Republicans long suspicious of President Obama’s negotiations with Iran slammed a tentative accord the U.S. and world powers reached with the Islamic regime Thursday.
In fiery statements, Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Mark Kirk of Illinois dismissed Obama’s assurances that the deal would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. They said the U.S. made too many unnecessary concessions, particularly because the agreement does nothing to roll back Iran’s role as the world’s most active state sponsor of terrorism and the fact that Tehran continues to threaten the national security of America and its allies in the Middle East, especially Israel.
Kirk went so far as to compare Obama to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who was famously duped by Adolph Hitler’s promises that Germany had no intention of instigating another war in Europe.
“Neville Chamberlain got a better deal in 1938. Under today’s deal, the United States and its international partners will dismantle the sanctions regime against Iran, while Iran, the world’s biggest exporter of terrorism, will be allowed to keep vast capabilities to make nuclear weapons,” Kirk said.
Cotton last month authored an open letter to Iran’s leaders warning them any deal that isn’t approved by Congress would be illegitimate and subject to rejection by the next president when he or she takes office in January of 2017. The letter, signed by 46 of his colleagues, caused controversy as the arms talks headed into the home stretch, prompting most of the Republicans running for president to vow they would cancel any accord that isn’t cleared at least by a vote of the Senate.
Cotton vowed that he would work in the days ahead to kill what he called a “very dangerous proposal.” Among his chief concerns: Other Middle East countries, concerned that the agreement won’t accomplish its objective, will pursue their own nuclear bomb to protect themselves against Tehran.
“There is no nuclear deal or framework with Iran; there is only a list of dangerous U.S. concessions that will put Iran on the path to nuclear weapons. Iran will keep a stockpile of enriched uranium and thousands of centrifuges — including centrifuges at a fortified, underground military bunker at Fordow. Iran will also modernize its plutonium reactor at Arak. Iran won’t have to disclose the past military dimensions of its nuclear program, despite longstanding UN demands. In addition, Iran will get massive sanctions relief up front, making potential “snap-back” sanctions for inevitable Iranian violations virtually impossible,” Cotton said.
“Contrary to President Obama’s insistence,” he continued, “the former deputy director of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said terms such as these will allow Iran to achieve nuclear breakout in just a few months, if not weeks. But in any case, even these dangerous terms will expire in just 10-15 years, even though it only took North Korea 12 years to get the bomb after it signed a similar agreement in 1994.”
“These concessions also do nothing to stop or challenge Iran’s outlaw behavior. Iran remains the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism. Iranian aggression is destabilizing the Middle East. And Iran continues to hold multiple Americans hostage,” he added.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, a Republican hawk, also expressed her disappointment with the announced framework for a deal with Iran, although in more measured tones.
“I remain deeply concerned that based on the parameters announced today, Iran could retain a one-year breakout period that leaves it in a position to sprint toward a bomb should it choose to do so. This framework also appears to leave Iran with a significant enrichment capability, which could prompt a response from Arab nations with respect to their own nuclear programs. In addition, these parameters fail to address Iran’s regional terrorism, including its destabilizing actions in Yemen,” she said.
