Vienna to Munich – Michael Kuttner connects the dots
Who says that history does not repeat itself?
As I listened to Barak Obama extol the virtues of the agreement with Iran and heard the chorus of hallelujahs bursting forth from the international choir, I could not help recalling the words of Neville Chamberlain and the cheers of those who believed in 1938 that peace in our time had been achieved.
To refresh your memory here are the memorable words uttered by the British PM: “the agreement made in Munich is in my view only a prelude in which all of Europe may find peace…”
Here is the reaction of Ban Ki Moon in 2015: “I warmly welcome this historic agreement. I believe that this agreement will lead to greater mutual understanding and co-operation on the many serious security challenges in the Middle East. As such it could serve as a vital contribution to peace & stability in the region and beyond.”
Read what this month’s president of the Security Council, New Zealand’s Murray McCully, had to say: “this agreement is a positive development for regional stability in the Middle East.”
Similar sentiments are being expressed by democracies and dictatorships alike while the few who express dismay are portrayed as war mongers and opponents of “peace.” The jubilant Mullahs in Tehran cannot believe their luck with Iran’s nuclear chief crowing that all of the Islamic Republic’s red lines on international access to its facilities (including the covert ones) were accepted. No wonder they are whooping it up over there.
Just as the adoring crowds and most of the media in 1938 were more than willing to swallow every deception and sell Czechoslovakia down the river, so today the same suspects are willing and eager to abandon any semblance of solidarity with those who will inevitably be the first targets of Iranian duplicity. Despite ringing declarations and soaring rhetoric there is a fundamental lack of resolve to confront the inevitable duplicitous and evil intentions uncorked by this agreement.
You only need to see what happened with North Korea to realize how the same scenario will now be repeated with Iran. Both these regimes are in cahoots and their leaders are no doubt convulsing in laughter as they watch Obama, Kerry and the rest of the gullible negotiating teams claim a glorious victory.
A brief analysis of this latest appeasement should serve to demonstrate what disasters lurk just around the corner.
- Iran has not been held accountable for past violations or to disclose any covert sites still existing which the inspectors will never know about.
- Uranium enrichment will still continue.
- No requirement to dismantle or shut down its heavy water reactor and plutonium production plant.
- No requirement to dismantle its secret Fordo facility.
- No requirement to halt ongoing missile development which will be able to launch nuclear missiles at targets far and wide.
- No demand to halt research and development of faster centrifuges.
- Inspections can only take place after 24 days notice expires. In other words no surprise inspections to catch them cheating.
- No idea how international community will effectively deal with Iranian violations.
- No requirement to halt funding of proxy terror groups in the region. In fact once the floodgates are open and the billions of dollars start flowing, these Iranian sponsored groups will be resupplied and stronger than ever.
- Iranians currently on terror lists will become squeaky clean.
- No demand made to cease incitement against Israel (or USA).
- Continued statements by Iranian leaders for the elimination of Israel (the Zionist regime) unchallenged.
- No censure of any kind for daily execution of those the Iranian authorities deem to be opposing them.
- No demand that the persecution, incarceration and execution of Christians and Bahais, be stopped.
- Sanctions will be stopped. The stampede to do business has already commenced.
- The mullahtocracy will be further entrenched and any hope of relief for women and other oppressed groups dashed.
The bottom line of this capitulation is the validation and empowerment of a repressive regime dedicated to territorial terrorism and regional bullying. No wonder there are wild scenes of victorious jubilation.
Mr. Kerry in a candid moment has stated: “negotiators have absolutely affirmed that they are operating with a full mandate of the Supreme Leader. We cannot vouch for the fact that Iran will comply and not simply reap the benefits of the deal while continuing to deceive inspectors as it has in the past.” President Obama maintains that sanctions can be snapped back. This is patently unlikely to happen given that the floodgates have already opened.
The British Foreign Secretary is in Israel with the stated purpose of enlightening us poor misguided Israelis. He is convinced that once we have been made to see the errors of our way we will fall into line and embrace this Vienna agreement. It is worthwhile to recall that the British in 1938 also enlightened Czechoslovakia and forced it to abandon its opposition to the Munich sellout. Obviously the British think they can pull the same confidence trick again. They seem to have forgotten that times have changed and that Israel is not about to put its trust in worthless promises and meaningless guarantees. Discerning that he is flogging a lost cause, Mr. Hammond has made the outrageous claim that in effect nothing short of war would satisfy Israel. This latest example of British Foreign Office pompous hypocrisy and anti Israel thinking will only reinforce the belief that nothing short of collective suicide would meet with approval. Sorry Foreign Secretary, the Mandate is over and your sanctimonious expectations will be treated in the manner they deserve.
A Swedish think tank has just proposed that Kerry & Zarif be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. For those who may be incredulous at the thought please remember that Arafat and Obama are both recipients of this prize.
Now to something which one can call co-incidental but which I prefer to describe as Divine irony. The negotiations just concluded took place in Vienna at the Palais Coburg. In 1938 Jews were forced to scrub the pavements in the Austrian Capital and therefore it is highly symbolic that these talks which reward a country desiring the Jewish State’s destruction are held in a country with a dubious and tainted recent past. There is however another irony. How many people realize that the piazza or square across from the Coburg is named Theodore Herzl Platz? For their entire stay there the Iranians were within sight of a plaza named after the founder of Zionism. What a priceless irony.
I conclude with the words of Winston Churchill spoken in the House of Commons on 5 October 1938. All you need to do is relate it to current events and you will have a spine chilling premonition of what awaits us all.
