IRANIAN-NUCLEAR INSPECTION AGREEMENT

Recently (July 16, 2015, op-ed in the Wall Street Journal*) William Tobey commented on the 24 day inspection delay in the Iranian-Nuclear Inspections and claimed the time could be delayed for months for reasons he itemizes.  I am unable to evaluate his claims except to say that it is only the suspected sites that are in the 24-day period.  In declared sites, inspections can be made at any time: 24/7.  This matter was also clarified by a letter-to-the-editor of the WSJ on July 23,2015.  I have heard President Obama and Secretary Karry say this on TV prior to Mr. Tobey's op-ed dated July 16, 2015 so I don't understand his confusion on this matter.

Also on July 26, the WSJ published an editorial properly talking about the 24-day period to search suspicious sites.  They too say that Iran may interpret items in the agreement to stretch out the 240day waiting period.  They say that the current declared sites all were once suspicious sites and conclude that Iran will have plenty of time manipulate the inspections in order to carry out their mission.  I'm not sure how long it takes to set up a site, carry out its function, dismantle it and clean up the site sufficiently that the inspectors can't detect what is going on.  I suspect a matter of, say, 6 mo. is insufficient having been involved in complex research problems involving radioactivity (e.g. nuclear test detection and nuclear waste disposal), but current researchers on making bomb facilities should know better than I.

So far as I know, this matter of the 24 days to inspect suspicious sites has yet to be thoroughly discussed, Mr. Tobey's analysis being the most thorough.  I for one would like to read a rebuttal to Mr. Tobey's claims.

Neither Mr. Tobey nor the WSJ put forth an alternative Nuclear-Inspection Plan.  I presume they hope that increasing sanctions would eventually bring Iran to its knees and say "Uncle."  Well escalation didn't work all that well in the Vietnam War nor did 40+ yrs of sanctions on Cuba bring them to their knees.  Dictatorships can let their people suffer  for very long periods of time.

And what do critics think will happen if the Agreement is not accepted?  How long will adversarial countries like Russia and China stick with us on sanctions, much less increase them?  As others have claimed, I thank that without inspections, Iran will have a free hand to go ahead with making a bomb, if they wish to.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-iranian-nuclear-inspection-charade-1437001048