After Kerry Briefing, Senators Slam White House Over “Chamberlain”-Style Iran Deal & “Anti-Israel” Statements
Senators walked out of a Banking Committee briefing given by Secretary of State John Kerry this afternoon expressing renewed dissatisfaction with the administration’s approach to negotiations with Iran, and blasting administration officials for attacking the credibility and concerns of both of U.S. allies and of other U.S. lawmakers.
Speaking on his way out of the meeting, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) told reporters that when he asked Secretary of State Kerry about assessments he received from Israel earlier in the day that the latest deal the Obama Administration was prepared sign with Iran would only “set back the [Iranian nuclear] program about 24 days,” Kerry repeatedly told Senators to “disbelieve everything that the Israelis had just told [us].
“The Israelis gave that to me this morning,” Kirk said, “and the administration very disappointingly said discount what the Israelis say and I think that was wrong as a policy matter. I think the Israelis have a very good intelligence service.
“This administration like Neville Chamberlain is yielding a large and bloody conflict in the Middle East involving Iranian nuclear weapons that will now be part of our children’s future. And the best way to prevent that from happening is to continue sanctions which Secretary Kerry goes on and on about how effective.”
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed deepening skepticism regarding administration calls to delay sanctions. Writing in USA Today on Monday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez wrote that “tougher sanctions will serve as an incentive for Iran to verifiably dismantle its nuclear weapons program” and that “when Iran complies, sanctions can be unwound and economic relief will follow.”
Menendez also gestured toward broad criticism over the State Department’s overall approach to Iran talks – Foggy Bottom has been criticized for consistently seeming overeager to take any day – telling ABC News “we seem to want the deal almost more than the Iranians. And you can’t want the deal more than the Iranians, especially when the Iranians are on the ropes.”
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Below is a partial transcript of Kirk’s remarks to the media after the closed-door, classified briefing:
“Sen. Kirk: …that it was fairly anti-Israeli that I was supposed to disbelieve everything that the Israelis had just told me. And I don’t. I think the Israelis probably have a pretty good intelligence service.
Question: What did the Israelis just tell you?Sen. Kirk: They told us that the total changes proposed set back the program about 24 days…………..
Question: …do you think the administration has lost credibility on this?Sen. Kirk: A lot, very low credibility, I would say………
Sen. Kirk: I think today is the day in which I witnessed a feature of nuclear war in the Middle East in the future someday that will be part of our children’s heritage. This administration like Neville Chamberlain is yielding a large and bloody conflict in the Middle East involving Iranian nuclear weapons that will now be part of our children’s future. And the best way to prevent that from happening is to continue sanctions which Secretary Kerry goes on and on about how effective. ….
Question: Do you think there’s the votes in the Senate to attach Iran sanctions to the defense authorization bill?
Sen. Kirk: I do in fact. I think overwhelmingly if it was given a vote 90% of the Senate would vote for it as they did last time. All we would do is remind Senators that every single Senator voted for Menendez-Kirk.
Question: What made you move to the conclusion that we witnessed the beginning of the potential nuclear war in the Middle East?
Sen. Kirk: That the administration is not going to act in the best way to prevent nuclear war in the Middle East. Right when the Iranians are…you know, how do you define an Iranian moderate? It’s an Iranian who is out of bullets or out of money.
Question: What was the exact source for the 24 days, can you elaborate?
Sen. Kirk: That was the Israelis, the Israelis gave that to me this morning. And the administration very disappointingly said discount what the Israelis say and I think that was wrong as a policy matter. I think the Israelis have a very good intelligence service.”
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