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Jesus Malverde

(10,274 posts) Sat Oct 19, 2013, 02:25 AM Oct 2013

Obama Admin Wins Over Key Hawk on Iran Nuclear Talks

Following a round of high-stakes talks on Iran's nuclear program in Geneva, the Obama administration is seeking to reassure lawmakers it won't give away the house in its negotiations with Tehran. On Friday, its chief nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman won over a key Iran hawk, Rep. Eliot Engel, during a round of calls to the Hill.

"Under Secretary Sherman told me that the Iranians appeared serious in the recent nuclear talks in Geneva, but cautioned that the devil's in the details, and made clear that U.S. negotiators will remain clear-eyed as they seek to negotiate a deal to end Iran's nuclear weapons program," Engel, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Cable.

A congressional aide said Sherman's assurances dispelled concerns that the White House would scale back its sanctions regime against Iran any time soon. "She was very quick to assuage any concerns that the administration was going to start unilaterally waving sanctions," said the aide. "She made very clear that the sanctions won't be moved until we see verifiable progress. The fears expressed earlier that the administration was going to give away the store don't seem to be well-founded."

The administration is also coming to the Hill with a second message: Hold off on all sanctions. A State Department official tells The Cable the administration wants to stave off new sanctions in the Senate designed to choke off almost all of Iran's remaining international oil sales. But it's unclear how receptive Congress will be.

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/10/18/obama_admin_wins_over_key_hawk_on_iran_nuclear_talks

8 replies

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Obama Admin Wins Over Key Hawk on Iran Nuclear Talks (Original Post) Jesus Malverde Oct 2013 OP

There's no evidence that Iran is trying to make a nuclear bomb. delrem Oct 2013 #1

They've been developing the ability to make nuclear weapons, and that is prohibited by the NPT. bananas Oct 2013 #2

Show exactly how Iran breaches the NPT. delrem Oct 2013 #4

The NPT requires intrusive monitoring and reporting bananas Oct 2013 #5

Is this "intrusive monitoring and reporting" demanded of the USA? Of Israel? delrem Oct 2013 #6

Think of it as a technology licensing agreement. bananas Oct 2013 #7

The Obama team wins battles by negotiations madokie Oct 2013 #3

Really glad the administration is trying to make this work. stevenleser Oct 2013 #8

delrem

(9,688 posts)

1. There's no evidence that Iran is trying to make a nuclear bomb.

Reply to Jesus Malverde (Original post)

Sat Oct 19, 2013, 02:34 AM

Oct 2013

That's been widely reported, not from just one intelligence agency but, I daresay, from them all.

So it's all theater.

bananas

(27,509 posts)

2. They've been developing the ability to make nuclear weapons, and that is prohibited by the NPT.

Reply to delrem (Reply #1)

Sat Oct 19, 2013, 05:40 AM

Oct 2013

That's been widely reported, not from just one intelligence agency but, I daresay, from them all.

And as the Federation of American Scientists point out:

"No sound strategic energy planning would prioritize nuclear energy in a country like Iran"

"Instead of enhancing Iran's energy security, the nuclear program has diminished the country's ability to diversify and achieve real energy independence."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/03/us-iran-nuclear-report-idUSBRE93200620130403

The full report is on the Federation of American Scientists website at http://blogs.fas.org/blog/2013/04/new-report-analyzing-irans-nuclear-program-costs-and-risks/ and on the Carnegie website at http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/04/02/iran-s-nuclear-odyssey-costs-and-risks/fvui

delrem

(9,688 posts)

4. Show exactly how Iran breaches the NPT.

Reply to bananas (Reply #2)

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 01:08 AM

Oct 2013

Iran has the right to enrichment according as the NPT.

Are you going to tell me that they have hidden mobile nuke factories that only you are aware of, and that after Iran is invaded and regime change has been put into effect you'll show exactly where they are? Or what?

bananas

(27,509 posts)

5. The NPT requires intrusive monitoring and reporting

Reply to delrem (Reply #4)

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 05:40 AM

Oct 2013

which Iran hasn't complied with. The "right" to enrichment isn't absolute, for example South Korea violated the NPT when it didn't report it was experimenting with laser enrichment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons#Iran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korean_nuclear_research_programs#Post-NPT_Programs

delrem

(9,688 posts)

6. Is this "intrusive monitoring and reporting" demanded of the USA? Of Israel?

Reply to bananas (Reply #5)

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 05:57 AM

Oct 2013

bananas

(27,509 posts)

7. Think of it as a technology licensing agreement.

Reply to delrem (Reply #6)

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 07:50 AM

Oct 2013

The countries which developed nuclear weapons and nuclear energy technologies agreed to license nuclear energy technologies to countries that didn't have it. The terms require non-proliferation and disarmament:

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its advisory opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, issued 8 July 1996, unanimously interprets the text of Article VI as implying that

"There exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control."

The ICJ opinion notes that this obligation involves all NPT parties (not just the nuclear weapon states) and does not suggest a specific time frame for nuclear disarmament.[14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons

The five NPT nuclear weapon states are also the five permamanent members of the UN Security Council. They have been been negotiating arms reduction and verification treaties, and have greatly reduced their stockpiles over the decades. Obama was unanimously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to encourage him in this effort, and he's made a lot of progress. His Science Advisor John Holdren is an expert in this area - one of the reasons Obama chose him.

India, Pakistan, and Israel don't belong to the NPT, so it doesn't directly apply to them. However, members are prohibited from providing non-members with anything that can be used to make nuclear weapons , so it indirectly applies to them. That's why Bush's "Nukes-for-Mangoes" was such a bad idea - it gave India a waiver. India reached "peak uranium" and was facing the choice of ending their nuclear weapons program or ending their nuclear energy program. Bush's "nukes-for-mangoes" waiver enabled them to do both. I think Australia still refuses to sell uranium to India, not sure if they've caved or not.

madokie

(51,076 posts)

3. The Obama team wins battles by negotiations

Reply to Jesus Malverde (Original post)

Sat Oct 19, 2013, 05:52 AM

Oct 2013

War on the other hand is an admission of failure.

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)

8. Really glad the administration is trying to make this work.

Reply to Jesus Malverde (Original post)

Sun Oct 20, 2013, 09:08 AM

Oct 2013

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