Dear John,
While Israel and the U.S.’s devastating and so-called “12 Day War” is at a fragile moment of peace with a ceasefire, the instability of the moment looms large – and that didn’t happen overnight.
Much discussion has rightfully been made of President Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the JCPOA in his first term, then join an illegal and reckless war with Iran in his second term. These actions go down in history as disastrous decisions that cost hundreds of Iranian civilians their lives and set back efforts for peace and diplomacy in myriad ways.
What’s less discussed is the role of former President Biden in failing to restore what Trump broke. In four years, his administration reneged on commitments to restore the JCPOA, facilitated the genocide of Israel against Gaza with billions of funds in military aid that crossed virtually every red line in international law, and created the conditions for Israel today to expand its war on the Middle East to Iran with essentially no accountability from the international community.
In my latest piece in The Intercept [[link removed]] , I break down all of those decisions and why they matter.
If our country wants to move beyond war and endless cycles of violence, we must hold our leaders accountable to the principles of opposing war – regardless which political party is violating them .
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Never in the last 10 years have former President Barack Obama’s words about the JCPOA rung more true: “Let’s not mince words: The choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy and some form of war — maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon.”
This deeply painful moment in history is an opportunity for reflection, and for our country’s leaders to choose a different future.
Millions of Iranian and American lives depend on it.
Let me know what you think,
Jamal Abdi
President, NIAC
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How Biden Is to Blame for Israel and the U.S.’s 12-Day War Against Iran
Biden’s failure to reenter Obama’s nuclear deal helped create the risk for a potentially catastrophic U.S. war against Iran.
Almost exactly 10 years ago, as the U.S. was the cusp of sealing a historic agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program, Barack Obama offered a warning to those who were working to tank the accord: “Let’s not mince words: The choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy and some form of war — maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon.”
Obama struck the deal in 2015, but less than three years later [[link removed]] , during President Donald Trump’s first term, the U.S. unilaterally violated the agreement [[link removed]] . After a short time, the deal was dead.
Then came the war Obama had predicted. This month, Israel unleashed barrages of missiles, bombs, and drone attacks against Iranian military installations, nuclear facilities, and residential neighborhoods. Iran undertook retaliatory strikes at Israel.
The U.S., after an apparent feint [[link removed]] at diplomacy, then entered the fray, making a massive bombing run against Iranian nuclear facilities [[link removed]] — and raising the specter of an all-out regional conflict or, worse, a world war. Thankfully, U.S. involvement was limited and, after 12 days of exchanges, Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.
It would be easy to lay the blame this war almost entirely on Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For decades, Netanyahu has sought to ensnarl [[link removed]] the U.S. [[link removed]] in a direct war with Iran [[link removed]] — and in Trump he seemed to have found one, just as Trump acquiesced to Netanyahu’s catastrophic demand that the U.S. tear up Obama’s Iran deal.
While this is indeed true, it risks letting off the hook the people who could have restored Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran and helped avoid this new nightmare scenario.
Some blame for the war, for the dead civilians, and for the instability wrought on the lives of people in the Middle East belongs to President Joe Biden.
Biden, who served as Obama’s own vice president, squandered the chance to correct course and avert the crisis unfolding today.
>>Finish reading the full piece in The Intercept [[link removed]]
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