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NYT:
"When President Obama began making the case for a deal with Iran
that would delay its ability to assemble an atomic weapon, his first
argument was that a nuclear-armed Iran would set off a 'free-for-all' of
proliferation in the Arab world. 'It is almost certain that other players
in the region would feel it necessary to get their own nuclear weapons,'
he said in 2012. Now, as he gathered Arab leaders over dinner at the
White House on Wednesday and prepared to meet with them at Camp
David on Thursday, he faced a perverse consequence: Saudi Arabia and many
of the smaller Arab states are now vowing to match whatever nuclear
enrichment capability Iran is permitted to retain. 'We can't sit back and
be nowhere as Iran is allowed to retain much of its capability and amass
its research,' one of the Arab leaders preparing to meet Mr. Obama said
on Monday, declining to be named until he made his case directly to the
president. Prince Turki bin Faisal, the 70-year-old former Saudi
intelligence chief, has been touring the world with the same message.
'Whatever the Iranians have, we will have, too,' he said at a recent
conference in Seoul, South Korea." http://t.uani.com/1e3cdPW
WSJ:
"President Barack Obama kicked off two days of talks aimed at
reassuring Arab leaders who are skeptical of his diplomatic outreach to
Iran, but his task has grown more difficult in recent days-in part
because the White House has been describing its goals with Tehran in
loftier terms. Mr. Obama and his top aides are increasingly holding out the
possibility of a realignment of power in the Middle East in the wake of
an Iran deal. That view feeds Arab fears that Washington is seeking a
broader rapprochement with Tehran. 'Their view of Iran's future and the
administration's view of Iran's future are very much at odds with each
other,' said Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, in an interview on Wednesday. As part of a two-day
summit, Mr. Obama held a White House dinner for Arab officials and
leaders Wednesday and planned a day of talks Thursday at the presidential
retreat at Camp David, Md. The White House's outreach took a hit last
week when both Saudi Arabia's and Bahrain's king said they would skip the
Camp David summit... 'Typically when you enter into an agreement like
we're contemplating with Iran, it's after there's been behavior change,'
said Mr. Corker, who regularly meets with Arab leaders. 'What we're doing
in this deal, if it gets consummated, is we're hoping Iran is going to
change its behavior sometime over the next decade.'" http://t.uani.com/1EH1fWN
CNN:
"Five Iranian boats fired shots across the bow of a Singapore
flagged cargo vessel in the Persian Gulf on Thursday in an attempt to
potentially stop the ship, a U.S. official told CNN. For the first time,
the incident brought another Persian Gulf nation into the recent rising
maritime tensions in the region. It is not yet clear if any of the rounds
hit the Alpine Eternity... The incident began when five small fast boats,
believed to be manned by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy approached
the cargo vessel just off the coast of the United Arab Emirates but in
international water, the official said... The Iranian boats fired across
the bow, and at that point the cargo vessel turned and escaped by
entering into UAE territorial waters, according to initial U.S. military
reports of the incident... The incident began with the Iranians ordering
the ship into Iranian waters. When the ships master refused, the Iranians
began to fire in a way to try to disable the ship, not just as warning
shots, the U.S. official said. Several shots hit the cargo ship, but did
not disable it. The ship went into UAE waters and the Iranians followed
it into those territorial waters, continuing to fire, before breaking
off." http://t.uani.com/1JgZepC
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
Reuters:
"The Czech Republic blocked an attempted purchase by Iran this year
of a large shipment of sensitive technology useable for nuclear
enrichment after false documentation raised suspicions, U.N. experts and
Western sources said. The incident could add to Western concerns about
whether Tehran can be trusted to adhere to a nuclear deal being
negotiated with world powers under which it would curb sensitive nuclear
work in exchange for sanctions relief... Some details of the attempted
purchase were described in the latest annual report of an expert panel
for the United Nations Security Council's Iran sanctions committee, which
has been seen by Reuters. The panel said that in January Iran attempted
to buy compressors - which have nuclear and non-nuclear applications -
made by the U.S.-owned company Howden CKD Compressors. A Czech state
official and a Western diplomat familiar with the case confirmed to
Reuters that Iran had attempted to buy the shipment from Howden CKD in
the Czech Republic, and that Czech authorities had acted to block the
deal... The U.N. panel, which monitors compliance with the U.N. sanctions
regime, said there had been a 'false end user' stated for the
order." http://t.uani.com/1e3d9Uq
Fars (Iran):
"Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz
Kamalvandi criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s
Director-General Yukiya Amano for stating his personal interpretations
about the Additional Protocol.... Kamalvandi described the remarks as the
IAEA chief's personal views, and said, 'Mr. Amano hasn't assigned any
responsibility for Iran but he has presented his own interpretation of
the Additional Protocol and of course, we have some considerations about
it.' He referred to certain points about the Additional Protocol, and said
firstly, Iran has not yet implemented or approved the Additional
Protocol; secondly none of the articles of the Additional Protocol
necessitate the signatory to provide access to military sites; and third,
access to the places demanded by the IAEA needs evidence and proof as
