Amb. Nicholas Burns: ‘Sensible’ Iran Deal ‘Stops Nuclear Program in its Tracks’

Todd So let me ░░░░░░░░ with your simple take ░░░░░░░░ the deal Good bad ░░░░░░░░ soon to judge BURNS ░░░░░░░░ A sensible deal I ░░░░░░░░ the United States what ░░░░░░░░ does Chuck it s ░░░░░░░░ interim deal It essentially ░░░░░░░░ the Iranian enrichment program ░░░░░░░░ program in its tracks ░░░░░░░░ rolls it back in ░░░░░░░░ respects and gives us ░░░░░░░░ and flexibility to negotiate ░░░░░░░░ much tougher final deal ░░░░░░░░ s ahead of us ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ to dismantle part of ░░░░░░░░ s nuclear program If ░░░░░░░░ had done this then ░░░░░░░░ we were negotiating the ░░░░░░░░ could have been racing ░░░░░░░░ to accelerate the nuclear ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ reason why the Administration ░░░░░░░░ to go for this ░░░░░░░░ deal Todd So we ░░░░░░░░ looking at in six ░░░░░░░░ it is a date ░░░░░░░░ right We re either ░░░░░░░░ down a path to ░░░░░░░░ or are we then ░░░░░░░░ down a path to ░░░░░░░░ dismantle it ourselves using ░░░░░░░░ strength Is that what ░░░░░░░░ ve done here We ░░░░░░░░ drawn a line in ░░░░░░░░ sand or at least ░░░░░░░░ demarcation on the calendar ░░░░░░░░ basically that s a ░░░░░░░░ Is that fair to ░░░░░░░░ BURNS That would be ░░░░░░░░ best course You don ░░░░░░░░ want to give these ░░░░░░░░ too long because the ░░░░░░░░ know what the deal ░░░░░░░░ here They re going ░░░░░░░░ have to roll back ░░░░░░░░ dismantle much of their ░░░░░░░░ apparatus or else no ░░░░░░░░ s going to have ░░░░░░░░ that they re going ░░░░░░░░ live peacefully and not ░░░░░░░░ to seek a nuclear ░░░░░░░░ I think the Administration ░░░░░░░░ like to achieve a ░░░░░░░░ deal sooner than that ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ difficult however because you ░░░░░░░░ don t know how ░░░░░░░░ is going to play ░░░░░░░░ Tehran It s one ░░░░░░░░ to ask them to ░░░░░░░░ their program but to ░░░░░░░░ dismantle the Iraq heavy ░░░░░░░░ reactor for instance or ░░░░░░░░ permanently reduce their enrichment ░░░░░░░░ very low levels and ░░░░░░░░ away with that 20 ░░░░░░░░ enrichment that s going ░░░░░░░░ be difficult for the ░░░░░░░░ system because we re ░░░░░░░░ Obama Administration s negotiating ░░░░░░░░ so called reformers and ░░░░░░░░ they ve got to ░░░░░░░░ ultimately with these hard ░░░░░░░░ people like a supreme ░░░░░░░░ and Tehran Todd But ░░░░░░░░ t those the two ░░░░░░░░ that are non negotiable ░░░░░░░░ far at the U ░░░░░░░░ is concerned Which is ░░░░░░░░ essentially the Iraq plant ░░░░░░░░ to be dismantled That ░░░░░░░░ really there s no ░░░░░░░░ Rhodes didn t quite ░░░░░░░░ it but he almost ░░░░░░░░ it And the second ░░░░░░░░ is they re not ░░░░░░░░ to get to enrich ░░░░░░░░ period Fair BURNS Well ░░░░░░░░ the first one the ░░░░░░░░ heavy water reactor is ░░░░░░░░ alternate route through plutonium ░░░░░░░░ a nuclear weapon That ░░░░░░░░ to be shut down ░░░░░░░░ the second it may ░░░░░░░░ be that at the ░░░░░░░░ of the day if ░░░░░░░░ is an agreement the ░░░░░░░░ will have some kind ░░░░░░░░ right to low level ░░░░░░░░ but not much beyond ░░░░░░░░ and certainly not anything ░░░░░░░░ s approaching weapons grade ░░░░░░░░ the agreement s going ░░░░░░░░ be sometime in that ░░░░░░░░ somewhere in that area ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ to have to have ░░░░░░░░ inspections that s given ░░░░░░░░ them by the interim ░░░░░░░░ and absolute iron clad ░░░░░░░░ that Iran is stopped ░░░░░░░░ short of a nuclear ░░░░░░░░ So I think there ░░░░░░░░ too much euphoria probably ░░░░░░░░ now The Administration s ░░░░░░░░ a very good job ░░░░░░░░ this but there s ░░░░░░░░ long long way to ░░░░░░░░ here.”