Congress’ Role in a Successful Nuclear Agreement with Iran

May 14, 2014 | Edited by Lauren Mladenka and Geoff Wilson

Supporting a realistic deal - “Reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran faces formidable challenges,” writes Kelsey Davenport in Roll Call. “As negotiators meet in Vienna this week to begin drafting a long-term deal that will limit Iran’s nuclear program, they do not need the U.S. Congress throwing additional roadblocks onto the path.”

--“Members of Congress continue to make unreasonable demands about eliminating Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity, despite Washington having committed last November to a final deal with Iran that includes a ‘mutually defined enrichment program’…While complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program may have been have been ideal ten years ago, it is not feasible now, and it is necessary to guard against a nuclear-armed Iran. A final deal with stringent limits and intrusive monitoring and verification will accomplish that. What’s more, insisting on complete abandonment will only drive Tehran away from negotiations and an unrestrained enrichment program.”

--“For the first time in over a decade, Iran has taken steps to roll back some of its most worrisome nuclear activities. And a long-term nuclear deal is within reach. What U.S. diplomats need from Congress is the time and support to negotiate a final agreement — not legislation that sabotages the prospects for a final deal to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.” Read the full piece here. http://bit.ly/1gDNsVd

Tweet - @tparsi: .@AnnCurry's documentary on how the Nov Iran nuclear deal was reached is fantastic! Must Watch! #Iranelection @hmajd nbcnews.to/1nx4t8q

Crunch time - “Six world powers and Iran launched a decisive phase of diplomacy on Wednesday to begin drafting a lasting accord that would curb Tehran's contested nuclear activity in exchange for a phased end to sanctions that have hobbled the Iranian economy,” write Louis Charbonneau and Justyna Pawlak for Reuters. “After three months of floating expectations rather than negotiating possible compromises, the sides now aim to devise a package meant to end years of antagonism and curtail the risk of a wider Middle East war with global repercussions… Diplomats from both sides have said they want to resolve all sticking points about issues such as Iran's capacity to enrich uranium and the future of its nuclear facilities, as well as the timeline of sanctions relief, by a July 20 deadline.” Read the full report here. http://reut.rs/1g5voby

Tweet - @CNASdc: Watch this morning's talk on #IranDeal w/ @ColinKahl, @cirincione, Bob Einhorn & @AlirezaNader http://www.cnas.org/video/colin-kahl-on-nuclear-deal-usip#.U3OIOq1dVLo

Reaching across the Gulf - “Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it had invited Iran’s foreign minister to visit Riyadh, breaking the ice in one of the most hostile relationships in the Middle East ahead of key talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Vienna this week,” report Liz Sly and Ernesto Londono for The Washington Post.

--“Speaking to reporters in the Saudi capital, Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the kingdom was ready to host Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ‘anytime he sees fit’ and indicated that Riyadh is willing to open negotiations with its nemesis on the many combustible issues dividing them.” He added that “we will talk with them. Our hope is that Iran becomes a part of the effort to make the region as safe as possible.” Read the full report here. http://wapo.st/1v4w2dA

Tweet - @globalzero: #DidYouKnow: Deciding NOT to renew #Trident would save the UK more than £84bn over the next 50 years. #ExposeNukes

Nuclear security resisted by medical industry - “Government efforts to eliminate the commercial use of a radioactive material deemed a security risk have run into opposition from the medical sector,” Global Security Newswire reports. “Among the common commercial substances targeted for elimination is cesium chloride. The government is trying to convince hospitals and blood banks in the country to cease using irradiator machines that contain cesium chloride and instead use X-ray irradiators to make sure blood is safe for transfusion… In addition to being extremely radioactive, cesium chloride is also dissolvable in water. These characteristics make the material ‘a greater concern than other radiation sources,’ according to a 2008 finding by the National Research Council. However, some medical professionals and companies are resisting the urged change on the grounds that the newer X-ray irradiators are too expensive and more prone to breaking down.” Read the full report here. http://bit.ly/1lnSu9N

Atomic protection - “Insiders say Japan is devising procedures for its armed forces to protect domestic atomic facilities from computer-based strikes,” Global Security Newswire reports. “Protecting Japan's command-and-control systems from possible electronic assaults is the objective of a special task force established by the country's defense ministry in March… The group of about 90 people only wields authorization to guard equipment linking the Japanese ministry to domestic military installations.” Get the full story here. http://bit.ly/T2lttm

Sooner than expected - “Poland may choose a single winning bidder by June or July in a multi-billion dollar missile defense competition, months earlier than planned due to the crisis in Ukraine,” writes Andrea Shalal in Reuters. “Concerns about Russia's annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Ukraine could further accelerate a decision in the Polish competition. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Czeslaw Mroczek told Reuters in March that the country wanted to choose a winner by the end of the year, which already marked an acceleration from its initial plan to buy a new missile defense system in 2015.” Full story here. http://reut.rs/1jtghU6

Quick-hits:

--“Senate Bills Aim to Shield Nuclear Power Plant Waste from Sabotage” by Douglas Guarino in Global Security Newswire. http://bit.ly/1ssVSUL

--“Canadian Govt. Seen Probing Public Interest in Joining U.S. Missile Shield” in Global Security Newswire. http://bit.ly/1leHvRf

Events:

--“The Role of Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Responding to the Crisis in Crimea.” Discussion with Peter Doran and Kingston Reif. May 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave., NW. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1iUUxA6

--“Nuclear Weapons: How Safe is Safe?” Discussion with author Eric Schlosser. May 22 from 8:30-9:30am at the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2212. RSVP to rsvp@ploughshares.org.

Kitty litter culprit - “A specialist thinks he has pinpointed the cause of a February radiation leak at a federal atomic waste dump -- a packing material similar to kitty litter,” Global Security Newswire reports. “The firm responsible for preparing containers of radiation-contaminated materials for shipment from the Los Alamos National Laboratory to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for underground storage changed the type of absorbent material in packing the containers, says Jim Conca, who previously worked at both the nuclear weapons facility and in environmental monitoring for the New Mexico repository. The absorbent material is used to sponge up any liquid in the drums and remains in the containers when they are stored in the tunnels of the nuclear waste dump, the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper reported Conca as saying. This switch from a clay-based absorbent to a wheat-based filler material could have produced nitrate salts that caused a "mild" explosive reaction to occur in one of the drums.” Read the full piece here. http://bit.ly/1or4Rbp