"As written, this bill would delay the implementation of a deal by 30 to 82 days, and risk blocking implementation completely. This is not oversight, this is interference. This bill undercuts U.S. negotiating leverage by casting as an open question whether the U.S. can honor it commitments. This does not help our negotiators, it hamstrings them and undermines our credibility.
"The bill risks sending an open invitation to hardliners in Iran to interfere with the negotiations"
But the Iranian American Council is hopeful: "that because the Administration has indicated they can live with this version of the bill, there is a plan in place to ensure it will not derail a deal.
The Times echoes these points in an excellent editorial, A Reckless Act in the Senate on Iran, lambasting the committee for the bill:
"Every president has negotiated similar agreements as part of executive authority. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has wrongly and inappropriately diminished the president's power to conduct the nation's foreign policy as he was elected to do."
Dylan Williams of J Street, which is working with NIAC to get the deal through, has been more hopeful on twitter. He mocks Bill Kristol over his disappointment that the bill didn't go nearly as far as the neocons wanted it to:
"Billy's going to have a big sad when the other shoe on the deal cut in the Senate drops..."
The New York Times coverage of this story never mentions Netanyahu or the Israel lobby, even though Ben Cardin, the Democratic Senator who negotiated the bill with Bob Corker, is a fervent supporter of Israel. But the readers commenting at the Times site press on these connections.
Frank in the UK...
"The aim of those who pushed for this bill is to undermine and derail the deal. Senator Tom Cotton said sometime ago that killing the deal will not be an unintended consequence of the bill, it is its main aim. It is sad that on such an important and critical issue of war and peace, when all other great nations have opted for a negotiated settlement of Iran's nuclear program, a bunch of senators put Israel's alleged interest ahead of US interest."
Socrates in Verona, NJ:
"War, War, What Are We Waiting For ?!
"Paid For by Sheldon Adelson, AIPAC, Tom Cotton, Bill Kristol and the Committee for Perpetual War In the Middle East
"Congress has lost its mind in Sheldon Adelson's wallet."
How come NYT readers have to go to the readers' comments to learn an important aspect of this story? James North asks.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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