tentatively negotiated with Iran to ship most of its low - enriched uranium out of the country . In 2009 , Iran was refining uranium only to the level of about 3 - 4 percent , as needed for energy production . Its negotiators offered to swap much of that for nuclear isotopes for medical research .
The treaty was based on the premise that if either superpower constructed a strategic defense , the other would build up its offensive nuclear forces to offset the defense . The superpowers would therefore quickly be put on a path toward a never - ending offensive - defensive arms race , as each tried to balance its counterpart ’s actions . Until Bush took office , the Treaty was referred to as a “ cornerstone of strategic stability ” because it facilitated later agreementsgovernment.agreements.na, reducing U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals . The US , assuming that a weakened Russia will never again be in a position to counter US hegemonic power , proceeded to encroach on Russia ’s borders through its manipulation of NATO objectives . Today , there is no instrument in international law that prevents the possibility of mutually assured destruction .
We do n't win on anything . " More recently , during an Oct. 10 rally in Ambridge , Pa. , Trump offered a variation on that theme -- and the U.S. chess community was n’t happy about his remarks . Trump was in the midst of criticizing international trade agreementsgovernment.agreements.acceptagreementcontractceasefire, including the Trans - Pacific Partnership . He said he supports the idea of bilateral agreements , saying that such deals would make it possible for the United States to threaten to withdraw , then renegotiate on more favorable terms before the agreement expired . Trump went on to say that with multilateral pacts like the TPP , " you ca n't terminate -- there 's too many people , you go crazy .
The Iran deal was " disastrous , " he said in the speech , but only because the Obama administration does n't know how to negotiate : In negotiation , you must be willing to walk . The Iran deal , like so many of our worst agreementsgovernment.agreements.acceptagreementcontractceasefire, is the result of not being willing to leave the table . When the other side knows you 're not going to walk , it becomes absolutely impossible to win . Note that any facts about Iran itself are actively irrelevant to this analysis — little things like its political system or strategic situation just do n't figure in Trump 's critique .
In an interview with Al Mayadeen TV on Monday , Shaaban clarified that the weakness and disarray of the US Administration ’s positions , along with its moral degradation even in dealing with the agreementsgovernment.agreements.violateagreementit signs , have reflected on implementing the Russian - US deal on Syria , as the Pentagon did not listen to Obama regarding the agreement , and it was undermined inside the Congress . She pointed out that the recent Russian - US agreement on Syria can not be implemented unless the problem inside US Administration is solved , noting that Russia is in the right because it is committed to agreements and it works against terrorism , while the US discourse contains a great deal of nonsense and inexactitude , adding that the provisions that were agreed on in the Russian - US agreement were not made public ; rather what has been announced was just partial matters and not the five documents . She stressed that the Syrian leadership was a main party in the consultations regarding each point in the agreement even before it was written down , adding that the Russian ally differs from the West in terms of respecting the sovereignty of states and allies , stressing that Russia does not agree to any detail regarding Syria before getting the consent of the Syrian leadership .
* On the new global “ free trade ” treaties : US leadership in negotiating and advocating passage of the Trans - Atlantic Trade & Investment Partnership ( TTIP ) , the Trans - Pacific Partnership ( TPP ) , and other corporate - privileging trade deals has made passage of these agreements far more likely . A Sanders Doctrine would recognize the danger of such deals , particularly in the way they empower corporate “ rights ” even over national sovereignty of countries around the world , and would immediately end its support and pull out of the negotiations . “ Free trade ” agreements would be replaced by “ fair trade ” agreementsgovernment.agreements.acceptagreementcontractceasefirebased on protection of workers , the environment , indigenous communities , and democracy . * On negotiations with opponents : A Sanders Doctrine would recognize that former President Jimmy Carter was right in his willingness to meet with any world leader , any time , any place . It would make good on the principle that talking is always better than fighting — and that US democracy should abandon the notion that simply talking to a leader we disagree with — even one we adamantly oppose because of human rights violations or other issues — somehow represents a reward .
But it ’s starting to creep in that she might have boxed herself in on the issues to such an extent that a retreat will hardly be possible . The global economy is not in stellar shape , global trade growth is sluggish and there is a silent war over whether the West or China will set the rules for the games to come . Much will depend on whether the Obama administration will manage to get the Trans - Pacific Partnership trade deal ratified , but if this fails and we are confronted with either a hesitant Clinton or a Donald Trump hostile to trade agreementsgovernment.agreements.na, things could easily start to go wrong . But for all the questions on Clinton ’s vacillations on trade , the policies of a possible Trump administration spark something bordering on outright fear . Some American friends tend to say that the United States is a country with strong institutions , constitutional separation of powers and clear limits on what a president can actually do .
Are we ashamed of standing essentially alone as the world ’s number one arms dealer , or is our Weapons “ R ” Us role such a commonplace that we take it for granted , like death or taxes ? The numbers should stagger anyone . According to the latest figures available from the Congressional Research Service , the United States was credited with more than half the value of all global arms transfer agreementsgovernment.agreements.rejectnullifyagreementcontractceasefirein 2014 , the most recent year for which full statistics are available . At 14 percent , the world ’s second largest supplier , Russia , lagged far behind . Washington ’s “ leadership ” in this field has never truly been challenged .
A few months ago , Trump said , “ more countries , such as Japan , South Korea or even Saudi Arabia , may need to develop their own nuclear weapons . ” It was no lie . Clinton simply had the temerity to quote Trump himself to show how little he knows or cares about the fragile set of post - World War II agreementsgovernment.agreements.acceptagreementcontractceasefirethat have contained nuclear proliferation . She said Trump would let non - nuclear countries go nuclear . " There 's no quote , ” he said .
Rebels have denied previous accusations of using chemical weapons . The SNC said of the reported use of poison gas in Saraqeb : " After shelling , besieging and killing civilians and perpetrating war crimes on them , the Assad regime has resorted once again , and in breach of UN resolutions 2118 and 2235 , to using chemical substances and toxic gases . " The daily reality confirms that all the international agreementsgovernment.agreements.rejectnullifyagreementcontractceasefireand previous security council decisions , be they about chemical weapons or otherwise , are meaningless for the Assad regime . " The Civil Defence spokesman said it was the second time Saraqeb had been hit by toxic gas . The group was aware of around nine suspected chlorine gas incidents across Idlib province since the conflict began , he said .
Trump 's fascination with Russia Trump has long been fascinated with Russia and , before its dissolution , the Soviet Union . During the early 1980s he told The Washington Post that President Reagan should give him the job of negotiating nuclear arms agreementsgovernment.agreements.acceptagreementcontractceasefirewith the USSR . " It would take an hour and a half to learn everything there is to learn about missiles , " he noted . He declined to say exactly what he would propose be done about arsenals with enough power to destroy the world several times over .