UANI Op-Ed Featured in Debut Edition of Politico Magazine
Lieberman, Wallace & Townsend: "It Is Vitally Important that the United States Speak with a United Voice"
How to Stare Down Iran
It's time for Congress to hold the line on the Iranian nuclear program.
By Joe Lieberman, Mark D. Wallace & Fran Townsend
November 14, 2013
The authors are members of the bipartisan coalition United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).
The high-stakes diplomatic meetings that occurred in Geneva last weekend were not for the faint of heart. By all accounts, the international community came perilously close to signing off on a deal that would have given Tehran access to billions of dollars in frozen funds and other sanctions relief in exchange for a package of supposed concessions that did not include Iran suspending its nuclear enrichment or slowing the construction of its heavy-water reactor.
Consensus ultimately failed due not only to objections by the French, but also for the same reason that past talks with Tehran have broken down: overreach by the Iranian regime. Specifically, Iran once again insisted that the great powers accept its so-called right to enrich-a notion without basis in international law.
The American people should not count on continual delay, however. With another round of discussions scheduled to take place in a matter of days, an agreement along the lines discussed in Geneva is still conceivable. The danger now is that the international community will be tempted to offer new concessions and sweeteners to reach an agreement, and Iran will receive the sanctions relief it badly desires. We are particularly troubled by statements from senior U.S. officials that have telegraphed a desire to get to "yes" in these talks as quickly as possible.
This is why we strongly feel that the U.S. Congress needs to become involved in this process, and weigh in on the essential principles that would underpin any nuclear agreement with Iran. It is quite an appropriate role for Congress to play, given its authority in passing, lifting and potentially increasing sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Iran desperately wants sanctions relief. At the very least, Congress should insist that any agreement that does lift sanctions should require the Iranian regime to suspend its enrichment and reprocessing-related activities for a substantial period. This is by no means an extreme position, but in fact what has been previously demanded by the international community and permanent members of the Security Council in multiple U.N. resolutions. Given Iran's track record of deceptive and illicit nuclear conduct, it would indeed be bizarre if the United States acceded to Iranian enrichment-especially when responsible U.S. allies in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates, have explicitly foresworn such technology.
The failure to reach agreement in Geneva, and President Hassan Rouhani's public statements afterward, suggest a wide divergence between Iran and responsible governments. Rouhani's claims that enrichment is a "red line" and Iran's "right" under international law are not consistent with any treaty or international agreement. Rather, Iran's enrichment activities-which already go far beyond what friendly nuclear powers have developed-are in violation of international law.
We appeal to Congress to enter this debate now, and state what it deems to be an acceptable agreement with Iran. Given the historic consequence of rapprochement with Iran and the impact of a potential nuclear agreement, it is vitally important that the United States speak with a united voice.
Congress should also be clear about its intentions when it comes to easing or strengthening sanctions. The sanctions framework is what brought Iran to the table in the first place; it is working, but fragile, and its various components are interdependent. If current sanctions law is even partially unwound on an interim basis, the effects on the overall sanctions regime will be far-reaching and potentially crippling.
Congress should also demonstrate that Iran can anticipate new and more robust sanctions as long as it keeps refusing to suspend its enrichment-related activities. This would constitute an important pillar of the U.S. position, since Iran has always found a way around sanctions if given enough time. Future conversations in Geneva and elsewhere should not be strictly about relief from existing sanctions, but also should include the very real possibility of new and ever increasing ones.
If Iran is not yet ready to take the necessary steps to halt its march toward a nuclear capability, then we should make use of the numerous measures at our disposal to squeeze the regime harder, rather than rush to make concessions ourselves.
The authors are members of the bipartisan coalition United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). Former Sen. Joseph Lieberman is a UANI advisory board member. Fran Townsend is UANI advisory board member and a former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush. Former U.S. diplomat Mark D. Wallace is UANI's CEO.
Click here to read the piece at Politico.com/Magazine.
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