US risks becoming unworthy member of global community: Analyst
The United States risks becoming an unworthy member of the community of the nations if it reneges on its obligations agreed under a preliminary deal between Iran and world powers, a political commentator says.
James Fetzer, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Duluth, made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Thursday.
“The situation is very disturbing if Iran has fulfilled all of its obligations under these tentative agreements and then the United States, or the other nations involved here, should not fulfill their obligations,” Fetzer said.
Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States — plus Germany signed an interim nuclear agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, last November. The deal is aimed at setting the stage for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old standoff with Tehran over its nuclear energy program.
Under the Geneva agreement, the Sextet agreed to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period.
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Wendy Sherman, under secretary of state for political affairs and the Obama administration’s top negotiator in talks over Iran’s nuclear energy program, admitted that Iran has fulfilled all its commitments under the interim deal.
“Iran, in this instance, has fulfilled its part [and] it would be a disgrace, it would be an international scandal, it would be completely discrediting of the United States as a great power for it to renege or fail to fulfill its obligations,” said Fetzer, who has written several books on important issues, such as the theoretical foundations of scientific knowledge, computer science, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and evolution and mentality.
“I certainly hope, therefore, that the Obama administration, that Barack Obama and [Secretary of State] John Kerry do not renege because that would be a terrible, terrible example for the United States to set in the world,” the US academic stated.
“There is too much violation of international law, too much lawlessness, too much aggression, for which the United States, alas, is responsible for a very great deal. And this, it seems to me, would be a terrible black eye for the United States, and reveal that the United States is an unworthy member of the community of the nations,” he noted.
Iran and the P5+1 group continued their talks in the Austrian capital Vienna this week in order to reach a final agreement. According to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the talks concluded on Thursday with “an agreement on the framework and plan of action for the comprehensive nuclear talks”.
