Robert Gutman: Hope is no plan

Regarding your Sept. 4 editorial “Good news on the Iran deal”: The “deal” is not a “treaty,” as you claimed. Obama’s “engineering” included avoidance of that designation inasmuch as he knew that the framers of the Constitution wanted a two-thirds majority to approve what should have been a treaty.

Nor do you acknowledge that Israeli politicians across the spectrum know that Iran intends to use its “strong incentive” money to further arm its surrogate enemies of their country.

Nor do you acknowledge the long history of Iran pocketing a “deal” and then cheating. Nor do you remind your readers that the “not naive” secretary allowed, at the last minute, Iran to insert the permission to build and buy ICBMs, which have only one purpose.

Nor do you acknowledge that Iran, in 12 to 15 years, will almost certainly acquire nuclear arms by virtue of the deal. The administration said that it did not rely on “trust,” but it has clearly depended on hope that Iran’s culture will change in that timeframe.

If that happens, great! But hope is not a plan and does not deserve worship.

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Robert Gutman: Hope is no plan."