Cole: A Bad Deal For America

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By Congressman Tom Cole

Following two years of negotiations that have included missed and extended deadlines, the P5+1 announced this month that a deal with Iran has been reached regarding its nuclear program. This deal comes at the insistence of the legacy-starved Obama Administration that has already taken dangerous missteps in its foreign policy. I remain very concerned about the concessions made to Iran in the deal and the implications for the safety and security of America and our allies, including our greatest friend in the region: Israel.

As I’ve said before, Iran is an untrustworthy and dangerous negotiating partner. History reveals that the country’s leaders cannot be trusted and only aim to do us – and our allies – harm. In fact, since 1984, Iran has been listed by our nation’s own State Department as a known sponsor of terror around the world. Common sense should dictate that decades-long patterns of bad intentions and aggressive behavior are unlikely to change overnight. I believe that the agreement negotiated by the Obama Administration doesn’t change the nature of our relationship and certainly does not make Iran a friend of the United States or deserving of our confidence and trust, especially since the country still holds four American citizens hostage.

Since the agreement was announced, I have had the opportunity to read the full text of the deal. I have attended a classified briefing with three cabinet secretaries, including Secretary of State John Kerry. I have visited with military and Middle East foreign policy experts. I have consulted with members of the clergy and advocates for the state of Israel. Without question, the more I learn, the less comfortable I am with the agreement.

The Administration clearly lost sight of the objective that was stated repeatedly before, during and after the negotiations. When negotiations started two years ago, the president assured the American people that the goal was to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and to block its pathway to acquiring and building a nuclear weapon. But this deal does nothing of the sort – it simply delays Iran’s development of a nuclear bomb. In addition, removal of the sanctions will give Iran a multi-billion dollar infusion of cash, which the country will almost certainly use to continue funding the terrorist enemies of America and our allies.

For its part, Iran appears to be elated with the agreement, which in and of itself should be cause for concern. The agreement doesn’t provide for unannounced inspections, which gives the country time to cheat or cover up illegal activity. Further, the United States will not be allowed to participate in or even observe the inspections that do occur. Only countries with diplomatic relations with Iran—countries like Syria, Russia, North Korea and China—will be responsible for making sure Iran doesn’t cheat on the agreement. I believe that is a little too close to the proverbial “fox guarding the henhouse.”

The only way to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon is through significant degradation of its nuclear capability. That must include fewer centrifuges, greater transparency and Iran’s surrender of weapons-grade uranium accumulated in recent years. I believe that until Iran demonstrates that it is trustworthy and committed to renouncing terrorism, the sanctions should remain in place. The United States and our allies should be able to maintain a complete overview of the regime’s nuclear activities through unlimited and unannounced inspections of Iran’s facilities to catch anything done in secret.

When this agreement was first announced, I was skeptical that it would be something I could support. Those initial concerns have only been deepened as I have learned more about the details. Throughout the month of August, I intend to have a number of town hall meetings across the Fourth District of Oklahoma to hear what my constituents think about this proposed agreement. Their opinions will be extremely important to me. However, at this point in time, I don’t see any possible way this could be a good deal for America or one that I could ever vote for.


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