Discussion for article #239387
The same Jeffrey Lewis who gave the Iran Agreement an A? Presumably.
When Lewis and I first spoke, in early 2015, he was skeptical, as a lot of arms control analysts were. He was skeptical that the US, world powers, and Iran would ever reach a nuclear deal. And he was skeptical that if they did reach a deal, it would be good enough. But when the negotiators released the “framework” in April, describing the broad strokes, Lewis came away impressed and happily surprised — but with some caveats and some unanswered questions.
I called up Lewis to see what he thought of the final deal. His assessment was very positive: Asked to grade the deal, he said, “I would give it an A.”
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This is what happens when you implement the neocon’s ideas on how to negotiate a nuclear weapons deal with a bad actor state. Turns out bumper sticker slogans and dick waving and demands that the other side worsen its position in every possible way, even as to matters unrelated to the matter being negotiated, result in that company acquiring, and rapidly seeking to expand its arsenal of, nuclear weapons.
Also an excellent idea of what happens if you strut out in public in the wake of an attack on the nation, declare three nations who had nothing to do with it the “Axis of Evil” bent on acquiring nyukyeller weapons and then invading one of them and toppling the regime. Turns it out causes the ones you haven’t invaded yet to go from having a desultory interest in acquiring the Bomb to having an urgent interest in doing so. Whocoodanode?