“Well I think that would be an enormous mistake. A huge mistake with grave consequences for Israel and the region, and I don’t think it’s necessary. The fact is we will have for 15 years a restraint on Iran that absolutely prevents it from developing a weapon.” The combination here of naivete and menace is astounding. What he says about Israel is in the language of a veiled threat. And the veiled threat comes in the context of demanding trust that Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon — a naive trust that could come with a very high price.
“Kerry Warns Israel To Leave Iran Alone,” by Jeff Dunetz, The Lid, July 24, 2015 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
Secretary of State Kerry took his “selling the crap sandwich” show on the road as he sat down with Matt Lauer of the Today show about the P5+1 deal with Iran. When asked he warned Israel against attacking Iran’s nuclear program either via bombing or cyber attack….
Lauer: The prime minister doesn’t like the deal.
Kerry: Well the prime minister doesn’t, I understand that. Lots of people in Israel understand this is the best way to proceed in order to roll back Iran’s program and make Israel safer.
Lauer: Do you think because many in Israel including the prime minister are very uncomfortable with the deal that the it’s now making it more likely than two years ago, for example, that Israel might attempt some unilateral action — military or cyber attack against Iran?
Kerry: Well I think that would be an enormous mistake. A huge mistake with grave consequences for Israel and the region, and I don’t think it’s necessary. The fact is we will have for 15 years a restraint on Iran that absolutely prevents it from developing a weapon. They can’t enrich beyond 3.67%. You can’t make a bomb at 3.67% they will have only 300 kilograms in a stockpile of enriched uranium. You can’t make a bomb with that. They would have inspections on a daily basis the in their facilities.
No mention of what happens if Iran cheats and the US ignores it…you know kind of like what is happening now.
Lauer: If the Israelis are not convinced and they take action where would it leave us the? Would we support Israel? Would the treaty go up in smoke?
Kerry: If they bombed them, sure Matt. I presume Iran would have a reason to say this is why we need a bomb. And what Iran will decide to do is dig deeper because Israel doesn’t have the ability to stop, nor do we, unless we went to all out war and literally annihilated Iran which I don’t are hear people talking about. So if you proceed with a normal military operation, you are talking about rolling back the program for two to three years. Then what do you do? And if you did that what will Iran’s response be? They are likely to decide now you have proven why we need a bomb and they will dig deeper and go get it. What people forget is this is not something that may happen this the future, Matt. Iran already has enough fissile material for 10 to 12 bombs. They haven’t decided to make it. They haven’t done it yet. We’re rolling it back. That’s what makes the world safer. We have a one-year breakout for ten years, which is eight months more than you have today. So we’ll have more time to respond. I think as people look at this, they will see the alternative is to have no inspectors, not know what Iran is doing. Go back to where they are today with the ability to make a bomb and then you will hear everybody say, oh, we have to bomb then now.