Rouhani to UNGA: Iran Deal a Brilliant Victory Over War

Pressing ahead - “In his first major public address since the nuclear accord was finalized, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani conveyed an optimistic, forward-looking approach to relations with the rest of the world, defying expectations that he would be pressured by domestic conservatives to adopt an increasingly hostile position toward cooperation with the U.S. and its allies.”

--“Rouhani pointed to the recently negotiated nuclear agreement as a sign of an era of enhanced cooperation between Iran and the international community. ‘I am speaking on behalf of a nation that, two years ago, again voted for constructive engagement with the world,’ he said Monday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, referring to his unexpected victory in the 2013 elections. ‘I can now proudly announce that today, a new chapter has started in Iran's relations with the world.’”

--“For the first time, two sides, rather than negotiating peace after war, engaged in dialogue and understanding before the eruption of conflict,” Rouhani declared, referring to what was previously a mounting threat of a U.S.-led military campaign against Iran. Read the full piece from Jessica Schulberg for The World Post here. http://huff.to/1KPKV9d

--Full video of President Rouhani’s speech before the UNGA here. http://cs.pn/1h79zta

Out with the old, in with the new - “In his address to the United Nations in New York City Monday morning, President Obama defended his administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran in the vein of 'international togetherness,’ reports Cortney O’Brien for Town Hall. “‘But I believe in my core, we cannot return to the old ways of conflict and coercion… If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences,’ he said.”

--“The president said the power of international unity was best demonstrated during the administration's nuclear agreement with Iran… ‘For two years, international partners stuck together in complex negotiations… The result is a lasting, comprehensive deal… A potential war is averted… Our world is safer. That is the strength of the international system when it works the way it should.’” Get the full story here. http://bit.ly/1KPKP19

Tweet - @nukes_of_hazard: #Obama shakes hands with @Jzarif at #UNGA. @HassanRouhani tells press "still a long road to travel." http://ow.ly/SNrVf

No going back - “Congress has no better alternative than this agreement [the Iran nuclear accord] for preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Now that Congress has voted, its members need to step up to support the agreement’s implementation,” write Michelle Dover and Anthony Wanis-St. John in The Hill. Unfortunately, that is not a given. Staunch opposition to the accord persists, which is “based on the mistaken assumption that Iran—or any nation or non-state actor—can always be compelled to do whatever another party wants if only enough pressure is put on it.”

-- This is simply not true. “Sanctions would not make Iran willingly open its facilities to invasive inspections if it felt these activities jeopardized its national interests… Gutting this agreement would leave only weak political constraints on Iran’s nuclear program and break the unified front it has built with its close allies… Congress must consider these consequences before pushing harmful legislation.” Full story here. http://bit.ly/1LZkz4x

Britain’s nuclear ambition opposition - “Britain's Labour Party has decided to leave the country's nuclear weapons alone,” reports Jill Lawless. “The opposition party's new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, opposes atomic weapons, and had said the issue would be debated at the party's annual conference, which opened Sunday. But after Labour-supporting trade unions said they would vote to keep nuclear weapons and protect thousands of defense jobs, delegates dropped the issue from the conference agenda.”

--“[Corbyn] said earlier Sunday that Britain should get rid of its ‘weapon of mass destruction’ and scrap the Trident nuclear program… A vote to get rid of Trident would also have opened a rift between Corbyn and many Labour lawmakers, who support retaining nuclear weapons. Parliament is due to decide next year how to replace the aging Trident system.” Get the full story here at U.S. News here. http://bit.ly/1KIfjVd

Tweet - @TomCollina: This Big Bomb Should Not Go to Israel @KingstonAReif http://bit.ly/1FAmG22

Nuclear terrorism - “Nuclear annihilation across the globe. This is what a German reporter who successfully embedded with the Islamic State says the terror group is planning,” writes L. Todd Wood. “Jurgen Todenhofer released his findings in a book titled ‘Inside IS - Ten Days in the Islamic State,’ reports the UK’s Daily Express. ‘The terrorists plan on killing several hundred million people… ISIS intends to get its hands on nuclear weapons,’ says Todenhofer, calling the group a ‘nuclear tsunami preparing the largest religious cleansing in history.’” Read the full story here at The Washington Times here. http://bit.ly/1h6WP5X

Quick Hits:

-- “What Does Iran’s President Rouhani Think of the Nuclear Deal?” by Katrina vanden Heuvel for The Nation. http://bit.ly/1QJxJWM

--“US Stations New Nuclear Weapons in Germany,” Johannes Stern for Global Research. http://bit.ly/1NZtabV

--“Our not so peaceful nuclear future,” by Lucien Crowder for Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. http://bit.ly/1iI1o7J

--“Status of Nuclear Forces,” by Federation of American Scientists. http://bit.ly/1oCYwIN

--“Vladimir Putin responds to reports of New U.S. Nukes,” on CNN. http://cnn.it/1NZwiVc

Events:

--“Solving Japan’s Plutonium Problem,” featuring James M. Acton and Toby Dalton. Tuesday, September 29th from 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM at Carnegie Endowment, 1779 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, DC. RSVP here. http://ceip.org/1L2axDh

--“Chinese Thinking on Nuclear Weapons,” featuring Pan Zhenqiang and Fan Jishe. Tuesday, October 6th from 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM at Carnegie Endowment, 1779 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, DC. RSVP here. http://ceip.org/1LMpgTz

--“Policy & Politics of the Iran Agreement,” featuring Joe Cirincione and Bernadette Meehan. Thursday, October 8th from 4:30 - 6:00 PM at Institute for Study of Diplomacy, McGhee Library, Georgetown University, 37th and O St. NW, Washington, DC. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1OE4YgE

--“American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting: Dwight D. Eisenhower Award Special Session Panel,” featuring George Schultz and Sidney Drell. Monday, November 9th from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Marriott Wardman Park, Exhibit Hall A, 2660 Woodley Road NW, Washington, DC. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1MobCEB