[T. Belman. The Senators just euchred Obama.]
BY TAMAR PILEGGI, TOI
Nearly half of the US Senate wrote an open letter to the Iranian leadership Monday, warning that any deal reached between Washington and Tehran during the ongoing nuclear talks won’t remain in effect after President Barack Obama leaves office.
The letter, signed by 47 Republican senators, is the latest effort to pressure the Obama administration into granting Congress some oversight over the nuclear negotiations and emerging agreement, Bloomberg reported Monday.
“It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system … Anything not approved by Congress is a mere executive agreement,” the lawmakers wrote.
“The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”
By calling attention to the short term nature of an agreement without congressional approval, the Republican leadership is apparently hoping to prompt Tehran to reconsider moving forward with the next round of talks set to begin March 15.
Among the signatories were 2016 Republican presidential contenders Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
“Iran’s ayatollahs need to know before agreeing to any nuclear deal that…any unilateral executive agreement is one they accept at their own peril,” freshman Senator Tom Cotton told the paper.
The negotiations have become a campaign issue in the Republican 2016 presidential campaign, with many prominent GOP lawmakers publicly criticizing the emerging deal for not being aggressive enough in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
Despite Obama’s reassurances that without a guarantee that Iran is unable to obtain nuclear weapons the US would walk away from the negotiations, US lawmakers are trying to pass legislation that would allow the Senate to override Obama on a final approval of the terms.
Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif prepare to take their seats for a new round of nuclear negotiations in Montreux, Switzerland on March 2, 2015. (photo credit: AFP/POOL /EVAN VUCCI)
Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif prepare to take their seats for a new round of nuclear negotiations in Montreux, Switzerland on March 2, 2015. (photo credit: AFP/POOL /EVAN VUCCI)
The general outline of the proposed deal reportedly includes regular inspections, a freeze on sensitive nuclear activity for at least 10 years and a cap on the number of centrifuges allowed and limited uranium enrichment.
The US-led negotiations are pressed to reach a framework deal before a deadline at the end of March. A final agreement is supposed to be signed by the end of June.
Congress is also expected to consider legislation later this month that would call for increased sanctions on Iran if a deal fails to materialize. Obama has vowed to oppose any such moves.
Negotiators on both sides have expressed cautious optimism that a deal is within reach.
Read more: Senators warn Iran nuke deal may expire when Obama leaves | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/senators-warn-iran-nuke-deal-may-expire-when-obama-leaves/#ixzz3TtQe0bAS
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yamit82 Said:
I think Dagan said that he and all the other military advisers were against it and BB did not want to go against their advice.
Iran doesn’t need and probably doesn’t want any agreement either.
They have gotten what they were after.
Release of billions tied up by America and the West, reduction and large cracks in the sanctions protocols against them and these have been loosened to the degree that Iran can live with them each month each yer the sanctions administration gets weaker as are the sanctions….
At this point with the military options off the table and Israel being discounted because they see their is no will here to do it. Iran has won Israel and America have lost…
The sanctions regime can’t be put back: The Russians and Chinese and others won’t agree to reinstate sanctions.
Only a credible military threat can stop them and even then maybe not.
BB blew it and as PM must be held responsible…. Just as he should be made responsible for the tunnels from Gaza into Israel and allowing Hezbollah to arm themselves with 70-100K rockets. BB and Israel have allowed Hezbollah to become an existential threat. Not sure BB heading our government is better than Labor…. At least Labor says what they mean and believe BB?????????
Daylight: The Story of Obama and Israel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wbH5KVPrPo#t=636
As if the Iranians were serious about honoring the treaty in the first place
http://www.madisdead.blogspot.co.il/2014/01/a-mini-5-1-question-quiz-for-secretary.html
Answer to question 3
Iranians: Geneva is ‘Treaty of Hudaybiyyah’
by CLARE M. LOPEZ
Although it is doubtful that any of Kerry’s advisers is even remotely familiar with this key episode in the accounts about Muhammad and the early Muslims, the Center for Security Policy explained the story in its 2010 book, “Shariah: The Threat to America.” The context is about situations in which Muslim forces might lawfully enter into a treaty or truce with the enemy. With troubling ramifications for current day negotiations, those situations demonstrate the centrality and importance of deceit in any agreement between Muslims and infidels. As it is recounted, in the year 628 CE, Muhammad (whose forces already controlled Medina) agreed to a 10-year truce with the pagan Quraysh tribe of Mecca, primarily because he realized that his forces were not strong enough to take the city at the time. Islamic doctrine in fact forbids Muslims from entering into a jihad or battle without the reasonable certainty of being able to prevail. In such cases, as with Muhammad, Muslims are permitted to enter into a temporary ceasefire or hudna, with the proviso that no such truce may exceed 10 years (because that’s the length of the agreement Muhammad signed). And so, Muhammad agreed to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. But just two years later, in 630 CE, now with some 10,000 fighters under his command, Muhammad broke the treaty and marched into Mecca.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Observations and thoughts:
Iran is not looking for a bomb or even a few bombs they are apparently aiming for a large nuke arsenal and delivery systems.
In all probability they have a functional nuke or 2-3 already.
They have enough fissile material or have off the shelf from North Korea.
‘Wait long enough by the river and even your enemies body will float by’..
“All Warfare Is Based On Deception.”
Sun Tzu
There is a tiny problem with that self covering statement.
Iran will by then, quite likely, have several war heads ready…
In fact it sounds to me like they are telling Iran… Get a move on guys, finish the bombs before Hussein leaves so we can blame him and move on… and let them Jews live with that.