The recent news about the illness of former President Jimmy Carter should be a valuable reminder to everyone, especially the three members of Delaware’s congressional delegation, that the deal on Iran’s nuclear program deserves their full and unwavering support. The only instances in which the United States has had success in that part of the world has been when it used its stature as the greatest world power to push for diplomatic solutions, as President Carter did in 1978 with the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. Every time we have opted for military intervention, the results have been disastrous: The Persian Gulf War succeeded only in restoring the Emir of Kuwait to his throne, and the stationing of American troops in Saudi Arabia so enraged Osama bin Laden that it led directly to 9/11; the invasion of Iraq in 2003 has been an unmitigated disaster in every respect, destabilized the region far more than before, and brought about the creation of ISIS; the invasion of Afghanistan has done nothing to make our country safer, and caused the death and maiming of thousands of brave American soldiers. None of these military “solutions” has worked out, and they have not increased the security of either the United States or Israel. The only times that we have been able to help ourselves or Israel have been when the United States could be an honest broker and focus on diplomatic breakthroughs. The recent deal with Iran, which has remarkable provisions to reduce and monitor Iran’s nuclear program and postpone for at least 10 years any chance for a “breakout” to building a nuclear weapon, is a real opportunity to help reduce tensions, lessen the chances for a nuclear-arms race in the region and, for the first time in decades, actually improve the national security of both the United States and Israel, as well as the rest of the region. Not every problem requires a military solution. Often, as we should have learned by now, there is no military solution — especially in the Middle East. Smart countries seek diplomatic or negotiated settlements before they resort to war. I earnestly hope that Sens. Carper and Coons, as well as Congressman Carney, support President Obama and Secretary Kerry in this return to sanity in our foreign policy.

Daniel Pritchett Dover