well as the Agency's respect for different considerations of the member
states, including the security considerations. Therefore, if a country
rejects providing access to a certain site for any reason, access to the
adjacent sites or using other methods accepted by both sides will be
considered, Kamalvandi stressed." http://t.uani.com/1A30pqp
Bloomberg:
"The Obama administration is trying to sell a nuclear deal with Iran
to skeptical Arabs, Israelis and U.S. lawmakers by saying that United
Nations sanctions will be restored automatically if the Iranians are
caught cheating. Not so, say the Russians, who have one of five vetoes in
the 15-member UN Security Council. 'There can be no automaticity, none
whatsoever' in reimposing UN sanctions if Iran violates the terms of an
agreement to curb its nuclear program, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly
Churkin told Bloomberg News on Wednesday. He didn't elaborate." http://t.uani.com/1H5eMI6
Press TV (Iran):
"The case over Tehran's nuclear program must referred back to the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or a final nuclear deal between
Tehran and six world powers cannot be implemented, says an Iranian
official. 'Iran's issue must be raised at the IAEA as an ordinary case or
else it would be impossible to implement an agreement,' Iran's Ambassador
to the IAEA Reza Najafi said in at an exclusive interview with the
Islamic Republic of Iran News Network late on Wednesday. He added, 'The
IAEA's announcement that there are no undeclared [nuclear] sites or
activities in Iran relates to the implementation of the Additional
Protocol - something which is time-consuming.' 'This issue, given the
volume and type of [nuclear] facilities, has taken several years in other
countries.'" http://t.uani.com/1QMmcae
Congressional
Action
The Hill:
"The House will vote Thursday on legislation allowing Congress to
review any deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Thursday's vote will
come a week after the Senate passed the measure by a vote of 98-1. The
White House has signaled it would sign the legislation in its current
form. House GOP leaders are moving the bill to the floor under a
fast-track procedure that prohibits amendments and requires a two-thirds
majority for passage. The decision not to allow amendments came despite
urging from the conservative House Freedom Caucus to vote on proposals
such as requiring Iran to recognize Israel's right to exist." http://t.uani.com/1IAlPOP
Politico:
"The House will vote on legislation this week to toughen sanctions
against Hezbollah - a move designed to appease conservative lawmakers
who've been prevented from amending an upcoming Iran bill. Members of the
House Freedom Caucus wanted to offer a series of changes to a measure
giving Congress the authority to review and potentially reject any
nuclear non-proliferation deal with Iran. But GOP leaders decided to bar
any amendments to the Iran bill because they could have unraveled the
bipartisan coalition supporting the measure. A GOP leadership aide said
that instead of voting on the amendments, the House will vote on a bill
passed by the last Congress giving the Treasury Department 90 days to
toughen sanctions against any U.S. financial institution that aides the
terrorist group Hezbollah or its media arm. The legislation was
previously introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), a founding member of
the Freedom Caucus." http://t.uani.com/1KNjmxH
Sanctions
Relief
Reuters:
"Major banks wary of heavy U.S. penalties will be reluctant to
restore ties with Iran even if sanctions are lifted in a possible nuclear
deal, bank executives and advisers say, likely denting Iran's ambition to
attract foreign investment to revive its crippled economy. After years of
being frozen out of the global banking system and most trade with the
West, Iran is eager for sanctions to be lifted so it can draw in foreign
companies and attract investment to upgrade its long-neglected energy
sector. Yet without more bank financing and a means of transferring funds
in and out of Iran, that commercial potential could remain largely
untapped, stunting hopes for a post-agreement investment boom. Banks'
reluctance to deal with Iran highlights the risk that its economy will
not get quick relief, possibly eroding support for the nuclear deal among
Tehran's leadership... About a dozen international banks, mostly
European, have been stung by U.S. penalties for sanctions-busting
totaling nearly $14 billion since 2009, raising industry fears that the
risk of engaging Iran would overshadow any gain... 'Given all the anti-money
laundering issues, anyone who thinks they can go into Iran has got to be
insane,' an executive with a major U.S. bank said, asking not to be
identified given the sensitivity of the topic. 'There's just not enough
business in Iran' to risk one payment causing a massive penalty, the
executive added." http://t.uani.com/1EGLZsY
FT:
"Iranian president Hassan Rouhani's economic team has started
planning for a post-sanctions environment as officials look to rescue the
battered economy from years of stagnation and mismanagement. In a rare
interview with the Financial Times, Valiolah Seif, the central bank
governor appointed by Mr Rouhani, said the government was mapping out
strategies to channel funds and accelerate development of key sectors,
including oil and gas, tourism and IT." http://t.uani.com/1EHFpBq
Yemen Crisis
Reuters:
"A senior Iranian official branded Saudi Arabia's King Salman a
traitor to Islam on Thursday and equated the Gulf state's military
assault on Iranian-allied fighters in Yemen with Israeli actions against
Palestinians. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran's national security and
foreign policy committee, was speaking a day after Iran's Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the kingdom of 'crimes' and the deputy
head of Iran's military warned Riyadh of 'war' if it attacked an Iran aid
