Gen. Dempsey Last Week: ‘Under No Condition’ Should We End Arms Embargo
KELLY: “So, as Brit just mentioned the hardest part of selling a deal with Iran is that it involves Iran. This is of course a country that had supplied weapons to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas is listed as a state's sponsor of terror and is directly or indirectly responsible for killing or injuring hundreds, maybe thousands of U.S. soldiers. In fact, the chairman of the Joint Chief as I mentioned made clear a week ago that in no scenario should we lift our weapons ban on this country.”
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DEMPSEY: “Under no circumstances should we relieve pressure on Iran relative to ballistic missile capabilities and arms trafficking.”
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KELLY: But that is what we just did. Marc Thiessen is a FOX News contributor and a former chief speechwriter. That is exactly what we did. They put it in at the last minute after saying, we have to stick to nuclear, don't talk to us about your hostages. Oh, but we love for you to lift these arms embargo and we did it even though that is Martin Dempsey saying, that is a red line.
THIESSEN: “It is amazing. I mean, does Barack Obama ever listen to his military advisers about anything? I mean, the nuclear side of this deal is bad enough. But just a week ago both his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his secretary of defense warned that under no circumstances should we be lifting the arms embargo or the restrictions on ballistic missiles. And he ignored their advice and did it. And it is not just them. General Lloyd Austin, the commander of Centcom said just four months ago in addition to its nuclear program, Iran has the largest most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. A year ago the head of our Missile Defense Agency said that Iran could develop and test an ICBM capable of reaching the United States by 2015. So, they have a one year break out for a ballistic missile to reach us. So, not only are we paving the way for a nuclear bomb, this deal is paving away for the missiles to deliver it.”
KELLY: “So, what is this about? I mean, do you -- because many people have said this is about Barack Obama wanting a legacy issue.”
THIESSEN: “It is very much about him wanting a legacy issue. I couldn't agree more. But I mean, his legacy, his insistence on a legacy is constantly interfering with our national security. He wanted a legacy of pulling all of our troops out of Iraq. Our military commanders told him don't do that. He did it anyway and he's got a legacy of having, given this the rise of ISIS. Now, he wanted a legacy of a nuclear deal and now our military commanders told him, don't lift the sanctions on ballistic missiles and on weapons. And he is doing it anyway.”
KELLY: “So, Iran gets $100 billion and they get access to arms and ballistic missiles within the next five to eight years that our chairman of the joint chief said under no circumstances that they get. We've also lifted sanctions on some sketchy individuals although the administration says, not to worry.”
THIESSEN: “Yes. According to the Iranian side they put this out. The sanctions are lifted on General Qassem Suleimani who is the terror master mind of Iran. This man is responsible for the death of more Americans than any living terrorist. He is responsible, personally responsible for one third of the U.S. casualties in Iraq during the Iraq war because he created and funded the Shia militias and gave them explosively formed penetrators that killed literally hundreds of American troops and we are lifting sanctions on him? He has nothing to do with the nuclear program. And he is under sanctions for terrorism. Why are we lifting sanctions on the terrorist?”
KELLY: “Well, they are claiming like one pot of the money is, you know, they're lifting not the terrorism sanctions but other sanctions. Marc, thank you.”
