Clinton Warns Against Sanctions, Stresses Chance for Diplomacy

February 3, 2014 | Edited by Lauren Mladenka and Geoff Wilson

Clinton on Iran - “Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is warning Congress that new unilateral sanctions against Iran could upend sensitive international negotiations over its nuclear development, imploring lawmakers to work with the Obama administration in presenting a unified front to Tehran,” reports Donna Cassata for AP. “Echoing President Barack Obama's deep concerns about another round of tough economic penalties, Clinton said any congressional action could undercut U.S. work with its allies as well as American influence with Russia and China in forcing Tehran to negotiate after years of inconclusive talks.”

--"Now that serious negotiations are finally under way, we should do everything we can to test whether they can advance a permanent solution...As President Obama has said, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed, while keeping all options on the table,” wrote Clinton. Read the full article here. http://apne.ws/1dYd0ti

--Read Clinton’s full letter to Sen. Carl Levin here. http://bit.ly/1j6zoca

Ready to deal - “Iran's foreign minister said Sunday his country is prepared to move ahead in negotiations over its nuclear program, assuring Western diplomats that Tehran has the political will and good faith to reach a ‘balanced’ long-term agreement,” reports David Rising for AP. “What I can promise is that we will go to those negotiations with the political will and good faith to reach an agreement, because it would be foolish for us to only bargain for six months — that would be (a) disaster for everybody," Foreign Minister Zarif said. Read the full story here. http://abcn.ws/1nIoedS

--“Iran Says Nuclear Talks Failure Would Be ‘Disaster’” in Reuters. http://reut.rs/1idLxbF

Tweet - @armscontrolnow: Video of Munich Sec Conf disc on #IranDeal w/ IAEA DG Amano, Sen. Chris Murphy, FM Carl Bildt, FM Javad Zarif http://bit.ly/LHwpsl

Hardliner support - “President Hassan Rouhani has secured the backing of senior conservative clerics against hardliners opposed to a nuclear deal reached with major powers,” writes Mehrdad Balali for Reuters. “The backing of the clergy is essential as they have direct access to ordinary Iranians in their sermons when they can mobilize people to display their support for the deal.” Full piece here. http://reut.rs/LrsTSb

First relief installment - “Iran has received its first installment of $500 million under the nuclear deal struck with the U.S. and five other nations,” Julian Pecquet reports for The Hill. “The country is set to receive a total of $4.2 billion in frozen assets over the next six months. The deal, which went into effect Jan. 20, also suspends certain sanctions and allows Iran to continue exporting its oil at current levels, for a total of $7 billion.” Full story here. http://bit.ly/1nIwCKq

Talks to resume - “Six world powers and Iran will begin talks in Vienna on February 18 on a long-term deal for Tehran to curb parts of its nuclear program in exchange for a gradual end to sanctions,” Anna McIntosh reports for Reuters. Full story here. http://reut.rs/Lrz0Wv

Talks before the talks - “The foreign ministers of the United States and Iran held rare private talks in Germany on Sunday to discuss the next stage in efforts to reach a definitive agreement to end a decade-old dispute over Iran's nuclear program,” Adrian Croft and Alexandra Hudson report for Reuters. “U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to talk about nuclear negotiations between six world powers and Iran that will resume in Vienna on February 18.” Full report here. http://reut.rs/1nIucvx

--“Russia to return all HEU from Uzbekistan” by the International Panel on Fissile Materials Blog. http://bit.ly/1n7hWkY

Tweet - @insidedefense: Navy Would Look to Cut VA-Class Sub Build Rate To Pay For SSBN(X). Inside the Navy: [Paywall] http://t.co/mnwB98Jcgp

BMD costs & impact - “The U.S. Defense Department said on Friday it would conduct environmental impact studies for four possible missile defense sites in the eastern United States but stressed it had not yet decided to proceed with construction,” reports Andrea Shalal-Esa for Reuters. Congress “is urging the Pentagon to commit to an East Coast site. Defense officials say current interceptors on the West Coast can defend the country against possible missile attacks, and an extra interceptor site would add enormous costs to a military budget already under pressure.” Read the full report here. http://bit.ly/1dY76Ip

Polish missile defense - “The US wants to partner with Poland as the Eastern European nation pursues its own missile defense system separate from the American system already planned for the region,” Marcus Weisgerber reports for Defense News. “As Poland explores its options for its own missile defense capabilities, there is an unmistakable opportunity for us to forge even closer cooperation in this area, leveraging cutting-edge technology and enhanced NATO capability,” said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, ““This will benefit Poland, the United States and the entire trans-Atlantic alliance.” Full story here. http://bit.ly/Lrx5kM

Why sanctions stalled - “The push for new sanctions on Iran has stalled. The Democrats who bucked President Obama to back the sanctions bill are backpedaling mightily—no longer even pretending they're pushing Harry Reid to hold a vote on the measure. And while there's still plenty of chest-pounding and posturing, the debate's end result seems clear: The Senate will wait, at least so long as the negotiations move in the right direction,” writes Stacy Kaper in The National Journal. “So how did Obama—a supposedly feckless president when it comes to handling Congress—turn the tide?”

--”The president combined tangible developments abroad with fervent support from the Left, and used it to win out over a fracturing Israel lobby. In the process, he won—at least for now—a foreign policy victory just as his critics were insisting Obama's age of influence was over,” Kaper says. Full article here. http://bit.ly/1foERFm

Glimmer of hope - “Though nothing so far has slowed the North’s nuclear program, or brought the two adversaries together, Washington and Seoul must remain open, and responsive, to possible avenues of cooperation [with North Korea], like family reunions, as tentative and remote as such gestures may seem.” Read the full opinion piece from the New York Times editorial board here. http://nyti.ms/1imJG51

Events:

--”Solving Today’s Nuclear Nightmares.” Discussion with Joseph Cirincione, Ploughshares Fund. Feb. 3 from 12:00-1:30, George Washington University, Linder Family Commons, Room 602, 1957 E St. NW. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1dmftNY

--”Negotiations on Iran’s Nuclear Program.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing with Wendy Sherman, David Cohen, David Albright, and Mark Dubowitz. Feb. 4 at 12:00, 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Webcast available here. http://1.usa.gov/LHu9RT

--"Reporting on Cheating, Burnout and Scandal in the U.S. Nuclear Force." Discussion with Robert Burns and Wendy Benjaminson, Associated Press. Feb. 5 at 2:00, Newseum, Knight TV Studio, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington. Webcast on the Newseum website. http://bit.ly/MRX7zj

--“At the Table: Perspectives on Iran Negotiations from Two Former U.S. Negotiators” featuring Nicholas Burns and Robert Einhorn. Sponsored by the Partnership for a Secure America. Feb. 7 from 11:00-noon at 2118 Rayburn HOB. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1dah61g

Dessert:

Rodman’s goal - Dennis Rodman wants you to know he’s not a traitor, despite his visit to nuclear North Korea and birthday jingle for leader Kim Jong Un. "My whole goal is to make people happy," Rodman said. Mariano Castillo reports for CNN. http://cnn.it/1dmeTzO