by John R. Bolton • August 28,
2017 at 3:00 pm
A May 17,
2016 meeting between then U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Vienna, Austria, to discuss
the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
(Image source: U.S. State Department)
Although candidate Donald Trump repeatedly
criticized Barack Obama's Iran nuclear agreement, his
administration has twice decided to remain in the deal. It so
certified to Congress, most recently in July, as required by law.
Before the second certification, Trump asked repeatedly for
alternatives to acquiescing yet again in a policy he clearly
abhorred. But no such options were forthcoming, despite "a
sharp series of exchanges" between the president and his
advisers, as the New York Times and similar press reports characterized
it.
Many outside the administration wondered how this
was possible: Was Trump in control, or were his advisers? Defining
a compelling rationale to exit Obama's failed nuclear deal and
elaborating a game plan to do so are quite easy. In fact, Steve
Bannon asked me in late July to draw up just such a game plan for
the president — the option he didn't have — which I did.
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