But with the U.S. presidential election only 15 months away, opponents of last month’s historic pact – particularly those who are lining up to replace Obama – pour scorn on it.
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Obama believes that generations of presidents have followed Kennedy’s lead, nullifying threats with global treaties rather than military action and “ultimately winning the Cold War without firing a shot at the Soviets”. “The IAEA has separately developed the most robust inspection regime ever peacefully negotiated”.
Reid said that he had spoken to Adelson but declined to discuss the specifics of their conversation. In order to ensure this, inspectors have the right to monitor the entire nuclear supply chain and can visit any site in Iran that causes suspicion. The choice is between keeping in place sanctions that are working or a deal that paves the path to a nuclear Iran. Most Democratic candidates have lined up behind the deal, but former Virginia Sen.
Republicans and the Israeli government furiously oppose the deal, which seeks to keep Iran from building a nuclear bomb in exchange for billions in global sanctions relief. Iran already has capability to produce a nuclear warhead and that capacity can not be eradicated.
“As I have repeatedly emphasized, my administration will take whatever means are necessary to achieve that goal, including military means”, Mr. Obama wrote.
“A number of us raised these concerns with the administration, and directly with the president, in the hope that certain assurances could be made, and I am gratified that the president’s response satisfies a number of these concerns”, he said in a statement, according to The Hill. Say what one will about Obama’s performance: It has worked. In the interests of avoiding another costly conflict, Obama prefers to pursue diplomatic solutions.
The United States will respond firmly if Iran fails to honor the accord aimed at curbing its nuclear program, President Barack Obama said Friday, as he works to win over undecided US lawmakers.
Instead, a steady stream of Democrats have recently backed the deal, and Reid’s support will provide an opportunity for others to jump on board.
The U.S. Senate’s top Democrat said Sunday he would “do everything in my power” to support the White House’s Iran nuclear deal, becoming the 27th Senate Democrat publicly to voice support for the deal that lifts sanctions against Iran in return for capping the country’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.
Several influential Democrats, including Sen.
Rep. Donald Norcross, New Jersey Democrat whose district includes a sizable Jewish community, said he would vote against the agreement.
Whether he can do this will depend on whether he can enlist enough Democrats prepared to support him on the deal to go even further and actively thwart the Senate’s ability to express its opposition to it – and record that opposition for history’s eyes.
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There is no doubt that the deal will leave Israel in a more precarious position vis-à-vis Iran and its terrorist proxies in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian-controlled territories.
