In The New York Times on Feb. 22, AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) leaders Michael Kassen and Lee Rosenberg, provided “guidelines” for the Obama administration’s diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful dismantling of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. They said AIPAC supports “a policy that complements the current negotiations with a range of congressional actions that threaten greater economic and diplomatic pressure on the Iranian government.” They continued, “In fact, diplomacy that is not backed by the threat of clear consequences poses the greatest threat to negotiations — and increases the prospects for war — because it tells the Iranians they have nothing to lose by embracing an uncompromising solution.”

This approach of “supporting the current policy” with these provisos reminds me of President Ronald Reagan’s statement, “Trust, but verify,” while meeting with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on Dec. 8, 1987, at the signing of the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty.

The AIPAC leaders said, “Our message to Tehran should be clear: It will not achieve its objectives unless it satisfies ours.” Whose objectives are these? AIPAC’s? Israel’s? Or both?

On March 17, negotiations with Iran by the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany, or P5+1, will resume and it is assumed that failure would probably not be an option. It is also assumed that a partial lifting of sanctions will continue as long as Iran is forthcoming in responding to the terms of reference that have been spelled out at the outset of the negotiating process.