Proposed 'garage sale' Deal with Iran Not Legal.

Proposed 'garage sale' Deal with Iran Not Legal. HT: Gatestone.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) forbids any of its signatories to have nuclear weapons. Full stop.

The P5+1 have been attempting to amend the NPT without going through the process established by the NPT itself -- and attempting to do this for just one of its 190 signatories: Iran.

Under the terms of the NPT, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany) have no legal authority to amend the treaty unilaterally, to abrogate the treaty, or to allow nations that are signatories to the NPT to abrogate the treaty. The NPT can only be changed through a review conference of all parties. All changes agreed to after that must be consented to by the signatory nations, according to their own legal requirements.

The rules, therefore, ever since the U.S. Senate consented to the treaty in 1969, are that the Senate would have to approve any change to the treaty. Otherwise, any nation that is a signatory to the NPT could say that it is no longer bound by the terms of the agreement and decide to have their own nuclear weapons capability --- as many have already stated they would do, starting with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

If Iran is allowed by the P5+1 to violate the NPT, not only will it have nuclear weapons capability with impunity, but also lifted sanctions, and a strong economy that will enable it go on expanding its reach, while remaining the world's largest promoter of terrorism. As there already is an internationally agreed-upon law totally forbidding Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- even if Iran were fully to cooperate -- which, considering its proven track-record, is doubtful -- why does anyone need yet another agreement to stop Tehran's nuclear program?

Why is the international community not simply enforcing the current NPT?

Iran has already violated so many provisions of the NPT that the UN Security Council and the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) imposed a second protocol requirement on Tehran, to ensure that it abides by the 1970 treaty. The second protocol was also intended to ensure that, in the event of violations, major economic sanctions were imposed Iran by key members of the international community, including and most importantly the United States.

Iran has not abided by the second protocol of the NPT, either. Iran continues to spin its centrifuges and enrich uranium, while demanding that all sanctions immediately be ended.

Instead of simply requiring Iran to live up to its obligations under the NPT -- signed and ratified by Tehran in 1968 and 1970, respectively -- the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are trying to give Iran a special deal. How special?

Well, the P5+1 have proposed unilaterally to amend the NPT -- just for Iran, no other nation. If Iran is allowed nuclear weapons capability, other nations -- including in South America, already infiltrated by Iran -- will doubtless follow suit.

The P5+1 would allow Iran, while still a member of the NPT, permanently to enrich uranium and produce plutonium in return for agreeing for some number of years (possibly ten), not to enrich "too much." There is, however, no "right to enrich" at all under the NPT or any other law, contrary to some misinformed "conventional wisdom." Hmmm......The only one willing to give the enrichment is.....the Obama 'admin' Read the full story here.