Dempsey: ‘We Have a Range of Options’ Between Iran Deal and War

ERNST: “General Dempsey, we’ve heard some other discussion today about the choices that the president has with this agreement. Now, two weeks ago, many of our news outlets, USA Today and others had quoted President Obama as the choice is the Iran nuclear deal or war. This seems to be a military decision. I understand that you advise the president on these issues. Is that what you have told the president, is that we either take this deal or we go to war?”

DEMPSEY: “No, at no time did that come up in our conversation nor did I make that comment.”

ERNST: “Who is advising the president, then, that we must go to war if this deal is not signed?”

DEMPSEY: “I can't answer that. I can tell you that we have a range of options and I always present them.”

ERNST: “And I thank you for that, because I do think, and I think it's imperative that everybody on this panel understand that there are other options available out there, and a multitude of options. We’re taught in the military about dime, diplomatic options, information operations, military operations and economic types of sanctions and opportunities that we might have. So for the president to outright reject everything but war is outrageous to me, and I do hope that you are able to better advise him that he needs to be careful with his language because that seems to be the rhetoric we are hearing out there is that we either go to war or we accept this deal and I reject that premise.”

DEMPSEY: “As long as we agree that military strikes on a sovereign nation is an act of war, but there are things between here and there.”

ERNST: “Absolutely. I agree, General Dempsey.”