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Iranian nuke deal decertification and sanctioning Iran’s Revolutionary Guard will not stop Iran!

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“Decertification and sanctioning Iran’s Revolutionary Guard complicates the situation for both our Congress and our allies who supported the “deal” and those confronting Iran’s hegemony. Congress will be adding to its already overburdened legislative agenda new sanctions to vote on. Further, the intelligence community may not be able to monitor Iran nuclear breakout and cooperative development of medium and long range ballistic missile development with North Korea without a formal agreement. The sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced by President Trump on Friday, October 13 will NOT deter the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from continuing to threaten national security interests and assets in the Middle East. Iran has effectively created a Shia Muslim “land bridge” from the Persian Gulf via Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon to the Mediterranean through proxies Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthi, Afghan, Pakistan and Shia mercenaries – and could choke the Gulf of Hormuz and the Red Sea entrance to the Suez Canal impacting the world energy market.” – Jerry Gordon (Former Lisa Benson Radio Co-Producer, & Sr. Editor, “New English Review”)

For most of 2015 the focus of Lisa Benson Radio for National Security Matters (AM radio KKNT, Salem) was focused on trashing of what we referred to as the “Iran Deal” otherwise known as the JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (JCPOA).

In our 205 broadcasts we interviewed dozens of experts, including the former director of the CIA, Amb. R. James Woolsey. The consensus was the same: The Iran Deal was shaped to provide some oversight by the IAE (International Atomic Energy) appeasing Iran with investment opportunity. We called it on the air: “The Dream and The Nightmare.”

We were correct.

By 2025, Iran aims to export 25 million tons of steel annually as part of its economic expansion. After the Iranian nuclear deal was reached, foreign countries and companies rushed to rekindle business with the Islamic Republic — in areas of technology, arms, manufacturing, gas and oil.

Within hours of the 2015 JCPOA, several international oil companies including Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Eni were jumping on the Iran trade band wagon – Germany and France among the first to rush to rekindle business. Russia and Iran signed a $2.5 billion deal in August to start up a rail wagon production. Iran is in the midst of an “infrastructure Bonanza.” In July, Iran signed a $4.8 billion deal with a consortium led by French oil company “TOTAL” to develop its South Pars gas field, the largest gas field in the world.

Foreign Trade Figures For Iran 20th March to July 2017 (courtesy of The British Iranian Chamber of Commerce):

IMPORT:
China: $3.4 billion
UAE: $2.9 billion
South Korea $1.7 billion
India: $ 891 million
EXPORT:
China: $2.8 billion
Iraq: $2.5 billion
UAE: $2.3 billion
South Korea $1.4 billion
India: $ 926 million

The P5 + 1 that framed the bi -lateral “Iran Deal” of the United Nations Security Councils five permanent members (the P5); namely, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The “plus 1” was Germany.

Upon reviewing the trade import and export above, is there any doubt in your mind that any effort to delegitimize of the Iran Deal and/or deep sanctions would give our allies a reason to never trust the United States?
Germany, UK, France and Russia slammed Trump’s decision to decertify the Iran Deal. World leaders have pledged their commitment to the deal.

Moreover:

While President Trump said in the White House speech on Friday that the U.S. is imposing new sanctions on its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it wasn’t clear how far-reaching the latest move will prove to be.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that it was labeling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a “hard-line military and political force in Iran.” It stopped short of adding the Revolutionary Guard on the State Department roster of foreign terrorist organizations.

In Summary:

As I write, Iran al Quds is amassing its Shi’ite military might on the border of Kirkuk, Iraq to battle the Kurdish Peshmerga for the city of Kirkuk. Iran is being joined by Russia, Turkey and the Shia Iraqi military. The U.S. has little to say as a battle many ensue in the next 24-28 hours. The Kurdish Peshmerga have fought bravely in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State, and their reward from the United States was a lack of U.S. support last month for an independent state of their own.

In Somalia today, 200 were killed by a car bomb. The usual suspect: al Shabaab; however, they have not taken responsibilty and some suggest that Iran’s Houthis are to blame.

Iran is everywhere in the Middle East and North Africa fostering their Shia ambitons against the Sunni Arabists.

Nothing in the Middle East is simple; you have to follow the “chess board” daily to keep up — and I am my colleagues do just that.
We are confused and surprised that President Trump would toss a hand grenade into the “Iran Deal” without a clear strategy — asking Congress to figure it out — while our allies are left shaking their heads.

In diplomatic circles this is being called a POLITICAL MANEUVER to appease the Trump base of support. However, it does nothing to shore up the security of the Untied States, protect us against an oil war in the Straits of Hormuz, stop transfer of nuclear technology to North Korea or destabilize the Iranian hegemonic ambitions of gaining control of the Middle East and North Africa.

Only deep, unparalleled sanctions against Iran, and all who trade with Iran will stop Iran’s hegemonic ambitions and not even the Trump Administration would consider alienating the world — I don’t think.

Questions for Lisa Benson?
Write her at Lisa@TheQueenEstherProject.org

About the Author
Lisa Benson is at the helm of The Queen Esther Project (QEP)(www.TheQueenEstherProject.org) a charitable humanitarian endeavor with a mission to educate on tyranny and genocide worldwide. Particular emphasis on Anti Semitism. QEP also has a local mission to aid refugees in our local communities are in urgent need of care and comfort as a result of fleeing persecution in home countries. Lisa Benson is a 25-year veteran of humanitarian, foreign policy, national security and nonprofit sectors. Lisa has been the voice of accurate, measured foreign policy information on Salem Radio KKNT, Phoenix, and the architect of Lisa Benson TV (streaming) and countless video and published reporting on geo-political issues. She is a compelling public speaker, broadcaster, non-profit development consultant, writer, humanitarian, and national security analyst. Lisa Benson is the author of a soon to be published book, “A Daughter’s Journey Into Ohrdruf Concentration Camp.” As a child, Lisa was introduced to the horrors of genocide by her father, Vincent, a concentration camp liberator. She remembers being only ten-years old when her dad sat her down at the kitchen table and tossed 12 packs of photos to her. His words resonate, “I want you to know where I was and what I saw.” Lisa recalls this story with tears in eyes as she will never forget that moment. The photos of piled up dead bodies were taken by Vincent when he marched into Ohrdruf concentration camp liberating it on April 4, 1945. The Ohrdruf camp was a sub camp of the Buchenwald concentration camp, and the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops. From a 10-year old little girl with indelible memories, to a grown woman traveling the world speaking out on atrocities of unfathomable proportion, Lisa Benson holds nothing back as a speaker, broadcaster, activist or human rights educator. She is a riveting, compelling and transformational public speaker. The Queen Esther Project imbues the spirit of its namesake: Queen Esther. Knowing that “We Are All Born For Such A Time As This,” The Queen Esther Project has an ambitious agenda to educate, and eradicate, tyranny and genocide. Using the tools of broadcasting, publishing, online education, public speaking and fostering communication to world leaders, donors can be assured that with Lisa’s guidance projects will provide impact — the men, women and children in harm’s way will now have more Queen Esther’s to walk with them to safety. Lisa Benson invites you to join in the campaign to rid the world of genocide by 2022. The #EndGenocide2022 campaign seeks to obliterate the forces of genocide by the year 2020. We won’t stop until all ethnic and religious minorities are out of harm’s way. Lisa Benson has a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and attended graduate studies at the Rockefeller College of Public Policy at the State University of New York at Albany. Lisa is also an avid hiker and artist.
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