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Top Military Brass to Congress: Reject Iran Deal

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JERUSALEM, Israel – Two hundred retired U.S. generals and admirals appealed to Congress to reject the nuclear agreement with Iran.

In a letter contradicting President Obama's position that the deal effectively curbs Iran's ability to produce nuclear warheads, the 200 former military leaders say it does the opposite.

"To the contrary, it actually provides Iran with a legitimate path to doing that simply by abiding by the deal," the letter, addressed to leaders of the House and Senate, states.

Among the 200 signatories is Lt. Gen. (ret.) William G. "Jerry" Boykin, who served as undersecretary of defense under former President George W. Bush. Boykin, who now serves as executive vice president of the Family Research Council, has been a popular guest on CBN News.

Why is the Iran Deal bad for the Middle East and United States? Retired General William "Jerry" Boykin answered this question and more.

Deal Threatens Israel, Middle East, US

Providing Iran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief not only threatens Israel, but all of the Middle East. The ability to "snap back" sanctions is an illusion, and the inspection process has no credibility. It also threatens the security and vital interests of the United States, they contend.

Besides all that, the deal leaves Iran's nuclear infrastructure intact, a point frequently made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Under the terms of the agreement, Iran's uranium enrichment program, the developing and testing of advanced centrifuges and the work at the Arak heavy-water plutonium reactor continue unfettered.

In fact, the signatories state, because compliance is basically "unverifiable," the deal paves the way for a far more dangerous Iran in the future.

"In our professional opinions, far from being an alternative to war, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action makes it likely that the war the Iranian regime has waged against us since 1979 will continue, with far higher risks to our national security interests," they write, urging lawmakers "to reject this defective accord."

States Should Broaden Sanctions

Meanwhile, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt urged individual states to broaden sanctions against Iran.

In an op-ed posted in the Wall Street Journal, the authors suggested such actions will help counter the Obama administration's plan to lift economic sanctions.

The current deal, the authors say, not only paves the way toward nuclear arms capabilities, it also fails to address the Iranian government's human rights abuses or its state sponsorship of terrorism.

To date, 25 states have sanctions in place against Iran, which allows people in individual states to make their own decisions on sanctions.

"Since Obama skirted the people's representatives in Congress, 'the people, through the states, may come to their own decisions regarding sanctions on Iran.' We urge states to do exactly the opposite. Rather than drop their sanctions against Iran, states should strengthen and expand those sanctions," the authors explain.

"Regardless of President Obama's view of Iran, the states certainly have numerous moral and reputational reasons to prohibit of public assets, such as pension funds, into companies doing business with companies that sponsor terrorism and to prohibit state agencies from doing business with such companies," they explain.

"The Obama administration may call this 'interference. We call it the right thing to do, the authors conclude.

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About The Author

Tzippe
Barrow

From her perch high atop the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, Tzippe Barrow tries to provide a bird’s eye view of events unfolding in her country. Tzippe’s parents were born to Russian Jewish immigrants, who fled the czar’s pogroms to make a new life in America. As a teenager, Tzippe wanted to spend a summer in Israel, but her parents, sensing the very real possibility that she might want to live there, sent her and her sister to Switzerland instead. Twenty years later, the Lord opened the door to visit the ancient homeland of her people.