In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news briefing at the Presidency compound in Tehran, Nov. 24, 2013.
Posted on 11/25/2013 8:35:12 AM PST by SoConPubbie
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news briefing at the Presidency compound in Tehran, Nov. 24, 2013.
Iran's leaders have welcomed a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers, calling it a recognition of Iranian nuclear rights and the beginning of an end to international sanctions.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address Sunday that the interim deal reached in Geneva earlier in the day recognizes what Iran says is its "right" to enrich uranium.
Iran says its enrichment work is for peaceful purposes. But Israel and Western powers fear Iran could enrich its uranium to the high purity needed to develop nuclear weapons.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denied Iran's interpretation of the deal reached with Washington and five other world powers. He told reporters in Geneva the document "does not say Iran has a right to enrichment."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the deal, calling it an "historic mistake" and saying it marks the first time the international community has "formally consented" to Iran continuing enrichment.
The White House says President Barack Obama telephoned Netanyahu Sunday, telling the Israeli prime minister he wants the United States and Israel to start consultations immediately on efforts to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with Iran.
Obama told Netanyahu the U.S. remains firmly committed to Israel, which he said has good reason to be skeptical about Iran's intentions.
Israeli leaders see a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to their nation's existence because of Iran's frequent calls for Israel's demise.
Essence of the deal
The six-month agreement calls for Iran to neutralize its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent - a level that is a short step away from weapons-grade. But it it does not prohibit Iran from continuing enrichment below the five percent level.
It also calls for Iran not to make further advances in building a heavy water nuclear reactor in the city of Arak. Once operational, that facility could produce plutonium, another compound used to make nuclear weapons.
In return for limiting enrichment, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany agreed to temporarily lift some international sanctions that have weakened the Iranian economy.
The United States says Tehran will gain access to $4.2 billion in revenues from Iranian oil exports and $1.5 billion in proceeds from Iranian sales of precious metals, autos and petrochemicals.
Earlier, President Obama said the Geneva agreement will place "substantial limitations" on Iran's enrichment and "cut off" what he called the nation's "most likely paths to a bomb." He said the deal is a "first step" toward negotiations aimed at fully addressing international concerns about the Iranian nuclear program.
Iranian leaders hailed the deal as the start of a process of ending years of sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council and Western powers in retaliation for Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment.
Iranian state media quoted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying the agreement is a "success" attributed to "the grace of God and the prayers of the Iranian nation."
A senior U.S. official told Western news agencies that the Geneva agreement followed several months of secret bilateral talks between the United States and Iran. In comments published Sunday, the U.S. official said the talks were aimed at developing ideas to complement official negotiations involving Iran and the world powers.
The Associated Press quoted U.S. officials as saying Deputy Secretary of State William Burns began leading the secret meetings with Iranian officials in March, using Oman and other locations as venues. It said the talks intensified after Iranian President Rouhani took office in August.
President Obama's Republican critics in Congress say the nuclear deal rewards Iran without forcing it to dismantle facilities that could be used for the development of nuclear weapons.
Some Republican senators said Congress may adopt tougher sanctions in six months if Iran does not abide by the terms of the Geneva deal.
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Iran played the “Knockout Game” and Obama lost.
Obama is on their side, for him this is a big win.
In other words, Kerry is saying "Who are you gonna believe - me, or your lyin' eyes?"
Some Republican senators said Congress may adopt tougher sanctions in six months
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Nobody cared what they said BEFORE the rule changes, what makes these losers think anybody will care now?
Obama’s foreign policy is as toxic as his domestic policy but the GOP leadership has demonstrated time and again a total lack of ability to deal with this monster.
We need new GOP leadership. THEN I will listen to them.
Now that we have the “benefit” of the OBAMA-SELLOUT, I wonder if I should start to build and stock an Obama-Bunker...
According to Albert Speer, Reich Minister of Armaments for the third Reich and Hitler’s personal architect, Hitler held great contempt for the western democracies because they were spineless politicians who could be bluffed/bullied/tricked into concessions over and over again. For years Hitler ‘played’ them with threats and feigned reconciliations while he rearmed Germany. Each time he received a concession, he gained a ‘free’ advantage - because he never intended to keep his side of the bargain, and there was no enforceable penalty to make him keep his bargain.
All Hitler had to do was scare them, then offer a ‘deal’ for peace, and they would capitulate. Always.
He was (according to Speer) deeply shaken when the Brits and French actually declared war. Years of projected weakness had left him convinced he could act with impunity.
Iran's leaders are correct. Western civilization has once again appeased the forces of evil. The surrender was led by Islam's agent-in-place, the Muslim illegal-alien occupying the White House.
This is indeed the beginning of the end.
“Obama told Netanyahu the U.S. remains firmly committed to Israel, which he said has good reason to be skeptical about Iran’s intentions.”
Ok. Repeat: Obama said that Israel has GOOD REASON TO BE SKEPTICAL ABOUT IRAN’S INTENTIONS. Hello? What the hell is going on?
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