With Extreme Prejudice

We should press President Trump to deal decisively with Iran and to eliminate their nuclear infrastructure. If necessary, proceed with extreme prejudice.

Any negotiation and subsequent agreement with Iran that allows survival of their vast nuclear weapons factories will be a tragic geopolitical failure for America. Given the weakened condition of Iran, he must either green light a kinetic attack on Iranian sites by Israel, or a combination of America and Israel, or conclude a strong-armed negotiation that, like the Libyan capitulation, demands an end to their nuclear program.

President Trump hears roaring U-S-A, U-S-A chants when he enters an arena. It stems from the energy and power he commands and ultimately derives from the capability of the American military. Let’s hope he receives wise counsel that Iran intends to play him with the same delaying tactics and false bravado that suckered in former President Obama and his weak-kneed aides John Kerry, Jake Sullivan and Wendy Sherman.

Any new Iranian deal that allows limited uranium enrichment and inspections is like being a little pregnant. Iranian craftiness is masterful and their skills at deception are recognized as the gold standard for obfuscation. Israel cannot rely on the next Administration’s steadfastness, so now is the window of opportunity to press to dismantle and eradicate the Iranian threat. Israel dealt a significant blow to Iranian air defenses and neutralized Iranian proxies, so now America must leverage that achievement. A halfway resolution is failure. It is an opportunity lost.

While President Trump has earned our appreciation for his unprecedented attack on campus antisemitism, the “main event” for Israel and the Jewish people is eliminating the existential threat of a nuclear armed Iran. In Mosaic Magazine, Elliot Abrams stated that he “…believes that, so far, Iran has come out ahead: First, the United States demanded direct negotiations while Iran wanted indirect talks. The talks in Oman were indirect, with the Omani foreign minister as go-between. It seems that there was a hello chat and handshake between the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragchi, but no more than that.”

Americans who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome are sitting on the sidelines waiting for him to fumble a major initiative. Bungling this opportunity is just what they are looking for. Isolationists are quiet and will surely not support any foreign entanglements especially that joins America in a hot war.

All who have supported President Trump need to now speak up. A JCPOA 2.0 would be tantamount to surrender to a weakened and evil enemy. Nobody wants to send people into harm’s way, but history shows capitulation is far worse. The Iranian march to join the nuclear armed community has been relentless. Despite ridiculous lies about seeking nuclear based energy and non-military applications, their uranium enrichment progress and deeply entrenched factories are proof positive of their malign intent.

President Trump should quickly explore non-military solutions, but if the Iranians remain intransigent and retain their central intent to destroy Israel – the little Satan, and America – the big Satan, then he must act with extreme prejudice, applying the lethal force America possesses.