Some Senators and Representatives have not yet indicated whether they will support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal. With only a few Senate votes needed to guarantee that the U.S. will honor the agreement, these elected officials should support the Plan of Action. Those members of Congress who quickly stated their opposition to the Plan might want to reconsider.
The agreement contains strong verification terms. It will be difficult for Iran to cheat. The Comprehensive Plan requires Iran to roll back progress, dismantling enough of Iran's nuclear facilities to make development and production of nuclear weapons a lengthier and more difficult effort. At the same time, the removal of sanctions and a gradual opening of Iran to increased commerce and contact with the U.S. and other nations offers additional incentives to comply with the Plan and could help stabilize the Middle East.
Iran's agreement to International Atomic Energy Agency inspections has been a point of controversy, but the fact is that there is nothing controversial or unprecedented about IAEA inspectors or other independent verification teams supervising Iranian technicians while checking on compliance with the plan's terms. For example, I remember talking in the 1990s to a colleague who participated in verifying the USSR's dismantling of nuclear weapons under the terms of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty negotiated by the Reagan Administration. She did not dismantle the warheads herself but instead watched Russian technicians dismantle and dispose of them. The inspection regime stipulated is the first ever to limit the amount of time a country can postpone inspections; the limit of 24 days is itself short enough a time period that inspectors willl be able to detect attempts to conceal material for weapons development.
Another reason to support the Iran nuclear accord is that China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, the European Union, Russia and the United States jointly negotiated and agreed to the plan. This makes it one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of the last several decades. Multi-lateral agreements are difficult to reach because of the number of different players, each with its own national interests to protect and advance. The involvement of all these nations, and their commitment to reimpose sanctions should Iran reneg, adds force to the deal and reinforces international cooperation for the common ood in other fields. Our leadership in the negotiations and our approval enhance our credibility, leadership and image around the world.
The involvement and support of all the negotiating nations, some of them competitors for economic and political influence, also strengthens the credibility and sustainability of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). A stronger NPT benefits the entire world, including the U.S., by making it more difficult for states and non-state actors to acquire and/or develop nuclear weapons. A non-proliferation success lends impetus and momentum to efforts to further reduce the arsenals of nations which already possess nuclear weapons; we are all safer the fewer nations possess such weapons and the fewer such weapons deployed around the world.
No international treaty or plan is perfect, but the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a very positive step forward to control the spread of nuclear weapons, bring Iran further into the global community, and enhance U.S. soft power and influence around the world. Please urge both your Senators and your Representative to declare support for the Iran nuclear deal.
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