5 “Congress vs. President Obama and Iran”

According to the United States Department of Defense, one in five – 20 percent – of our Combat Arms are Hispanic. Of those probably 90 percent are Mexican American and ten percent a combination of Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans and Central and South Americans.
The Combat Arms of our military is those who carry and shoot guns meaning, of course, the infantry, armor, and the artillery – otherwise known as the Grunts.
Of the one in five, 90 percent are Mexican American with the other ten percent being Puerto Rican or of Cuban, Central and South American origin.
Hispanics have a stake, a big stake, in national defense, in foreign policy and foreign relations.
Granted that a number of us are famous for not finishing high school or for going to college, but when one combines those that have served in the military, the Combat Arms, with those who have finished school and attended college one arrives at a large number of people.
And, despite long standing in the United States many Hispanics have relatives outside the country. Thus, we know from family experience what happens when the United States pays little attention to other countries and regions.
Thus, if Iranian-sponsored terrorists blow up a Jewish synagogue in Argentina killing dozens of innocent people who may not even have relatives in Israel or whose origin is not Israel but Europe, we are affected. Will those terrorists blow up Jewish Community Centers in Mexico City that function as places of worship? They might; that is closer.
We know that the country of Iran nee Persia is the largest state sponsor of terrorism. We also know that it has not only sponsored the killings in Argentina but ultimately is responsible for the killing of 240 United States Marines in Beirut on a bloody Sunday a generation ago. In recent years thousands of Americans in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Syrians, Kurds and Christian Arabs have died at Iranian hands, weapons and Improvised Explosives in the current conflict in the Middle East.
We also know that the Iranians have worked hard for years to build a nuclear war machine with which to construct an Iranian hegemony over the entire Middle East.
We Hispanics are not stupid. We know these things.
There appear to be no Hispanic Combat Arms veterans or any experienced Hispanic politicians on the American team that is negotiating with Iranians over nuclear development.
We know that economic sanctions forced Iran to the negotiating table because we know how sanctions work south of the Border when they are used to pressure governments and even rebels to negotiate when the United States wants negotiations to happen.
We cannot understand why economic sanctions easement has been promised Iranians who have given nothing in return. Listening to both Secretary of State John Kerry and President Barack Obama we have to wonder what are these guys smoking?
Why are we not getting random unannounced inspections of all nuclear facilities in Iran? Why are none of the nuclear facilities being closed? Why is there no mention of reduction of intercontinental missile research and development? Why do the Iranians need Intercontinental missiles except to attack the United States or Argentina?
Why is there no U.S. demand for recognition of Israel by Iran and the end to “Israel will be destroyed” thinking by Iran?
Why are there two versions of the so-called agreement parameters? There are huge differences between the English language version of the U.S. State Department and the Farsi version produced by the mullah-run Iranian government; i.e. the Theocracy of Iran.
And, why is President Obama already saying that the proposed agreement can be abandoned by the Iranians? He even says that when the “agreement” expires in ten years the Iranians will be able to assemble nuclear weapons.
So what is the point to all this Obama/Mullah dance?
If the Iranians will be able to produce nuclear weapons to use with long developed Intercontinental missiles in ten years despite this “agreement” why bother?
It is at this point that the United States Congress, particularly the Senate, must step in and cast aside the kick-the-can-down-the-road negotiation to one that is more fruitful. Iran must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. It must not be allowed to construct a hegemony in the Middle East. That can be accomplished by extreme sanctions. Iran must not be allowed to develop intercontinental missiles for it has no need for them.
Congress must consider heavy duty sanctions on Iran until its missile development and all work towards nuclear weapons are not only delayed for ten years but ended. According to Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, only the Congress can “regulate commerce with foreign nations.” Yes the President is the only one who can negotiate with foreign nations, but he cannot set up or do away with economic sanctions.
Congress should step in and take over this situation now. President Obama has failed, Congress must move now. Oorah!
Contreras formerly wrote for Creators Syndicate and the New America News Service of the New York Times Syndicate