Congress’ Role in Dealing with Iran

October 21, 2013 | Edited by Benjamin Loehrke

Congress & Iran - “Congratulations, Congress. Your Iran strategy is working. Now what?” writes Joel Rubin for Politico. For years, the Obama administration and Congress have imposed and enforced sanctions on Iran to pressure it to negotiate over its nuclear program. Now that Iran appears to be serious about negotiations with the administration, Congress has a role in securing a diplomatic win by exercising its power to relieve sanctions, says Rubin.

--”A verifiable deal with Iran that would prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon would require sanctions relief from Congress. But that’s an opportunity to claim victory, not a burden. And it would make Congress a partner with the president on a core security issue. Congress could then say, with legitimacy, that its tough sanctions on Iran worked — and did so without starting another unpopular American war in the Middle East.” Full article here. http://politi.co/1daQFxQ

Nuclear upgrade plan - “The Energy Department's plan to modernize its aging nuclear weapons complex and update the seven hydrogen bomb designs in the nation's arsenal would require massive investments at a time of severe budget pressure. As a result, the plan is getting a tough assessment by outside groups, who say congressional Republicans and Democrats are not fully on board with what the Obama administration has proposed over the last year: a $60-billion effort that would transform industrial arms sites across the nation and fundamentally reconfigure existing weapon designs,” writes Ralph Vartabedian about a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Full article in the LA Times. http://lat.ms/19nKG4J

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Sanctions relief proposals - The Obama Administration is considering a proposal that would allow Iran access to billions of dollars from overseas oil sales in exchange for taking steps to scale back its nuclear program. “The premise behind providing Iran with cold cash is that opening and shutting such a valve would be far easier than beginning to take apart years of complicated, international financial and oil sanctions that would also be difficult to put back together if Iran failed to live up to the bargain,” write Bradley Klapper and Matthew Lee.

--Hawks in Congress plan to introduce a new round economic sanctions against Iran that could allow Iranian access to some of its overseas oil revenue, but only in exchange for Iran ending all uranium enrichment. “The proposed legislation may actually constrict the administration's negotiating ability rather than give it more leeway.” Full report from AP. http://abcn.ws/GXYskI

Post on a deal - “We believe it is worth exploring a settlement that permits a token amount of enrichment while locking down the program to minimize the chance of an undetected breakout. Certainly this would be preferable to military action. But such a deal would require far greater concessions than the regime appears to be contemplating,” writes The Washington Post editorial board. Full article here. http://wapo.st/15XD2gL

Realistic expectations - “Washington needs to be realistic about the scope of a deal,” writes Kelsey Davenport for Global Public Square. Such a deal would include restricting Iran’s uranium enrichment program and placing it under a vigilant inspections regime, paired with reciprocal measures from the U.S. and its partners to relieve sanctions on Iran. “Failure to allow time for diplomacy to work, and following an alternative course of further sanctions and possibly military strikes, only risks pushing Tehran to openly pursuing nuclear weapons.” Full article here. http://bit.ly/19ZzQRt

View from the hill - “Obama Admin Wins Over Key Hawk on Iran Nuclear Talks” reports John Hudson and Yochi Dreasen of Foreign Policy. http://atfp.co/174gewI

Tweet - @lrozen: 10 yr anniversary RT @MicahZenko: White House welcomes Iran's decision to adopt IAEA add'l protocol. October 21 2003 http://t.co/EW7pY4N1Qd

Diplomacy with North Korea - “I became British ambassador to North Korea a year ago, and since then I have seen firsthand the nature of the regime. Its human rights record is appalling; it continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and to sell its military know-how to other states. And yet, I've also seen that it is possible to engage with the regime constructively,” writes Amb. Mike Gifford, the British Ambassador to North Korea. Full article in the LA Times. http://lat.ms/1a7PWu5

Tweet - @nukes_of_hazard: CBO estimate of $19.3 billion per year for new-ship construction is 38% above historical average of $14 billion http://t.co/DnAHVx5mcU

Speed Reads:

--”The Point of Negotiating with Iran: A useful nuclear deal is not inconceivable” by Steve Chapman of The Chicago Tribune. http://trib.in/1c9y3if

--”Stuck ICBM Silo Blast Doors Fixed, Says Global Strike Command” writes Colin Clark for Breaking Defense. http://bit.ly/19ZvjhW

--”Iran Nuclear Talks Herald A Beginning, Not A Breakthrough” by Suzanne Maloney of Brookings. http://bit.ly/19WIy0q

Tweet - @scottcarson1957: The "Infinity Room," Rocky Flats. Canisters contain plutonium. http://t.co/hHc0pd1bSY

A case for the status quo - “In Defense of the Nuclear Triad” by Peter Huessy in Defense One. http://bit.ly/16n55Zt

Events:

--”Securing The Nuclear Enterprise: What Nuclear Crises Teach Us About Future Security Threats” Discussion with Matt Stokes, Henry Sokolski and Brian Finlay at Stimson. Tues. Oct. 22 from 11:30-1:00. Details here. http://bit.ly/17dNvBY

--Amb. Richard Burt and Clark Murdock debate the goal of global zero. Oct. 22nd from 6:00-8:00pm at CSIS. http://bit.ly/174Vh78

--”Russian-U.S. Bilateral Relations – the View from Moscow” Discussion with Amb. Sergey Kislyak and Steven Pifer. Tuesday Oct. 22 from 5:00-6:00pm at the Russian Embassy. Details and RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1c9srEv

--”An Independent Assessment of the Navy’s 30 year Shipbuilding Plan” Hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection with Eric Labs and Ron O’Rourke. Oct. 23rd at 2:00-4:00pm. Webcast here. http://1.usa.gov/1aREr8c