“We have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat. The German dictator (supreme leader) instead of snatching the victuals from the table has been content to have them served to him course by course. We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude. Do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigor, we arise again and take our stand for freedom. You (Chamberlain) were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”
This should be compulsory reading for all those politicians and media experts who still cannot connect the dots between Vienna and Munich.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel where he is J-Wire’s correspondent.
Just forget about “history repeating itself” !! First , history DOES NOT REPEAT ITSELF, everyday NEW events take place and we should concentrate on what is happening today in all specificities !!!
All those 17 odd points of unacceptable issues within the Iranian deal are very relevant and must be addressed as they unfold.
What must be added are the fundamentals in terms of the reasons Iran has been granted such a generous deal. Obama’s rhetoric and all other signatories’ is indicative of a seriously doubtful political set anxious to put on paper almost anything that will allow unfolding new realities to convince the same Western powers to apply NEW measures if Iran will breach the agreed conditions. Right here Israel is kept as the CAVEAT minding each minuscule move Iran is making. For this very reason Israel is NOT mentioned in the deal, as to allow the Jewish state to act completely independent of any stipulations in the deal. At the slightest sign of abuse and threat by Iran, Israel shall react UNIMPEDED by any agreements with any of signatories.
Once Israel shall destroy ALL problematic sites in Iran, Iran’s capacity of causing strategic problems shall be solved. The only remaining issues shall be the international terrorist network subsidised by Iran. To this extent, all other interested powers in the region shall react in a manner already calculated. Western areas affected by terrorist reactions will need to act and react to whatever actions and here it may be assumed that the Iranian sponsored outposts may NOT be considered capable to cause major problems ( ask me later why ) .
So, the major advantage is that Israel is not being held accountable/responsible/morally included in the whole Iran affair by the simple virtue that the Jewish State has been RESPECTFULLY not included in the agreement in a formal way, but, as I said, informally included in the ultimate solving of the Iranian menace.
I , FOR ONE, TRUST ISRAEL TO TAKE CARE OF ALL IRANIAN PROBLEMS, WELL IN EXCESS OF THOSE 17 POINTS.
Otto, we do not know what the P5+1 intend to do, so let’s not put a gloss of good-will, perspicacity and giving Israel a carte blanche to take care of Iranian cheating.
Good will would have been shown if the nations affected by the sell-out to the ayatollahs had not been made behind their backs and with contemptuous disregard for their concerns. The Iranian sell-out was the arrogant machinations of colonialists.
The deal turns a deliberate cynical blind eye to reality in favour of trade and the security of each of the plotting nations’ security and damn everyone else. It is most telling that the grossest POTUS blusters about success while at the same time threatening to veto any opposition to his greatest plan. If he had a good plan it would sell itself. He exposes himself as a manipulative, untrustworthy bullying traitor to his nation and its ideals.
As for thinking that leaving Israel free to deal with Iran by not mentioning it in the agreement, ignores that Obama’s scurrying like a rat with a mouthful of cheese to the UNSC to endorse his shameful betrayal, is a measure to tie Israel’s hands. Further, Barack Hussein’s blocking weapon transfers during Operation Protective Edge should make Israel wary of that dictator’s response to Israel’s taking action against the Persian theocratic terror regime.
Sorry Paul, mate, I stick to me guns. Here’s more reasons:
The famous 5+1 is makeshift strategic arrangement meant to:
– deflect the by now visceral anti Western sentiment brewed into the Iranian society as a result of the lengthy anti Iranian blocades as well as the vicious Iranian anti Western propaganda. Your mate Obama is making excessive noises in support of islam for the same reasons. Western European countries have serious local islamic issues.
– Russia in a profoundly immoral fashion needs to unlock massive local stocks awaiting hyperbolic Iranian funds into the banks AND pockets of its actual political leaders. Mercantile dominated China is chasing the same big bucks while politically neutral. To some not so small extent Europe will also benefit from the easing of the sanctions in financial terms.
Te most important fact is that, should ( actually WHEN ) Israel go alone in fixing up the Iranian nuclear threat, all above considerations pertaining to those 5+1 will not be affected simply because, after the “fact” , Israel will herself be the target of …… sanctions , something our boys in Jerusalem have already factored in, just in case.
More so, a severely wounded Iran will need to spend even MORE funds in recovering, this time the acceptable , the badly damaged “targets” of the precise and effective Israeli interventions.
Sadly, all too true Michael. But the difference between Chamberlain and Obama was that Chamberlain had no precedent to allow him to see his folly, whereas Obama ignored two precedents in pursuit of his deceits.
As I have said before, Obama is a supporter of revolutionary islam. His aim is to cut the USA down to size and to put whitey in his place. Kerry hopes that his reward for betraying his nation and Western values will be a Nobel Prize. Obama hopes that his reward will be the honour in which the mohammedan world would hold him by his facilitating the destruction of Israel.
Mr.Obama with his studiously clipped method of speaking, reserved for his pronouncements of political importance, said in effect that there is no alternative in this situation – a deal or war. I do not believe that a war would have been forthcoming if Obama and cohorts would not have caved it and left the sanctions as they were.
Now we will have increased terrorism due to the billions available to Iran from the flood of oil which will be sold,with a huge reduction in general oil price. I wonder if Sweden would still consider to hand the Nobel prize to a neighbor who wants to wipe it off the face of the earth.
On humans repeating history
People tend to forget and or choose by default not to remember history.
History is supposed to teach us all not to do what our ancestors did, there actions and results of their actions are well documented.
In general terms it shows humans are stupid which is an indictment on today’s society