DIPLOMACY OR WAR
Obama blunts criticism of Iran deal
U.S. President Barack Obama launched a blistering denunciation of opposition to his Iran nuclear deal Wednesday, arguing that none of the criticism stands up to scrutiny and warning that if Congress blocks the accord it will put the U.S. on the path to another Middle East war.
“The choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy and some form of war,” Obama said in an address at American University in Washington. “Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon.”
The U.S. president’s address, which lasted nearly an hour, was part of an intense summer lobbying campaign by both supporters and opponents of the nuclear deal. Members of Congress will vote next month on a resolution either approving or disapproving the pact.
Seeking to isolate his critics, Obama said the rest of the world supports the Iran accord, with the notable exception of Israel. He reaffirmed his support for Israel’s security and said he doesn’t doubt the sincerity of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the fiercest opponents of the agreement.
But in a blunt assessment of Netanyahu’s views, Obama said “I believe he is wrong.”
Opponents of the deal say it would leave too much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in place and allow Tehran to start rebuilding its program after a decade. Critics also contend Iran will use an influx of funds now frozen under international sanctions to boost terrorist activity around the Middle East.
The White House has urged lawmakers to vote solely on the deal’s ability to prevent Iran from building a bomb, not on its other destabilizing activities or antiAmerican sentiments.
Obama said that while Iranian hardliners may chant “Death to America” in the streets of Tehran, that’s not the belief of all Iranians.
“In fact, it’s those hardliners who are most comfortable with the status quo,” he said. “It’s those hardliners chanting ‘Death to America’ who have been most opposed to the deal. They’re making common cause with the Republican caucus.”
Republicans, who are largely united in their opposition to the diplomatic deal, appeared unmoved by the president’s lengthy address. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham accused him of relying on “endless straw men to divert attention from his failed policies.”
Obama drew on history to bolster support, saying the accord builds on an American tradition of “strong, principled diplomacy” with adversaries, including the former Soviet Union.