[Peace-discuss] Fwd: talking points on iran deal (from Phyllis Bennis)

[Stuart Levy]

In case anyone is moved to make some pro-Iran Deal signs for this 
Saturday's demonstration (and the Labor Day parade)...


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	[ufpj-activist] talking points on iran deal
Date: 	Thu, 3 Sep 2015 18:26:00 -0400
From: 	Phyllis Bennis <pbennis at ips-dc.org>
To: 	UFPJ Activists <ufpj-activist at lists.mayfirst.org>



With so much work left to do to get the Senate vote past 34 to 41 
supporters of the Iran deal, here are some talking points both for now 
and looking forward to the future and what this deal may make possible.​
Thanks.
Phyllis
***************************************************

Talking Points:

The Iran Deal & Senate Commitments to Protect the Deal

By Phyllis Bennis,Institute for Policy Studies

*_** Importance of the existing deal_*

This is a huge victory for diplomacy over the threat of war, preventing 
the very real danger of war with Iran – now the US must implement what 
it committed to in June.

The deal strengthens recognition that diplomacy is more successful than 
threats or war.

Because it prevents the threat of war, the deal makes everyone safer – 
Americans, Iranians, Arabs across the Middle East, Israelis, and 
everybody else.

The deal would prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon if it ever 
decided to (a decision which all US intelligence agencies agree it has 
not made).

The deal begins the of lifting economic sanctions that have had a 
devastating impact on ordinary civilian Iranians, strengthens those in 
Iran who support openness including all major human rights organizations 
and activists, and weakens the hardliners.

*_** Importance of the Senate’s commitment to insuring the deal goes 
through_**__*

It means the US will not be isolated by allies and others for abandoning 
its commitment to the deal made months ago.

It strengthens US as a diplomatic, rather than solely military leader.

*_** Political gains_**__*

            It undermines US backers of the Iraq war and others calling 
openly for war with Iran.

It shows that massive popular engagement with Congress can defeat even 
huge investments of cash by wealthy & powerful individuals and 
organizations who choose war over diplomacy, including AIPAC, the arms 
lobby and others.

It proves what the public already knows, but Congress doesn’t know 
or won’t admit, that breaking with Israeli intransigence and 
militarism does not mean political suicide.

*_**Potential future gains resulting from the Iran deal_*

Lays the groundwork for the kind of ‘grand bargain’ that Tehran 
offered back in 2001, that could lead tobroader negotiations over all 
the outstanding issues, including regional crises, Iran’s role in the 
region, human rights, US acceptance of Iran as regional power, etc.

Potential to build on shared US and Iranian interests in Iraq & elsewhere.

Possibility for new all-party negotiations on ending the Syrian war.

Potential for strengthening Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations on US 
and other. ‘official’ nuclear weapons states to move towards nuclear 
disarmament.

Potential to expand from non-proliferation to disarmament, through 
creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East with no 
exceptions. (Iran already supports, and US is officially on record 
supporting such a Zone in UN Security Council resolution 687 that ended 
the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq. But US rejects the idea to protect 
Israel’s uninspected nuclear weapons arsenal that continues to 
destabilize the region.)

Phyllis Bennis
Director, New Internationalism Project
Institute for Policy Studies
1112 16th Street NW #600
Washington DC 20036
tel: (202) 234-9382 ex 5206
fax: (202) 387-7915

Check out my just-published new book

*/Understanding ISIS & the New Global War on Terror: A Primer 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.interlinkbooks.com_product-5Finfo.php-3Fproducts-5Fid-3D3257-26osCsid-3D01d2cb0cbb8dd74d5295036bbd3620c7&d=AwMFaQ&c=8hUWFZcy2Z-Za5rBPlktOQ&r=_iuwmBDMEAIAz6k1h--JVoji6x5mlDiImSbbdIp2zWg&m=jvzw7icKg_yBz1-tL9Ekr7YohXxhP45PWTdJ-6ONJJI&s=_npSvEBTJszalqmCMV8I5mv27xxjdsBaZoGXHEeyNWg&e=>/*







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