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US Congress urged not to squander epochal moment of approving Iran deal
Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser for two Republican presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush
By Presstv.com
A
former national security adviser for two US Republican presidents has
pressed Congress to support the Iran nuclear agreement, calling on his
fellow Republicans not to squander this epochal moment of reaching an
accord with Tehran.
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Brent Scowcroft, who worked for former presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, wrote an article in the Washington Post’s Sunday edition, “strongly” urging lawmakers to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was concluded by Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in Vienna last month.
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“My generation is on the sidelines of policymaking now,” wrote Scowcroft. “This is a natural development. But decades of experience strongly suggest that there are epochal moments that should not be squandered,” he wrote.
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Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the US, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany – announced the conclusion of nuclear negotiations in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
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Under the agreement, restrictions will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
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The Congress is reviewing the agreement and is likely to vote on it in September.
“Let us be clear: There is no credible alternative were Congress to prevent US participation in the nuclear deal. If we walk away, we walk away alone,” read the article.
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“To turn our back on this accomplishment would be an abdication of the United States’ unique role and responsibility, incurring justified dismay among our allies and friends,” he wrote.
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The retired Air Force three-star general also called on Congress not to confuse opposition to the nuclear agreement with support for Israel.
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“The seeming effort to make the [Iran nuclear agreement] the ultimate test of Congress’s commitment to Israel is probably unprecedented in the annals of relations between two vibrant democracies,” he wrote.
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Most Republicans, including at least two prominent Senate Democrats, have opposed the nuclear agreement. Despite the opposition, however, political analysts do not believe there will be enough votes to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a congressional resolution against the deal.
.
Brent Scowcroft, who worked for former presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, wrote an article in the Washington Post’s Sunday edition, “strongly” urging lawmakers to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was concluded by Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in Vienna last month.
.
“My generation is on the sidelines of policymaking now,” wrote Scowcroft. “This is a natural development. But decades of experience strongly suggest that there are epochal moments that should not be squandered,” he wrote.
.
Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the US, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany – announced the conclusion of nuclear negotiations in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
.
Under the agreement, restrictions will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
.
The Congress is reviewing the agreement and is likely to vote on it in September.
“Let us be clear: There is no credible alternative were Congress to prevent US participation in the nuclear deal. If we walk away, we walk away alone,” read the article.
.
“To turn our back on this accomplishment would be an abdication of the United States’ unique role and responsibility, incurring justified dismay among our allies and friends,” he wrote.
.
The retired Air Force three-star general also called on Congress not to confuse opposition to the nuclear agreement with support for Israel.
.
“The seeming effort to make the [Iran nuclear agreement] the ultimate test of Congress’s commitment to Israel is probably unprecedented in the annals of relations between two vibrant democracies,” he wrote.
.
Most Republicans, including at least two prominent Senate Democrats, have opposed the nuclear agreement. Despite the opposition, however, political analysts do not believe there will be enough votes to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a congressional resolution against the deal.
