Congress
Members Frustrated by Secret Iran Nuclear Agreements and Hidden
Unclassified Documents
by IPT News • Jul 31, 2015 at
2:32 pm
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Crucial aspects of the Iran nuclear deal remain hidden from the public,
and in some instances, from the American government, Bloomberg reports.
In a closed-door session with House members Wednesday, Secretary of
State John Kerry revealed that two side deals between Iran and the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were reached. Kerry he neither read nor
possesses the secret agreements.
According to U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., a member of the House
Intelligence Committee who attended the closed-door session, Congress also is
in the dark on these agreements.
"Kerry told me directly that he has not read the secret side deals.
He told us the State Department does not have possession of these
documents," Pompeo told Bloomberg View columnists Josh Rogin and Eli
Lake.
Furthermore, other secret agreements kept from the public were presented
to Congress on Monday – part of 18 documents the White House were required
to disclose – including secret letters of understanding between the U.S.,
France, Germany , and the United Kingdom that outline some of the ambiguous
aspects of the nuclear deal.
Seventeen of these documents are unclassified, yet they are stored in
ultra-secure facilities intended for top-secret information, the Daily
Beast reports. These extraordinary precautions indicate that
the Obama administration is seeking to keep unclassified documents from
reaching the public.
"A lot of both documents and discussion that have been held in a
classified setting doesn't have classified characteristics to it... to the
extent that many [documents aren't classified,] they should be made totally
public, as far as I'm concerned, so that the public can evaluate for
themselves," U.S. Sen Bob Menendez, D-N.J., told the Daily Beast.
IAEA officials told Pompeo and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., that the
two side deals involve IAEA inspections of the Parchin military complex and
how Iran and the IAEA would address concerns regarding the military
dimensions of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
The Obama Administration is only required to pass documents in its
possession to Congress, therefore the side deals cannot be presented to
Congress or the U.S. public.
"Kerry gave no indications they are seeking these documents and
there is no indication he is the least bit worried he doesn't have access
to this. The Ayatollah [Khamenei] knows what's in the deal but we
don't," Pompeo told Bloomberg.
These elements of secrecy regarding unclassified documents hidden from
the public and side agreements without U.S. knowledge seem to directly
contradict Preside Obama's argument that the Iran nuclear deal is
verifiable and transparent.
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