Despite fears, some see Iran deal as a win: #tellusatoday

Letters to the editor:

President Obama tried to portray himself as the heir to President Kennedy’s legacy by promoting his Iran nuclear deal at American University, where Kennedy once spoke (“Two Democrats come out against Obama’s Iran deal”).

However, it is another Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is a true “profile in courage” for his studied and principled decision to oppose this dangerous capitulation to Iran and demand a better deal, even at the risk of jeopardizing his Senate leadership position.

Stephen A. Silver; San Francisco

Commentary writer David Andelman’s conclusion that if Congress rejects the Iran nuclear deal, then the United States will be drawn into a war with Iran is off base (“Inevitable Iran deal downsides: Column”).

The elites in Washington may feel compelled, but the American people, who have seen the trillions of dollars wasted and solders killed or maimed in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, would take to the streets if a war against Iran were declared.

Bill Person; Bloomfield Village, Mich.

Conflict resolution by diplomacy is something the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney apologists and their adherents in the Congress, news media and think tanks have a hard time learning, but it is what the president of the United States has achieved in the Iran conflict (“Obama can wield U.S. military might as weapon of diplomacy: Column”).

And, if you want to “get tougher against ISIL” inflaming the Middle East, you have to go to its epicenter of funding, which the government once said was Saudi Arabia. It is where the bastardized version of Islam, Salafism and Wahhabism, is flourishing and its effects are spreading throughout the region, for example al-Qaeda, al-Nusra and the Islamic State to name a few. These jihadists are the problem and the threat to all of us, not Iran and not “a sense that Obama is pulling back in foreign policy.”

Our readers discuss what they think Congress should do in regard to the Iran nuclear deal. Comments from Twitter and Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

The Iran deal is a debacle of epic proportions. I research independently and write my representatives in Congress daily asking them to vote no.

What’s the GOP plan? I’d like to hear it.

An alternative plan should be simple. Keep the sanctions in place — maybe even increase them. Support any effort by the Iranian people to overthrow the current regime.

In any case, do not free up billions of dollars to allow this radical regime possibly to use the money for terrorism and nuclear development.

Approve the deal. It’s not perfect but better than the alternative. It’s war or no deal at all.

Block this deal and force Iran back to the table by raising sanctions and also dropping the $150billion gift.