Flashback — Susan Rice: ‘We’re Satisfied’ with Side Deals Between Iran, IAEA
ROSEN: “A pair of Republican lawmakers, Senator Cotton of Arkansas and Congressman Tom Taylor of Kansas, each are member of his chambers Armed Services Committee, have released a press release in which they allege that in their recent visit, last week, to Vienna and to the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, they were told directly by IAEA officials that two so-called side deals were forged with Iran by the agency relating to inspections at Parchin and to the resolution of still other questions surrounding the possible military dimension to the Iranian nuclear program. A: Are you aware of any side deals between Iran and the IAEA? And B: Are there any codicils, side deals, annexes, pieces of paper, documents, understandings, that were forged as part of these talks and the final agreement that are not being shared with the United States, the American people or the Congress. Any deals at all?”
RICE: “Let me be very clear. From our vantage point as we’ve said repeatedly this is a good and strong deal that will verifiably prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapon and we think it serves our interests and that of the region and the international community. And when Congress has the opportunity to review it in detail we think that they will come to the same rational conclusion.
"Now, we’ve provided Congress with all the documents that we drafted or were part of drafting, and all documents that have been shared with us by the IAEA. So there is nothing that we are holding in our possession that we had either any role in crafting or were given to us that has not been given to Congress. On the issue of PMD, possible military dimension of Iran’s nuclear program, there is no secret. Iran and the IAEA as is the custom and is the expectation — this has always been an issue between Iran and the IAEA — negotiated and concluded an agreement to deal with this issue of PMD which was one of the major sticking points in our dealings with Iran in the context of P5+1. You will recall there were some questions as to whether this issue would be adequately addressed.
"The IAEA and Iran did reach an understanding as is always the case that is an understanding between the country in question and IAEA. These documents are not public. But nonetheless, we have been briefed on those documents. We know their contents. We are satisfied with them and we will share the contents of those briefings in full and classified session with the Congress. So there is nothing in that regard that we know that they won’t know.”
