29 Mar 2024
Monday 23 December 2013 - 11:18
Story Code : 73288

Obama's Iran sanctions veto

President Obama says he won't sign a deal with Iran that fails to stop its nuclear weapons program. So why is he threatening to veto a Senate sanctions bill that would strengthen his hand in negotiations with Tehran?
That's the big question after the White House promised to veto the "Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013" that a bipartisan group of Senators introduced on Thursday. Thirteen Democrats joined 13 Republicans as co-sponsors of the bill that would impose more sanctions on Iran only if the talks on a final agreement fail.

The veto threat means the President is siding with Iran against a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Congress. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claims the bill would kill the "interim" accord recently signed in Geneva, which sounds like either an excuse or a bluff. Yet White House spokesman Jay Carney immediately echoed the Iranian by saying "it is very important to refrain from taking any action that would potentially disrupt the opportunity for a diplomatic resolution."

At his Friday press conference, Mr. Obama didn't even make that elevated a case, insisting that "there's no reason to do it right now." He added that "I'm not surprised that there's been some talk from some Members of Congress about new sanctions. I think the politics of trying to look tough on Iran are often good when you're running for office or if you're in office."

So as usual the President says his opponents are motivated by political self-interest while he's above all that. At least he didn't blame the "Israel lobby," but what else could he have been referring to? Senate Democrats are getting a taste of what House Republicans get every other day from Mr. Obama.

Pardon us for looking at the merits, but the bill would do nothing to undermine the talks unless Iran isn't serious. Mr. Obama keeps saying that previous sanctionswhich he resisted at every turn only to take credit laterare what brought Iran to the bargaining table. The current bill written by New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez and Illinois Republican Mark Kirk simply warns Iran's rulers of worse sanctions if they walk away. The bill would tee up tighter restrictions on Iran's petroleum industry, access to foreign bank holdings and investment in engineering, mining and construction. This sharpens the incentive for Iran to dismantle its illegal nuclear facilities.

The White House seems to think the bill would alter the mood music of the talks, but if mood is the issue then a deal isn't going to succeed anyway. It's troubling enough that Iran and the U.S. can't even seem to agree on the details of the interim accord, which still isn't in effect.

We're also told that provisional sanctions would undermine Iran President Hasan Rouhani in his supposed battle with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard Corps. But even if you think that Mr. Rouhani is a genuine moderate, parsing Iran's internal politics is a fool's game. Outsiders can't peer inside such a closed system, unless the NSA and CIA are better than we assume. No deal will work unless Iran's hardliners agree to it in any case.

The Senate bill would also send a useful message to German, Chinese, Indian and other companies that are eager to rush back into business with Iran. It says hold off until a final agreement is done and implemented. One reason Iran so hates the Menendez-Kirk bill is that it is hoping the sanctions relief contained in the interim accord will cascade into a wholesale breakdown whether or not a final agreement is reached.

The Senate bill would also help to keep Mr. Obama's negotiators focused on the merits, as opposed to the short-term atmospherics of a supposed diplomatic triumph. The text of the Senate bill says a successful negotiation must dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities, include compliance with existing U.N. Security Council resolutions (which include limits on ballistic missiles) and allow around the clock inspections at all suspect facilities. The interim accord required none of this.

The bill also offers a strong statement of U.S. support for Israel if it acts in self-defense against Iran's nuclear program. This too is a warning to Mr. Obama, who often seems more intent on containing Israel than containing Iran's nuclear ambitions.

No President wants Congress to intervene in foreign policy, but this bill gives him the freedom to negotiate as long as that negotiation achieves what Mr. Obama says are his goals. It tells Iran and Mr. Obama that Congress won't accept a North Korean-like deal that settles for promises instead of dismantling a rogue nuclear program. If Mr. Obama means what he says, he ought to welcome such political support.

By The Wall Street Journal

 

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