Since 1995, five presidents and multiple vice presidents and presidential candidates had promised to end Iran’s nuclear program by any means necessary.
“Iran’s appetite for acquiring and developing nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them has only grown larger,” Bill Clinton claimed in 1995. “We have tried to stop its quest to acquire weapons of mass destruction, which would make it a threat not only to its neighbors but to the entire region and the world.”
“For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” George W. Bush declared.
“America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal,” Barack Obama promised.
“Here is my message to Iran’s leaders, the United States will never allow you to acquire a nuclear weapon. As president, I will take whatever action is necessary to protect the United States and our allies,” Hillary Clinton assured.
“We will not let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon. Period. Period. End of discussion. It will not happen on our watch,” Joe Biden assured.
“Let me be clear, we will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Period,” Kamala Harris said.
Nearly every serious contender for the White House had promised to take out Iran’s nuclear arsenal, so why the outrage at that old promise actually being fulfilled?
Much like moving the embassy to Jerusalem, many politicians of both parties promised to do it without either meaning or it being determined enough to do it.
Their outrage then as now is performative and hypocritical.
“We must do everything we can … to avoid a nuclear Iran. And we will be leading the charge to make sure that the Iranians know that they will not go nuclear or face the most severe of consequences,” Sen. Schumer had promised
Now he bemoans Trump for actually doing it.
“We will do whatever it takes to make sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon,” Rep. Jerry Nadler had boasted. “No matter what, even if it takes military action, Iran must be prevented from getting a nuclear weapon.”
After President Trump actually took out Iran’s nukes through military action, Rep. Nadler furiously urged that the strikes “must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
“All Members of Congress, regardless of party, agree: a nuclear Iran is simply unacceptable. It is a threat to the region, to the United States, and to our allies across the globe,” Rep. Nancy Pelosi had once asserted. “We must all use all the tools at our disposal to stop Iran’s march toward nuclear capability.”
Now, Pelosi assailed President Trump’s accomplishment of just that by contending that it “risks further escalation and dangerous destabilization of the region”
Everyone promised to end Iran’s nuclear program. Now they’re mad it’s being done.
Daniel Greenfield is the CEO and a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. This article previously appeared at the Center's Front Page Magazine.
Absolutely true about hypocrisy and posturing.
The more I think about it, this ceasefire is all part of the Dog and Pony Show for the masses. Iran, led by a mad dog Muslim cleric, has vowed to wipe Israel off the map. And, Iran will not give up their quest for nukes (whether they produce them or buy them) as this is their only chance of destroying Israel. Beware of mullahs speaking with forked tongues. This is all a show to keep the stupid masses amused and confused.