Saturday, August 08, 2015

Sixteen Words.

PREAMBLE AND GENERAL PROVISIONS.

iii. Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or
acquire any nuclear weapons.

It's right there. Right in the preamble and general provisions. I hadn't read the text previously. http://publicoccurrenc.blogspot.com/2015/07/iran-deal-full-text.html

I have now read the preamble and general provisions. I have not read all of the remainder of the 109 pages. I furiously scanned maybe 10%-15% of the remainder to see if I could find a repetition. I could not find a repetition. I will furiously scan the remainder, perhaps even "read" the remainder, I don't know I'll have to see. Depends on my attention span. Perhaps there is no repetition. Perhaps no repetition is necessary. Would hope since there's 109 pages there wouldn't be too much repetition.

There is a "Preface," that's the first thing. Then there's the "Preamble and General Provisions." Then begin a series of capitalized roman numerals with the details (I presume, not having read it.). There are sixteen small-case roman enumerated parts to the preamble and general provisions of which the above is number three (iii). Duh. Sixteen is a lot (for me). It's a Preamble AND GENERAL PROVISIONS. There are sixteen of those provision things. Are "provisions" specific things that have been agreed? 

PREAMBLE AND GENERAL PROVISIONS
i. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, the
Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy)
have decided upon this long-term Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA). This JCPOA, reflecting a step-by-step approach, includes the reciprocal
commitments as laid down in this document and the annexes hereto and is to
be endorsed by the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
ii. The full implementation of this JCPOA will ensure the exclusively peaceful
nature of Iran's nuclear programme.
iii. Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or
acquire any nuclear weapons.
iv. Successful implementation of this JCPOA will enable Iran to fully enjoy its right
to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under the relevant articles of the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in line with its obligations therein, and
the Iranian nuclear programme will be treated in the same manner as that of
any other non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT.
v. This JCPOA will produce the comprehensive lifting of all UN Security Council
sanctions as well as multilateral and national sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear
programme, including steps on access in areas of trade, technology, finance and
energy.
vi. The E3/EU+3 and Iran reaffirm their commitment to the purposes and principles
of the United Nations as set out in the UN Charter.
vii. The E3/EU+3 and Iran acknowledge that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the
nuclear non-proliferation regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of
nuclear disarmament and for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
viii. The E3/EU+3 and Iran commit to implement this JCPOA in good faith and in a
constructive atmosphere, based on mutual respect, and to refrain from any
action inconsistent with the letter, spirit and intent of this JCPOA that would
undermine its successful implementation. The E3/EU+3 will refrain from
imposing discriminatory regulatory and procedural requirements in lieu of the
sanctions and restrictive measures covered by this JCPOA. This JCPOA builds on
the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA) agreed in Geneva on 24
November 2013.
ix. A Joint Commission consisting of the E3/EU+3 and Iran will be established to
monitor the implementation of this JCPOA and will carry out the functions
provided for in this JCPOA. This Joint Commission will address issues arising
from the implementation of this JCPOA and will operate in accordance with the
provisions as detailed in the relevant annex.
x. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be requested to monitor and
verify the voluntary nuclear-related measures as detailed in this JCPOA. The
IAEA will be requested to provide regular updates to the Board of Governors,
and as provided for in this JCPOA, to the UN Security Council. All relevant rules
and regulations of the IAEA with regard to the protection of information will be
fully observed by all parties involved.
xi. All provisions and measures contained in this JCPOA are only for the purpose of
its implementation between E3/EU+3 and Iran and should not be considered as
setting precedents for any other state or for fundamental principles of
international law and the rights and obligations under the NPT and other
relevant instruments, as well as for internationally recognised principles and
practices.
xii. Technical details of the implementation of this JCPOA are dealt with in the
annexes to this document.
xiii. The EU and E3+3 countries and Iran, in the framework of the JCPOA, will
cooperate, as appropriate, in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and
engage in mutually determined civil nuclear cooperation projects as detailed in
Annex III, including through IAEA involvement.
xiv. The E3+3 will submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council endorsing
this JCPOA affirming that conclusion of this JCPOA marks a fundamental shift in
its consideration of this issue and expressing its desire to build a new
relationship with Iran. This UN Security Council resolution will also provide for
the termination on Implementation Day of provisions imposed under previous
resolutions; establishment of specific restrictions; and conclusion of
consideration of the Iran nuclear issue by the UN Security Council 10 years after
the Adoption Day.
xv. The provisions stipulated in this JCPOA will be implemented for their respective
durations as set forth below and detailed in the annexes.
xvi. The E3/EU+3 and Iran will meet at the ministerial level every 2 years, or earlier
if needed, in order to review and assess progress and to adopt appropriate
decisions by consensus.

I hold that the first one (i) is the "Preamble." It has the requisite indicia of bullshit to qualify as a preamble. The rest however, although varying in specificity, have indicia of specific-hood that clearly elevate them beyond the level of bullshit. They are 16 "provisions," they provide things.

iii. Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or
acquire any nuclear weapons.

"Reaffirms."
"UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES."
"Ever." Long time, "ever."
"Under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons."

That could not be more clear. It is an unambiguous, affirmative statement in a document that Iran signed. If it is in the preamble is it agreed to? A preamble comes before ("pre") the...amble, the agreement, right? So it's not agreed? But this isn't just a preamble this is a "Preamble AND General Provisions." Iran "provides," "reaffirms,"... "under no circumstances." But if it is that clear why wasn't Obama's defense of JCPOA at American simply a reading of those sixteen words? Why wasn't his interview with Thomas L. Friedman sixteen words long instead of forty-five minutes long? I don't know.

If they violate, can we bomb them? I don't know.

Held: Iran agreed to remain a non-nuclear state forever in paragraph iii (3) of the Preamble and General Provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA) which it signed in Vienna on or about July 14, 2015. The undersigned will conduct further researches to verify the binding nature of the sixteen words in paragraph iii aforementioned however under the heft, the force of those sixteen words the undersigned cannot at this time stand behind his statement of yesterday, no earlier today, that JCPOA puts Iran on the path to a nuclear weapon, nor of all like past statements and effective immediately the undersigned withdraws such ignorant, swinish statements and posts and substitutes this post of support for the passage of JCPOA in place of the ignorant, swinish posts and statements aforesaid and pledges himself to remove at an appropriate time said swinish statements in all posts that he can find and if necessary delete the whole swinish post.

Witness my hand this eighth (8th) day of August, 2015.

/s/Benjamin Harris
Benjamin Harris, proprietor Public Occurrences blog.