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Iran Cannot Be Trusted

August 24, 2015
Weekly Columns

Over the last few weeks in town hall meetings and other visits across the Fourth District, I’ve heard my constituents voice their concerns about a variety of issues. But by far, the common issue that troubles the vast majority is the proposed nuclear deal negotiated with Iran by the Obama Administration. Like many of my constituents, I am disturbed by what I’ve heard, seen and learned about the agreement. With a vote expected in Congress next month, I remain strongly opposed to approving the deal.

When negotiations began two years ago, the president assured the American people that the goal was to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and to block its pathway to acquiring and building a nuclear weapon. Unfortunately, the deal being sold by the president does not fulfill that promise. Instead, it simply delays Iran’s development of a nuclear bomb and dangerously empowers the country to continue funding our terrorist enemies through sanctions relief. Further, it jeopardizes the safety and security of our friends and allies, especially those in close proximity to Iran - including Israel.

But if those were not reasons enough to walk away from the deal, the latest development related to international inspections is reason to run far away from it. In the past, President Obama has explained that the deal would rely upon these international inspections to prevent Iran from cheating. However, we have learned that beyond the agreement sent to Congress for review, there was a separate deal negotiated between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), an agency within the United Nations responsible for inspecting Iran’s nuclear facilities as part of the larger agreement.

According to the Associated Press, which reviewed and transcribed the complete document, that secret deal prevents international inspectors from being thorough and even bars their access to site visits. Rather than perform the inspections on site, the IAEA would depend on Iran to report the information it deems relevant to the investigation. Under the terms of the side deal, inspectors specifically would not be allowed to investigate the Parchin nuclear site, where advances in building a nuclear weapon have long been suspected in Iran.

It is absolutely outrageous to believe that Iran will provide the facts related to its past nuclear work if no one outside of its country is allowed to verify the evidence. The United States and our allies should be able to maintain a complete overview of the regime’s nuclear activities through unlimited and unannounced inspections of Iran’s facilities to catch anything done in secret.

Designated by the State Department as a sponsor of terror since 1984, Iran has time and again proven dishonest and untrustworthy. As I’ve said before, the only way to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon is through significant degradation of its nuclear capability. That must include fewer centrifuges, greater transparency and Iran’s surrender of weapons-grade uranium accumulated in recent years. With the existence of this secret deal, however, none of that is certain to be achieved.

Like many of my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, I am very uncomfortable with the concessions made to Iran in the deal sent to Congress and especially in the newly revealed secret agreement. It is no wonder Iran is so publicly enthusiastic and willing to support it. Based on all that we know, the United States and our allies only stand to lose if Congress affirms the agreement.

Issues:Foreign Affairs