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Excerpts: Non-partisan report nixes new Iran sanctions. Rockets fired
Excerpts: Non-partisan report nixes new Iran sanctions. Rockets fired on =
Golan from Syria February 18, 2014
+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 18 Feb.=9214:=94Report Undermines U.S. Iran =
Sanctions Push=94, Agence France
SUBJECT:Non-partisan report nixes new Iran sanctions
QUOTE:=94top non-partisan report largely backs White House warnings . . .(r=
e) =
hopes of a final nuclear deal=94
FULL TEXT:A new non-partisan report by top foreign policy experts largely =
backs White House warnings that imposing new sanctions on Iran could =
seriously complicate, if not derail, hopes of a final nuclear deal with =
Tehran.
The study by the Iran Project assesses claims by critics of the sanctions =
push in Congress that it would fracture the international coalition pursuin=
g =
talks — which resumed in Austria on Tuesday[18 Feb.] — and a sanctions =
regime already squeezing Iran’s economy.
But it also argues that the Obama administration has been a little too =
adamant that the bill, if passed, would inevitably lead to war with the =
Islamic Republic.
The White House, has for now, succeeded in thwarting a bid by a bi-partisan =
group of hawkish senators to pass new sanctions on Iran which they say will =
increase U.S. leverage in nuclear talks.
Supporters of the legislation, including the Democratic leader of the Senat=
e =
Foreign Relations Committee Robert Menendez, say that any new sanctions =
would only come into force in a “trigger” mechanism in six months if talks =
on a permanent nuclear deal fail.
But the Iran Group report casts doubt on that claim, an important point =
because Washington promised not to impose new sanctions in an interim deal =
with Iran reached late last year.
“After carefully reading the bill line by line and consulting with both =
current and retired Senate staff of the relevant committees, it appears tha=
t =
the critics are correct: the change in sanctions law takes effect upon =
passage,” the report said.
The report questions the claim by pro-sanctions supporters that since =
economic pain brought Iran to the table, more punishment will get it to =
capitulate in negotiations.
“Medicine administered at a certain dosage can improve the health of a =
patient, but if that patient turns around and doubles it, they might poison =
themselves.”
The report also supports the contention that imposing new sanctions in =
Washington could undermine President Hassan Rouhani among ultra hard liners =
in Tehran.
It gives some credence to the idea that U.S. allies would see the impositio=
n =
of new sanctions by Congress as a failure by Washington to live up to its =
promises.
But the administration got little support for its claims that the sanctions =
bill could put the United States on a “march to war” with Iran, by killing =
off chances of a diplomatic solution.
“It would seem that both sides are too confident in their claims that a new =
sanctions bill will lead directly to war or that the Iranians will never =
walk away,” the report said.
Still, it concluded that the new sanctions bill could increase the =
probability of war with Iran even if it did not guarantee such an outcome.
The report was written by Jim Walsh, a researcher at the Massachusetts =
Institute of Technology and included contributions from foreign policy =
experts including career diplomat Thomas Pickering, former senior CIA =
officer Paul Pillar, and Jessica Tuchman Matthews, president of the Carnegi=
e =
Endowment for International Peace.
SourceAgence France Presse
+++SOURCE:Naharnet (Lebanon) 18 Feb.=9214:=94Syria Rockets Hit Golan Shortl=
y =
after Israel PM Visit=94,Agence France Presse
SUBJECT:Rockets fired on Golan from Syria
QUOTE:=94 =91Two rockets from Syria struck the central Golan without causi=
ng =
injuries or damage=92 =93
FULL TEXT:Two rockets fired from war-torn Syria struck the Israeli-occupied =
Golan Heights Tuesday[18 Feb.] shortly after a secret visit to the area by =
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the army said.
“Two rockets fire from Syria struck the central Golan without causing =
injuries or damage,” a spokeswoman told AFP.
The incident occurred shortly after Netanyahu toured the area with Defense =
Minister Moshe Yaalon and army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, =
visiting a field hospital close to the ceasefire line where injured Syrians =
are being treated.
The premier used the visit to lash out at Iran, as it began a fresh round o=
f =
talks with world powers in Vienna aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord =
to roll back Tehran’s contested nuclear program.
“On the day when talks between the major powers and Iran are being opened i=
n =
Vienna, it is important that the world sees the pictures from this place, =
which divides the good that is in the world from the bad,” said Netanyahu i=
n =
remarks communicated by his office.
The talks aim to follow up on a landmark interim deal struck in November an=
d =
fiercely opposed by Israeli under which Iran is scaling back certain nuclea=
r =
activities in exchange for minor relief from sanctions.
“Iran is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter,” said Netanyahu.
“All of the children who have been injured, to say nothing of those who hav=
e =
been killed, were injured as a result of Iran’s arming, financing and =
training” the regime of President Bashar Assad , he charged.
“I would like to tell the world, today, as the talks between the major =
powers and Iran are being resumed, that Iran has changed neither its =
aggressive policy nor its brutal character,” he said.
“This is the true face of Iran. The world cannot forget this.”
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 1,200 square =
kilometers (460 square miles) of the strategic plateau during the 1967 Six =
Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the internationa=
l =
community.
Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, the plateau has been tense, with =
a growing number of stray projectiles hitting the Israeli side, prompting a=
n =
occasional armed response.
SourceAgence France Presse
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Sue Lerner – Associate, IMRA =
________________________________________
IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis
Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on A=
rab-Israeli relations
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Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63232
