The combination of readily-available cash flow and unlimited access to deadly advanced weaponry in the hands of fanatical mullahs and their military figureheads poses a real threat to America and the world. "American soldiers in the Middle East will face greater danger because this deal lifts the ban on Iran acquiring the weapons it has been using to target American soldiers and it gives them the money to purchase those weapons," says Ryan Mauro, Clarion's national security analyst and a professor of homeland security. "American soldiers have already been killed by weapons purchased by Iran illegally. Now, because of this deal, Iran will be able to purchase even more weapons, but this time legally." Instead of disarming Iran, the nuclear deal disarms America, Mauro says. "It keeps Iran's nuclear infrastructure in place, but removes America's ability to defend ourselves economically and militarily by lifting the sanctions and the arms embargo." Less than a week ago, Iranian leaders, including the president, led protests in the streets of Iran calling for "Death to America" in the Islamic Republic's annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day demonstration. Pictures and effigies of U.S. President Barack Obama were burned. The Iranian government facilitated participation in the demonstration in Tehran by bussing in participants and making travel on the subway free for the day. Fewer than 10 days ago, a senior Iranian general stated that even if an agreement is reached between Iran and the world powers, Iran will still view America as an enemy. "The U.S. might arrive at some agreements with us within the framework of the group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany), but we should never hold a positive view over the enemy," said Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, commander of the Iranian ground forces. In terms of the current deal, one can certainly weigh the downside of the Iranian regime acquiring massive amounts of conventional arms with the upside of Iran being deterred (or, in actuality delayed) from building a nuclear weapon. Will this be the case? The main factor in determining if Iran has acquired or has the capability of acquiring a nuclear weapon hangs on credible inspections of their nuclear facilities providing verification that they are holding to their side of the agreement. Although the deal originally was supposed to include "anytime, anywhere inspections," in the current agreement, inspections have been watered down to a close to a month-long process to even request such an inspection, providing ample time for Iran to hide rogue operation. "It is sadly ironic that while American baseball players are subject to random, unannounced drug tests for steroids, the world's leading sponsor of terror is not subject to random, unannounced tests of their nuclear program," said Mauro. Of course, one could make the obvious argument that with $140 billion in sanctions relief, Iran will have no need to spend the time and money to make their own nuclear weapon, they can merely buy one from one of their many global friends – the North Koreans, the Russians, to name a couple.
