to call them...

What I would call them is: Devout Radical Islamist Jihadis, who are following literally and precisely the clear and unequivocal orders given to them, both in the Koran and the Hadith, by whom they believe is the “perfect man” and the “final messenger” chosen by Allah, the Prophet Mohammed.

In their ideology, they are continuing the conquests, proselytizing, enslaving and destruction that he started, and ordered to be continued, exactly as they understand and interpret his very words.

In their eyes they are not a mutation of Islam - rather they are the original, conquering, subjugating Islam, following the instructions of the Prophet to the letter.

We are not at war with Islam. An overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world put the words of the Koran and wartime sayings of the Prophet in historical and situational context.

But until the Ulama, the spiritual leaders of the five schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence today, either very publically reinterpret the texts, or the context, of some of the original passages...we will continue to be at war with the Devout, Radical, Islamist Jihadis.

And this will not be a three year war or thirty year war. It will only end when either:

1. One side accepts the superiority of belief of the other, or
2. All the Islamic schools of Jurisprudence rule clearly and irrevocably that Islam can and must live side by side with all other religions in peace, equality, mutual understanding and harmony.

As for the latest ill-advised official determination by State Department Spokeswomen Marie Harf that: “We cannot win this war by killing them. We cannot defeat ISIS by killing them all”, allow me to quote one of America’s greatest generals, George Patton, who said: "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his".