IRAN-NUCLEAR/KERRY-MONIZ Kerry warns U.S. Congress scrapping Iran deal would mean path to nuclear weapon

Record ID: 145921

  • Title: IRAN-NUCLEAR/KERRY-MONIZ Kerry warns U.S. Congress scrapping Iran deal would mean path to nuclear weapon
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (JULY 28, 2015) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY ENTERING ROOM WIDE OF PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOT OF KERRY WITH ENERGY SECRETARY ERNEST MONIZ AND TREASURY SECRETARY JACK LEW SHOT OF HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOT OF KERRY WITH ENERGY SECRETARY ERNEST MONIZ AND TREASURY SECRETARY JACK LEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY SAYING: "You'll not only be giving Iran a free pass to double the pace of its uranium enrichment, to build a heavy water reactor, to install new and more efficient centrifuges, but they will do it all without the unprecedented inspection and transparency measures that we've secured. Everything that we have tried to prevent will now happen. Now, what's worse? If we walk away, we walk away alone. Our partners are not going to be with us. Instead they will walk away from the tough multilateral sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table in the first place. And we will have the best chance that we have to solve this problem through peaceful means." WIDE OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPRESENTATIVE ED ROYCE, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE'S REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN, SAYING: "If this agreement goes through, Iran gets a cash bonanza, a boost to its international standing, and a lighted path toward nuclear weapons. With sweeping sanctions relief we have lessened our ability to challenge Iran's conduct across the board. As Iran grows stronger we will be weaker to respond." WIDE OF ROOM SHOT OF KERRY WITH MONIZ AND LEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPRESENTATIVE ELIOT ENGEL, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE'S TOP DEMOCRAT, SAYING: "Already we're seeing Iran's leadership declare military sites will be off limits to inspectors. If this is Iran's version of transparency during the implementation of the agreement we're getting off to a bad start." SHOT OF KERRY WITH MONIZ AND LEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPRESENTATIVE BRAD SHERMAN, DEMOCRAT REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "I want to focus, Secretary Kerry, on your remarks about dealing with Iran's non-nuclear behavior. And you say we'll be in a stronger position to deal with that and we have to deal with it. They are holding four American hostages, Assad is killing five thousand people a month at least and the blood is on the hands of men in Tehran. They support Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi, and those are just the organizations that begin with the letter 'H'." WIDE OF ROOM
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACE9SFRLB9V0U40N24V5IWKIOT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Secretary of State John Kerry told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday (July 28) he wanted to set the record straight on the Iran nuclear deal and equated walking away from the agreement to giving Tehran a fast track to a nuclear weapon.
    Joined by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, two other members of President Barack Obama's cabinet, Kerry was part of the administration's blitz to coax skeptical lawmakers into supporting the nuclear deal.
    The Republican-controlled Congress has until Sept. 17 either to endorse or reject or do nothing about the agreement. Rejection would prevent Obama from waiving most U.S.-imposed sanctions on Tehran, a key component of the deal.
    Under the July 14 deal, world powers agreed to lift sanctions on Tehran in return for long-term curbs on a nuclear program the West suspects was aimed at creating an atomic bomb, but which Tehran says is peaceful.
    Kerry insisted that walking away from the deal would isolate the United States.
    "If we walk away, we walk away alone. Our partners are not going to be with us. Instead, they'll walk away from the tough multilateral sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table in the first place," Kerry told the House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee.
    House members signaled the difficulties the administration will face getting Congress on board.
    Representative Ed Royce, the Foreign Affairs Committee's Republican chairman, said the deal would provide Iran with a "cash bonanza," while weakening Washington's ability to pressure Tehran.
    Representative Eliot Engel, the committee's top Democrat, also said he saw a number of troublesome issues in the agreement.
    "Already we're seeing Iran's leadership declare military sites will be off limits to inspectors. If this is Iran's version of transparency during the implementation of the agreement we're getting off to a bad start," Engel said.
    Both Republicans and Democrats expressed concern that four Americans are being held in Iranian prisons. Kerry said he was in "direct talks" with Tehran about the detainees.
    Others worried about Iran's support for militants fighting U.S. allies.
    "They support Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi, and those are just the organizations that begin with the letter 'H,'" said Representative Brad Sherman, a California Democrat.
    The administration officials insisted the deal was a better way to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon than more sanctions or military action.
    Kerry, Lew and Moniz also testified in the Senate on Thursday, and Defense Secretary Ash Carter is due to speak to lawmakers later this week.
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