New book on the Iran deal, features John Kerry"in-depth interview"

[MBS]

Supposedly to be released August 1, but I bought it at a local bookstore just yesterday (July 15):
http://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300218169/losing-enemy

From the website:

"The definitive book on Obama’s historic nuclear deal with Iran from the author of the Foreign Affairs Best Book on the Middle East in 2012. This timely book focuses on President Obama’s deeply considered strategy toward Iran’s nuclear program and reveals how the historic agreement of 2015 broke the persistent stalemate in negotiations that had blocked earlier efforts.

"The deal accomplished two major feats in one stroke: it averted the threat of war with Iran and prevented the possibility of an Iranian nuclear bomb. Trita Parsi, a Middle East foreign policy expert who advised the Obama White House throughout the talks and had access to decision-makers and diplomats on the U.S. and Iranian sides alike, examines every facet of a triumph that could become as important and consequential as Nixon’s rapprochement with China. Drawing from more than seventy-five in-depth interviews with key decision-makers, including Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, this is the first authoritative account of President Obama’s signature foreign policy achievement."

[karynnj]

1. This should be a fascinating addition to the various accounts that were written in 2015 and 2016

- only much deeper and authorative.

The agreement, like the Paris Accord, was never seen as likely to happen and has proven to be stronger than would have been expected given Trump's desire to tear both up. (This Monday, his administration again confirmed that Iran was living up to the terms.) Both of these -- and maybe belated credit for leading in creating the anti-ISIS coalition, all make John Kerry the most significant Secretary of State since John Marshall.

[MBS]

2. Yes to everything you said.

I really want to see Kerry get the credit he deserves. He was an outstanding Sec. of State.

[karynnj]

3. I think that with his peers, he already did

He seemed to get a major award every other week or so last fall. With each, a peer, a respected statesman or head of state spoke of his committment, his talent and even (at least once) his unusual decency.

While happy seeing those awards, I was more taken by Wendy Sherman's account of him actually choking up when speaking of what the Iran deal meant to him and his unusual action of taking his lovely granddaughter with him when he signed the Paris Climate Accord for the US at the UN. Both suggest that he knew that these were his legacy. No matter what happens going forward, he knows that it was his persistance, hard work and skill that avoided a war that already would likely have started and jump started the world's most serious response to climate change.

Then, I saw the NYT editorial - I think in December - where they basically said that he was absolutely the essential person in getting both of these things done. Now, the President always gets credit for things done by his aadministration, so Obama will have these as his top two foreign policy accomplishments. I suspect that over time, the view of the NYT will also hold -- these would not have happened without John Kerry having been Secretary of State.

Over time, I suspect that his competence and his values will be accorded more credit than they were as the Obama administration ended.

[MBS]

4. Agreed, and thanks for reminding me about Wendy Sherman's heartfelt remarks.

Wow, what a contrast to the devastation of the State Dept. now. . .