On Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Beat,” MSNBC Military Analyst Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.) stated that he believed the strikes on Iran were “a political disaster for President Trump with his own party, with the voting population, with the Democratic Party. But he executed it. And to be honest, I think, otherwise, we would have continued in aimless discussions while the Iranians continued toward development of a weapon.” And now, Iran’s nuclear program “has been set back substantially.”
In response to the ceasefire announcement, McCaffrey said, “On the surface, this is very good news. It’s an appropriate time to stop shooting. The Iranians are at the bottom of a barrel. They have no good options, military or political. They have no allies. Most of their population despises the theocratic regime. The Israelis are tearing apart their leadership, both political and military and scientific. So, they’ve got to get off stage. The Israelis are running out of high-tech munitions. They want to stop it. President Trump clearly does not want the war to continue. So, the big question is, Ambassador Ross says is, how do we translate that into some political long-term good? How do you get them back to the table and negotiate? And how do you get them to sign a renunciation of seeking a nuclear weapon? How do you get them to say, after 46 years, don’t dedicate your national purpose to eliminating Israel? And if all that happens, and there’s a good possibility it will come out that way, then this has been an enormous change for the better in the Middle East and for U.S. national security.”
He added that Iran, while it’s lost most of its leverage, has a long history “of hating the existence of Israel and the United States. So, there’s a long way to go. But this is very good news. And, a lot of it, to be blunt, is the product of this daring, largely decisive strike by the United States on three nuclear sites. We should not underestimate the fact that this is a multi-billion-dollar, thirty-year effort that has been set back substantially.” But Iran’s nuclear program won’t be totally out of commission without inspectors on the ground to verify a treaty.
McCaffrey further stated, “I think this is an unambiguous positive development for the Iranians, the Israelis, and us. And it was clearly implemented by that magnificent Air Force attack and Navy attack on…Iranian nuclear facilities. Without that, it wouldn’t have happened. At the time, it surprised me. I thought it was a political disaster for President Trump with his own party, with the voting population, with the Democratic Party. But he executed it. And to be honest, I think, otherwise, we would have continued in aimless discussions while the Iranians continued toward development of a weapon.”
He concluded, “This won’t be over until there are international inspectors on the ground and the Iranians have announced we are permanently foregoing the enrichment of uranium products. That will be the only sign that’s really the end of it. They’ll try and squeeze out of it in the coming weeks, days, months, they’re very capable, clever people, they’re brave people, they have a tremendous scientific bench, they’re not going to give up this 30-year aim easily. But they’ve got no options. I think President Trump’s decisive action in that attack has just brought home to the IRGC, who I think are on their third general in command now, a bunch of those lieutenant colonels are saying, hey, this makes no sense, you old people in this theocratic dictatorship have led us down the wrong path too long. I think the regime change may come, but it’s going to be from within Iran, not without.”
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