At the end of last year, the Obama administration and congress agreed upon a list of concessions to grant to Iran under the Nuclear Deal (JPCOA.) However, two recent developments have led members of congress to believe that administration officials have deceptive with last minute changes to the resolutions.
In the original deal, Iran was prohibited to do ballistic missile tests and would not receive any access to the American financial system. Although most would agree that Iran has violated this with recent launches, U.N. ambassador Samantha Power merely criticized the tests.
Obama, similarly did not claim that Iran has violated the deal. “Iran so far has followed the letter of the agreement, but the spirit of the agreement involves Iran also sending signals to the world community and businesses that it is not going to be engaging in a range of provocative actions that are going to scare businesses off,” said Obama. “When they launch ballistic missiles with slogans calling for the destruction of Israel, that makes businesses nervous.”
When the president was asked about the country’s financial access to the US banking system, he also tiptoed around the issue. “It is not necessary that we take the approach of them going through dollar transactions,” Obama told reporters. “It is possible for them to work through European financial institutions as well.”
While Treasury Department officials are suggesting otherwise by granting Iran sanctions relief, with indirect access to the American financial system. This has evidently caused lawmakers to question Obama’s sincerity and has led congress to investigate the administration.
“When multiple officials—including Secretary Kerry, Secretary Lew, and Ambassador Mull—testify in front of Members of Congress, we are inclined to believe them. However, the gap between their promises on the Iran nuclear deal and today’s scary reality continues to widen. We are now trying to determine whether this was intentional deception on the part of the administration or new levels of disturbing acquiescence to the Iranians,” said Rep. Mike Pompeo
And he is not alone in his sentiments. Rep. Pompeo along with two fellow Republican house members Lee Zeldin and Pete Roskam addressed a letter to the secretary of State John Kerry that stated, “the seeming American refusal to name these Iranian tests as violations is in direct conflict with the administration’s earlier commitments.”
Is this really in the best interest of the American people? Obama should be more focused on protecting the country, instead of bestowing more concessions to the destructive Iran.
Editor’s note: Congress is not blameless here, they should never have given Obama fast track authority. It should also have read the damned agreement before they voted on it.