Reporters at Wednesday’s State Department press briefing erupted when new spokesperson John Kirby asserted that Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday did not make a major concession to Iran, and that reporters’ stories to the contrary were wrong.
In Tuesday’s briefing, Kerry claimed that “we’re not fixated” on what Iran did in the past militarily with its nuclear program, activities that State is calling “possible military dimensions,” or PMDs. That was widely interpreted as a reversal in policy, since Kerry himself made very clear in April that a final deal and sanctions relief for Iran hinged on Iran’s disclosure of past military-related nuclear activities.
Kirby started the briefing by saying he wanted to correct any impression that Kerry announced a policy change. “I want to put a fork in it right now that there’s any kind of concession or change in the policy,” he said.
But reporters pounced and said they believed they had the right interpretation of Kerry’s remarks. AP reporter Matt Lee said Kerry’s “not fixated” comment clearly indicated that resolving the PMD question has been “kicked down the road.”
“That is the interpretation that I think everyone in this room had, and the reports that you say that are wrong said,” said Lee. “So … how exactly is that a misinterpretation?”
Kirby stressed that Kerry didn’t say that “past or present possible military dimensions of their [nuclear] program don’t matter,” said Kirby. “Of course they matter.”
“No one reported that the secretary said they don’t matter,” Lee rebutted. “What was reported and what the secretary said … was that they don’t have to be resolved for there to be an agreement.”
“Again I tell you that that interpretation of his comments is incorrect,” said Kirby. “There is no change, none whatsoever, in the policy with respect to possible military dimensions, or the things that were agreed to in November and then again in April.”
“Does that mean it was never a requirement, from the U.S. perspective, for Iran to resolve these things to get a final deal?” asked an incredulous Lee. “If that’s what you’re saying, then I think … a lot of people have misunderstood the U.S. position … from the very beginning… then a lot of people have been wrong for a long time and no one has ever sought to correct that until now.”
Kirby then read two documents that did not directly address Lee’s question. “That’s a very selective reading,” snarked another reporter.
“John, you say you’d like to put a fork in this issue — I’m going to give you the opportunity to do that,” said New York Times reporter Michael Gordon, who co-wrote his paper’s article on Kerry’s remarks. “The question that was put to the secretary yesterday was: Do the IAEA’s concerns regarding possible military dimensions need to be fully resolved before sanctions are eased, or removed, or suspended? That’s the question.”
But Kirby refused to answer that question. “As I said at the outset Michael, I’m not going to negotiate in public here. There are still many details that are being worked out by the team,” he said.
“You’re not directly answering this question, with all due respect,” responded Gordon. “The secretary certainly left the impression that all of the IAEA’s concerns about possible military dimensions did not need to be resolved as a condition of requirement for lifting sanctions. And again with all due respect, nothing that you’ve just said contradicts that. You’ve not said that these things need to be resolved for sanctions to be removed. You’ve simply said there are going to be negotiations.”
“We know that,” he added. “You haven’t stuck a fork in it.”
“Uh — uhm — uh, I have,” replied a suddenly tongue-tied Kirby. “The stories alleged that he was backing off some sort of other requirement or that we were willing to make some concession on this.”
“No the story asserted, since I wrote it … was that the secretary … stated that it was not a requirement that these issues be fully resolved for sanctions to be eased or removed,” said Gordon. “I didn’t hear you say anything that contradicts that.”
“I just told you that they do have to be resolved,” said Kirby.
“As a condition for removing sanctions?” asked Gordon.
“I’m not going to get in to specific conditions here,” said Kirby.
Another reporter chimed in that Kirby was still not answering whether any sanctions relief can occur prior to a resolution of the PMD issues.
“I think I’ve answered it as far as I’m going to answer it today,” said Kirby in an unquestionably rocky first press conference.
