The Parallels of JFK, President Obama And A Nuclear Middle East
by Amy Ray
The weekend of November 22 to 24th celebrated two historic events that are tied together in ways most do not think about.
It was 50 years ago last Friday when President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas, Texas while riding down a street in a Presidential motorcade. Meanwhile this past Sunday, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany (P5+1), reached a temporary agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Tehran will regain access to $4.2 billion that was frozen as a result of international sanctions. It has also agreed, among other things, to cease enrichment of uranium above 5 percent concentration and dismantle all equipment that enables said capabilities. The deal expires in six months unless a permanent one is negotiated in the meantime.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal “a historic mistake” and, according to Reuters, said Israel can still use military force against Iran despite language in the agreement restricting it. Israel’s rejections aside, Kennedy’s stance on a nuclear Middle East and President Barack Obama’s deal with Iran run parallel in many ways.
Kennedy and Nuclear Weapons
Photo of Kennedy signing Nuclear Test Ban Treaty by Robert Knudsen, White House via Wikimedia Commons
President Kennedy was staunchly against any Middle Eastern countries obtaining nuclear weapons. A memorandum dated March 6, 1963 from the CIA Board of National Estimates stated that the main consequence of Israel obtaining nuclear weapons would be indirect provocation of war with its Muslim neighbors. Kennedy, on July 5, 1963, wrote a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol regarding the country’s Dimona nuclear facility and his concerns about the development of nuclear weapons. Kennedy, of course, was killed four months later.
Israel is believed to have obtained nukes by as early as 1969, according to a de-classified memorandum from Defense Secretary Melvin Laird. Today Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons and, according to the Federation of American Scientists, could possess upwards of 400 warheads. There is no way to know the exact number, as Israel did not sign the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, thus exempting it from inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has requested Israel sign the treaty to create a “nuclear-free zone” in the Middle East, but Netanyahu has refused to do so.
Obama’s Iran Legacy Like Kennedy’s With Russia?
Photo by Pete Souza via Wikimedia Commons
President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have reached all-time lows after the Affordable Care Act website debacle and millions of Americans losing their health insurance. Even his most loyal supporters turned on him after the NSA spy scandal was revealed in June, prompting many Americans to research the services of Lifelock and install encryption software on their smartphones. But Obama may be taking a page out of Kennedy’s book when it comes to international relations to save his legacy.
Kennedy used his negotiation and communication skills with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. He dismissed the “boogeyman” approach and used to his advantage the fact the USA had superior nuclear capabilities and economic fortitude. He also averted all-out war with the Soviet Union, and forever changed U.S./Russian relations for the better. If nothing else, the deal with Iran (even if temporary) can contain a nuclear Middle East to Israel, while at the same time lifting some of the tensions between Washington and Tehran. The deal will expire during mid-term election season, adding even more intrigue to it.
Amy Ray blogs on various topics.