Rep. Duncan Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, took a strong stance against the interim deal reached last month with Iran over its nuclear programduring an interview with C-SPANon Wednesday."I don't think this does anything, frankly, except give them kind of a leg up and some cover in the international community," the California Republican said, referring to the agreement.
Hunter, like a majority of House members, voted to increase sanctions against Iran earlier this year.
"Don't be confused with what the administration would like you to believe about this deal, and the reality of it," he said. "I think they are so in love with the idea of just saying that they did something here, whether it works or not, that they're blind to the reality."
Asked if he thinks it is inevitable the United States will go to war with Iran, Duncan replied: "I sure as hell hope not."
But, he added that if it does happen, it should not be through boots on the ground, but "tactical nuclear devices, and you send them back a decade or two or three. But that's still a huge undertaking."
Hunter stressed that the United States should not trust the Iranian government and suggested that Middle Eastern culture breeds dishonesty during negotiations.
"It is part of the Middle Eastern culture to get the best deal that you can when you're arguing. That's part of Middle Eastern culture," Hunter said, when asked if all Middle Eastern countries are willing to lie in negotiations. "I think Iran is the epitome of that, because they have lied over and over and over."
Pressed on his statement, Hunter added, "Not necessarily all Middle Eastern countries. I know that's a big generalization. They do business different than we do business in the West. They have markets, they like to barter. They like to do whatever they can and say whatever they can to get the best deal."
By National Journal
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