Rushed Iran Bill Intensifies Partisan Divide in Congress

Fast track - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has announced that he plans to open floor debate as early as this week on a bill sponsored by Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) that would give Congress a vote on a final Iran deal, prevent presidential sanctions relief for two months and potentially scuttle a deal with Iran.

--The Republicans’ decision to move forward before consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee surprised some Democratic co-sponsors of the proposal, who object to Republicans’ attempt to fast track the bill in a way intended to score political points against the President.

--“Now, putting any bipartisanship aside, we are back to politics as usual,” Sen. Menendez said. “I will have no choice but to use my voice and my vote against any motion to proceed.” http://bit.ly/1w0KiI5

--Senator Tim Kaine, another co-sponsor, called the majority leader’s decision premature, saying, “We need to demonstrate that our review will be thoughtful and deliberate rather than rushed and partisan.” Sen. Kaine’s full statement: http://1.usa.gov/1w3z1qp

Counterpoint - “We’re staying focused on the central issue here: How do we prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. The path that we’ve proposed, if successful, by far is the best way to do that. That’s demonstrable,” said President Obama in a press briefing yesterday. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has not offered any kind of viable alternative that would achieve the same verifiable mechanism to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”

--“What I can guarantee is that if it's a deal I’ve signed off on, I will be able to prove that it is the best way for us to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. And for us to pass up on that potential opportunity would be a great mistake. It's not one that I intend to make, and I will take that case to every member of Congress once we actually have a deal.” Full transcript here: http://1.usa.gov/1BEZawz

Tweet - @rethink_media: Spoiler Alert: We had heard the #NetanyahuSpeech before. It didn't turn out so well. http://bit.ly/1ElxU6E

Same old - Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “demand that Mr. Obama push for a better deal is hollow. He clearly doesn’t want negotiations and failed to suggest any reasonable alternative approach that could halt Iran’s nuclear efforts,” the New York Times editorial board writes.

--“Congress must not forget that its responsibility is to make choices that advance American security interests, and that would include a strict and achievable agreement with Iran. If it sabotages the deal as Mr. Netanyahu has demanded, it would bear the blame.” http://nyti.ms/1AICLJu

How the speech played -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu’s address to Congress is here: http://wapo.st/18ig4Fg. A roundup of commentary and analysis:

-- “What Bibi Didn’t Say,” by Thomas Friedman for The New York Times. http://nyti.ms/1aLmyy6

--“Netanyahu's speech to Congress has politics written all over it,” by Doyle Mcmanus in the Los Angeles Times. http://lat.ms/1FWyOoV

--“Keep Congress at bay on Iran agreement,” by Walter Pincus in The Washington Post. http://wapo.st/1BRylak

--“Netanyahu's Suggestions Could Drive Iran In The Opposite Direction.” Interview with Peter Kenyon on NPR. http://n.pr/1El7HW2

--“An Agreement That Is Good for Israel, Bad for Netanyahu,” by Paul Pillar in The National Interest. http://bit.ly/1BHP4eA

Tweet - @jstreetdotorg: Watch @AmbassadorRice Debunk PM Netanyahu's #Iran Talking Points http://t.co/ePtSFr7xit

Framework? - “Negotiators are aiming for a much looser construct of a deal than the framework originally planned — "an understanding that's going to have to be filled out with lots of detail" by their late March target date,” a senior U.S. official told AP’s Matt Lee. http://bit.ly/1FWPGMn

By the numbers - A poll released Tuesday by the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation finds that 61 percent of Americans favor pursuing a long-term agreement with Iran that allows some nuclear enrichment. Only 36 percent favored increasing sanctions in an effort to end the program. Full survey here (pdf). http://bit.ly/1B5f81n

Tweet - @APDiploWriter: Next round of #Iran nuclear talks to be held starting March 15, likely in #Geneva, per senior #US official.

Just the numbers - The U.S. maintains an estimated 4,760 nuclear warheads for delivery by more than 800 ballistic missiles and aircraft. Total inventory, including warheads retired and awaiting dismantlement: 7,100.

-- “The stockpile did not shrink significantly over the last year, but has shrunk by roughly 350 warheads compared with September 2009.” The latest U.S. nuclear notebook from Hans Kristensen and Robert Norris. http://bit.ly/1AIqPqV

About the secret Iranian nuclear facility... - The Iranian dissident group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq’s claim of a clandestine centrifuge facility in the suburbs of Tehran doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The facility actually produces identification documents for the Iranian government, which is easy to prove using open source tools. Jeff Lewis analyzes the pattern of attempts to reveal “facts” about Iran’s nuclear program that turned out to be less than factual.

--Conclusion: “The MEK and the United States have fundamentally different interests. The MEK highlights Iran’s nuclear programs — real, imagined, and downright fabricated — as a way to build support for regime change in Tehran. Hemming in the Iranian nuclear program through diplomacy removes one of the MEK’s most effective talking points in favor of bombing Iran. They won’t go down without a fight.” http://atfp.co/1w3kifd

Quick Hits:

-- “U.S. says 'seriously concerned' about North Korea's nuclear work,” by Reuters. http://reut.rs/1CwnLVT

--“These Five People Will Make or Break an Iran Nuclear Deal,” by Daniel R. DePetris in The National Interest. http://bit.ly/1zJEyhe

--“Shifting Goalposts to Kill Diplomacy with Iran,” by Ellie Geranmayeh in LobeLog. http://bit.ly/1BHOnBM

--“Russia Orders Surprise Test of Central Nuclear Base,” by Damien Sharkov for Newsweek. http://bit.ly/1FWP89h

--“N. Korea cannot win nuke state status: Seoul official,” by the Yonhap News Agency. http://bit.ly/1M5FfrT

Events:

--Senate Armed Services Committee, hearing on “Postures of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force.” With Gen. Raymond Odierno, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff, Air Force; Deborah Lee James, Air Force Secretary; and John McHugh, Army Secretary. March 5 at 9:30 AM. Located at G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. Webcast on the committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1aJjDWT

--Senate Armed Services Committee, hearing on "Posture of the Department of the Navy." With Raymond Mabus, Navy Secretary; Adm. John Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations; and Gen. Joseph Dunford, Marine Corps. Commandant. March 10 at 9:30 AM. Located at G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC. Webcast on the committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1EgDadv

--Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, hearing on the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) budget. With Frank Klotz, Administrator, NNSA. March 11, Time TBA, Room TBA, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. Webcast on the committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1itSTpx

Dessert:

Atomic Annie - “In 1949, engineer and former Navy radar operator Robert Schwartz locked himself in a room inside the Pentagon and worked on the design for atomic artillery… Fifteen days later, Schwartz emerged from the locked room with a design for a 280-millimeter gun—the massive M65 artillery cannon, known today as Atomic Annie.” The massive gun was tested once, then the military promptly misplaced it. Matthew Gault has the full story for War is Boring. http://bit.ly/1EgxErk