IRAN

“This hearing will come ░░░░░░░░ order today on the ░░░░░░░░ agreement with Iran and ░░░░░░░░ continue our consideration of ░░░░░░░░ possible final nuclear cord ░░░░░░░░ this month the administration ░░░░░░░░ our negotiating partners announced ░░░░░░░░ framework of a final ░░░░░░░░ that is to be ░░░░░░░░ out by the end ░░░░░░░░ June Now all of ░░░░░░░░ essential elements of this ░░░░░░░░ regime still need to ░░░░░░░░ negotiated but I will ░░░░░░░░ that it was this ░░░░░░░░ that passed sanctions originally ░░░░░░░░ the Senate which brought ░░░░░░░░ to the table And ░░░░░░░░ was this committee last ░░░░░░░░ that passed unanimously legislation ░░░░░░░░ by Mr Angle and ░░░░░░░░ that would in fact ░░░░░░░░ given the clerics in ░░░░░░░░ a choice between economic ░░░░░░░░ or real compromise on ░░░░░░░░ nuclear program That bill ░░░░░░░░ the House for 140 ░░░░░░░░ 20 But that bill ░░░░░░░░ held in the Senate ░░░░░░░░ today the ink isn ░░░░░░░░ even dry on this ░░░░░░░░ s announcement but we ░░░░░░░░ two weeks ago the ░░░░░░░░ led by the supreme ░░░░░░░░ in Iran Yes he ░░░░░░░░ yes death to America ░░░░░░░░ then later asserted that ░░░░░░░░ would not allow international ░░░░░░░░ access to Iran s ░░░░░░░░ facilities This weekend at ░░░░░░░░ deputy head of the ░░░░░░░░ Revolutionary Guard Corps reiterated ░░░░░░░░ will not even be ░░░░░░░░ to inspect the most ░░░░░░░░ military site in their ░░░░░░░░ The administration has shrugged ░░░░░░░░ such comments as Iranian ░░░░░░░░ spin but the issue ░░░░░░░░ inspections and verification will ░░░░░░░░ central to how Congress ░░░░░░░░ any final agreement Will ░░░░░░░░ have quick unimpeded go ░░░░░░░░ anytime access Who can ░░░░░░░░ inspectors interview What documents ░░░░░░░░ they review Can they ░░░░░░░░ environmental samples Does the ░░░░░░░░ have the qualified manpower ░░░░░░░░ resources to take this ░░░░░░░░ Can the frameworks limited ░░░░░░░░ research and development restriction ░░░░░░░░ be verified Now Iran ░░░░░░░░ long history of clandestine ░░░░░░░░ and intransigence prevents the ░░░░░░░░ S from holding any ░░░░░░░░ whatsoever in the clerics ░░░░░░░░ run Iran Indeed deception ░░░░░░░░ been a cornerstone of ░░░░░░░░ nuclear program since its ░░░░░░░░ So when it comes ░░░░░░░░ negotiating and inspections regime ░░░░░░░░ the next two months ░░░░░░░░ U S must gain ░░░░░░░░ not retreat keep a ░░░░░░░░ piece of verification which ░░░░░░░░ Iran coming clean on ░░░░░░░░ past bomb work We ░░░░░░░░ that the IAEA asked ░░░░░░░░ 12 questions about their ░░░░░░░░ They got an answer ░░░░░░░░ of half of the ░░░░░░░░ question and none of ░░░░░░░░ others were were responded ░░░░░░░░ That still has not ░░░░░░░░ despite long overdue commitments ░░░░░░░░ the part of Iran ░░░░░░░░ international inspectors The IAEA ░░░░░░░░ concerned about about signs ░░░░░░░░ Iran s military related ░░░░░░░░ including designing a nuclear ░░░░░░░░ for a missile a ░░░░░░░░ killer weapon an ICBM ░░░░░░░░ Iran hasn t even ░░░░░░░░ to address these concerns ░░░░░░░░ last fall 350 members ░░░░░░░░ to the secretary of ░░░░░░░░ expressing deep concerns about ░░░░░░░░ lack of cooperation Yet ░░░░░░░░ framework agreement is vague ░░░░░░░░ this critical verification step ░░░░░░░░ inspections are even more ░░░░░░░░ when you consider a ░░░░░░░░ Department of Defense study ░░░░░░░░ points out that the ░░░░░░░░ S capabilities to locate ░░░░░░░░ nuclear facilities or convert ░░░░░░░░ programs are either in ░░░░░░░░ words of the Department ░░░░░░░░ Defense study inadequate or ░░░░░░░░ often do not exist ░░░░░░░░ critically that study also ░░░░░░░░ us that verification is ░░░░░░░░ the political judgment in ░░░░░░░░ words of the study ░░░░░░░░ which monitoring and other ░░░░░░░░ contribute The IAEA and ░░░░░░░░ inspectors will play an ░░░░░░░░ role in monitoring Iran ░░░░░░░░ it will ultimately be ░░░░░░░░ to the administration and ░░░░░░░░ negotiating partners which includes ░░░░░░░░ and China likely acting ░░░░░░░░ the UN Security Council ░░░░░░░░ another international body to ░░░░░░░░ whether Iran is complying ░░░░░░░░ its commitments and this ░░░░░░░░ another weak link If ░░░░░░░░ is caught cheating will ░░░░░░░░ or the next administration ░░░░░░░░ prepared to call them ░░░░░░░░ I m not confident ░░░░░░░░ Because during the interim ░░░░░░░░ when Iran was caught ░░░░░░░░ advanced supersonic centrifuge it ░░░░░░░░ no consequences As one ░░░░░░░░ will testify international inspectors ░░░░░░░░ be no tougher than ░░░░░░░░ countries that back them ░░░░░░░░ history of arms control ░░░░░░░░ is that they are ░░░░░░░░ for political leaders to ░░░░░░░░ as a solution but ░░░░░░░░ difficult to fully implement ░░░░░░░░ looks good on the ░░░░░░░░ often fails in the ░░░░░░░░ world Even if verified ░░░░░░░░ one witness will note ░░░░░░░░ agreement still puts Iran ░░░░░░░░ the path to being ░░░░░░░░ accepted nuclear weapons state ░░░░░░░░ beginning in 10 years ░░░░░░░░ administration s allowed one ░░░░░░░░ break period begins to ░░░░░░░░ away and Iran will ░░░░░░░░ able to enrich on ░░░░░░░░ industrial scale At the ░░░░░░░░ time Iran s Revolutionary ░░░░░░░░ is advancing its ballistic ░░░░░░░░ capability under orders from ░░░░░░░░ supreme leader to mass ░░░░░░░░ and he has been ░░░░░░░░ quite vocal about the ░░░░░░░░ to mass produce ICBM ░░░░░░░░ In announcing this framework ░░░░░░░░ with Iran the president ░░░░░░░░ declared that if Iran ░░░░░░░░ the world will know ░░░░░░░░ we ll hear from ░░░░░░░░ top weapons inspectors and ░░░░░░░░ experts to learn what ░░░░░░░░ would take for that ░░░░░░░░ to be true and ░░░░░░░░ be credible I ll ░░░░░░░░ turn to the ranking ░░░░░░░░ for any opening remarks ░░░░░░░░ may have.”