ship heading toward Yemen... Speaking in Damascus, Boroujerdi, said 'God
would take revenge' against the Saudi monarch for serving what he called
U.S.-Israeli interests in the war against the Houthi rebels. 'He should
be called the traitor of the noble Haramayn and the Islamic nation and
against all the teachings they are killing children in Yemen with
American weapons and replicating the crimes of the Zionist entity,' he
said. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home of its holiest
sites in Mecca and Medina - referred to in Arabic as the Haramayn." http://t.uani.com/1cXAuqm
Reuters:
"Yemen warned on Wednesday that if Iran does not allow a cargo ship
bound for the Arabian Peninsula with a military escort to be searched,
then Tehran 'bears complete responsibility for any incident that arises
from their attempt to enter Yemeni waters.' Iran said earlier on
Wednesday it would not allow Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces to inspect
the ship, which it says is carrying humanitarian aid. The ship left Iran
on Monday under escort by Iranian warships. Yemen's warning came in a
letter, seen by Reuters, from its U.N. mission to the United Nations
Security Council. 'The Yemeni government and the coalition forces do not
object to aid shipments entering Yemen as long as they obtain the
necessary permits from the legitimate government of Yemen and are searched
prior to entry,' the letter said." http://t.uani.com/1FmEZHc
Human Rights
IHR:
"During the past four days at least 10 people have been executed in
Iran, according to the official Iranian sources. One of those executed
was a woman convicted of drug related charges." http://t.uani.com/1cA8ecq
Foreign Affairs
AP:
"Al-Shabab militants kidnapped 14 crew members of an Iranian fishing
boat Wednesday off the coast of Somalia, seizing them as their vessel
washed ashore, Iranian state television and residents said. The
extremists detained the fishermen after the vessel drifted into the
militants' stronghold, Yasin Maalin, a resident of the town of El-Dher in
Somalia's coastal region of Galgadud, told The Associated Press by
telephone. Ali Hussein, another resident, corroborated his account.
Al-Shabab, a militant group that is allied with al-Qaida and has carried
out many deadly attacks across Somalia, did not immediately claim the
kidnapping." http://t.uani.com/1FmFHUT
JPost:
"Netanyahu quoted a senior Iranian official who was cited in Iranian
media on Wednesday as saying that Tehran has God's permission to
liquidate Israel. The 'government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has
divine permission to destroy Israel,' Mojtaba Zolnour, Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei's deputy representative to the Revolutionary Guards, said. 'The
Noble Koran permits the Islamic Republic of Iran to destroy
Israel.'" http://t.uani.com/1K8bmdP
Opinion &
Analysis
Jennifer Rubin in
WashPost: "So now the challenge to clear-eyed
opponents of the deal is to block President Obama from making (or get a
veto-proof majority of Democrats and Republicans to nix it after the
fact) a sweetheart deal on nukes with the vague hope it will curb Iran's
regional aggression. The follow-up to the Corker-Menendez victory in the
Senate should be prompt and multi-pronged. It cannot be merely oversight
hearings or new legislation or an united front in the pro-Israel
community or a public education campaign - it must be all those things.
The challenge is to make the argument as succinct and persuasive as
possible so that the administration, upon presenting the deal to the
world, will not overstate what it has accomplished, betting that
non-physicists will not bother to wade through the fine print that surely
will give Iran as much running room as it needs to keep its nuclear
ambitions alive. Three arguments should be paramount: First, Iran has a
history of lying, cheating and behavior that does not comport with the
rules of civilized nations (see Dempsey's list). Such a country can't be
left with its nuclear infrastructure intact. If Iran keeps Fordow,
thousands of centrifuges and fissile material (that can be re-enriched in
days), we cannot expect that it won't put all the pieces together again.
A pro-Israel activist analogizes this to a criminal who gets to keep his
gun so long as he keeps the bullets in the basement. Oh, we'll be
standing guard. Oh, we will know when he cheats. Really? Second, the
level of economic pain and pressure on Iran must increase, not decrease,
so long as it is engaged in all the activities Dempsey describes. We have
no strategy for dealing with Iran, yet we're going to let its economy
revive, let its regime claim a great victory and let any incentive to
curb its conduct evaporate. Congress should now pass strangling sanctions
- not waivable without a vote from Congress - until all those other
activities stop. Democrats will filibuster sanctions to stop Iran from
supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and waging proxy wars
throughout the region? I think not. Third, to build on the analogy to a
criminal left with guns and ammo, the deal would say that the guards
outside have to knock on the criminal's door or rely on security cameras
that - surprise! - are not tamper-proof to make sure that the gun and
bullets are not reunited. In the Iran context, we will see a myriad of
restrictions, limits, complications in the text and endless squabbles on
the ground about inspections. How do we know? That is what Iran has done
for decades and what occurred in Iraq. Verification and detection are
illusory, especially since Iran will not be forced to convey the military
dimensions of the program. (Oh, in the criminal's case, he doesn't need
to tell us about his guns and bullets in other houses.) The case against
the impending deal is overwhelming. Now on multiple fronts - with an eye
toward the Democrats whose votes will be essential - the case must be
made. And it needs to begin now." http://t.uani.com/1HfD3Om
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