Former US government officials say that sanctions against Iran can ruin the international coalition.WASHINGTON, December 2 (Sputnik) New sanctions againstIran imposed bythe US Congress could wreak havoc onthe ongoing Iraniannuclear negotiationsand fracture the international coalition, said former US government officials.
"If there are new sanctions that require us [the United States] tosanction China or India or Japan or South Korea fornot eliminating all crude oil purchases, I think that's going toend uphurting the international sanctions coalition," former special adviser tothe US Secretary ofState onnon-proliferation and Arms Control Bob Einhorn stated onMonday atWilson Center.
Einhorn argued that the international sanctions regime is still needed toput pressure onIran, "and if additional sanctions lead todivisions withinit, the negotiations will suffer asa result."
The possibility ofUS domestic politics disrupting the already difficult negotiations could be disastrous, former congresswoman and Wilson Center President, Jane Harman stated.
"Going throughanother partisan exercise will make this very, very difficult and increase the chances that the international coalition blows up, which I think would be a disaster," Harman, who served nine terms inthe US Congress said.
Both Harman and Einhorn raised the possibility ofUS President Barack Obama using his veto power tostrike downnew sanctions arising fromCongress. There is currently bipartisan support foradditional sanctions levied bythe Congress, butgreater pressure fromRepublicans who will be taking political control ofboth the US House and Senate inJanuary.
The United States, European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, Russia, China and member states ofthe United Nations Security Council have all constructed a network ofsanctions onIranfornuclear non-proliferation and other causes.
The nuclear negotiations, stipulated onIran abandoning its nuclear weapons program inexchange forsanctions relief, were scheduled toconclude onNovember 24, butthe talks have been extended untilJuly 1, 2015.
By Sputnik News
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