WarSclerotic

82 senators outline ‘acceptable’ terms for Iran deal in letter to Obama | JPost | Israel News.

( 82 out of 100?  That’s a “super-majority” by any count.  Even for antisemites.  Look forward to finding out who the 18 Obama brown-nosers/Iran suckfish are. – JW )

By MICHAEL WILNER

03/16/2014 18:18

Senate aides tell ‘Post’ that letter to be delivered this week calls for dismantling of Iran’s ability to have uranium or plutonium path to nuclear bomb; calls for closure of Fordow, Arak and Parchin facilities.

WASHINGTON — A significant majority of US Senate members have now signed a letter to US President Barack Obama outlining terms of a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program that they would find acceptable.

82 senators – 41 Democrats and 41 Republicans – say they hope diplomatic efforts succeed in Vienna with Iran over the next four months – but also call for the “rapid and dramatic” expansion of sanctions if negotiations fail.

The letter began circulating less than two weeks ago, and has attracted 76 signatories since its release. Senate aides tell The Jerusalem Post the letter will be sent to the White House early this week.

A source with a pro-Israel organization characterized the letter’s message as “a very significant statement of Senate policy in that it specifies the core principles in final agreement.”

World powers are attempting to reach a comprehensive solution to the longstanding nuclear crisis with Iran, now over a decade old, through peaceful means. The United States has recently bolstered its staff for the negotiations, which the president and Secretary of State John Kerry consider the “best chance” at resolving the crisis.

Support for the letter has been a top priority of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee since its annual policy conference earlier this month.

“We believe that Iran has no inherent right to enrichment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” the letter reads. “We believe any agreement must dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons program and prevent it from ever having a uranium or plutonium path to a nuclear bomb.”

The letter also calls for the closure of Fordow, Arak and Parchin – key facilities in Iran’s nuclear program – in its list of demands.

The Obama administration has entered negotiations with a similar list, though senior officials are not demanding the full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

On a conference call with reporters on Friday, one senior administration official said the White House is willing to tolerate a small, highly regulated Iranian nuclear program that is guaranteed peaceful through strict verification and oversight measures.

The language of the letter does not explicitly rule out these terms: it calls on Iran’s nuclear “weapons” program to be fully dismantled, not necessarily all of its nuclear work.

“Should an acceptable final agreement be reached, your administration will need to work together with Congress to enact implementing legislation to provide longer term sanctions relief beyond existing waiver authorities – either through suspension, repeal or amendment of statutory sanctions,” the letter reads.

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