Editor:

As I think about our negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and John Kerry at the table as our chief negotiator, I am reminded of country legend singer/musician Jerry Reed. He played a humorous song about negotiating a divorce settlement called “She Got the Gold Mine, I Got the Shaft.” That ought to be the theme song of this administration.

From what I gather Iran’s negotiator got a $1.5 billion “signing bonus” from Iran’s frozen assets, lifted sanctions, periodic inspections but not of military installations and the inspectors must give 24-hour prior notice of their arrival, a degree of continuing uranium enrichment, certain centrifuges simply turned off but not destroyed, arms sales sanctions soon to be lifted giving access to Russian state-of-the-art air defense missile systems, also making available the purchase of parts and technology for ICBM development and finally the reopening in 15 years of the centrifuges capable of weapons grade enrichment.

What did we get? I am still looking, but all I can find is the “shaft.” If they violate the agreement, we can reimpose the sanctions, that is, if we can them through yet to be revealed committees…maybe “our friends” at the UN.

Oh yes…we did get to hear an encore by the Ayatollah of his favorite theme, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.

Lewis Bandt

Dillwyn