Congressman Turner reacts to Secretary of State John Kerry testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Iran nuclear agreement:
“From the beginning, the Administration has worked to disguise this nuclear deal as a win for the country and the global community. Today, Secretary Kerry continued to deceive the American people and Congress on the terms of this deal. After reviewing the text of the agreement, it’s clear this deal does nothing to make the United States and its allies more secure. Instead, the deal fails to hold Iran accountable, provides a pathway to a bomb, and allows for the continued support of terrorist organizations like Hezbollah.
“Since the announcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Obama Administration has continued to assert that this deal was built on verification rather than trust. Following P5+1 negotiations in Lausanne, France earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet directly with IAEA officials involved in Iran nuclear inspections. Those officials made clear, that despite the Obama Administration’s assertions, the IAEA will remain unable to verify all locations associated with Iran’s nuclear program. Put plainly, verification is not possible and the President’s own negotiating principles are based on fantasy.
“Last week, I met with a top national security official from a P5+1 country, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with Iran. That official indicated that the United States negotiating team fell short and that a stronger deal against Iran may have been achievable. This official further indicated that the deal’s collapse would have limited consequences and that Iran would likely return to the negotiating table in the future and accept stronger terms. This is again contrary to the Obama Administration, which continues to assert that it achieved the best deal possible.”
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