(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 multilateral agreement preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“I oppose this latest reckless move by President Trump and strongly encourage him to reconsider. President Trump taking these steps to pull the United States out of this deal right now, without presenting any good evidence or rationale that Iran has violated it, moves us further from our goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it erodes our nation’s ability to make new diplomatic agreements as we head into critical talks with North Korea, and it increases regional tension and moves us closer to armed conflict that should be avoided if at all possible.
“When I decided to support the deal in 2015, I laid out four clear principles that guided me. I said that first and foremost, Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Second, Iran cannot be trusted, and no deal should hinge on them holding up their end of the bargain based on their word or good faith alone. Third, a strong diplomatic solution is the best option. And fourth, the United States needs to keep all options on the table, including military options, if Iran decides to move toward a nuclear weapon or threatens us or our allies in any other way.
“I view our continued participation in the deal through the prism of these same four principles, and I continue to believe that this deal offers us the best path to safety and security for our country and our allies, and the best approach to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, all while giving the U.S. and its allies the ability to keep the pressure on Iran and respond appropriately to its dangerous actions. Holding this brutal regime accountable becomes much more difficult if Iran is racing toward the bomb instead of being constrained by the terms of the deal.
“If Iran has violated the terms of the deal, then President Trump should present the evidence. As I said in 2015 in support of this deal, I will be ready to join others in moving quickly on other options if Iran doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain. But I just haven’t seen any compelling evidence that this is the case, and in the absence of that, I strongly oppose President Trump beginning the process of pulling our nation out of this agreement.“
Related story from the White House: President Donald J. Trump is Ending United States Participation in an Unacceptable Iran Deal
The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.
President Donald J. Trump
PROTECTING AMERICA FROM A BAD DEAL: President Donald J. Trump is terminating the United States’ participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and re-imposing sanctions lifted under the deal.
President Trump is terminating United States participation in the JCPOA, as it failed to protect America’s national security interests.
The JCPOA enriched the Iranian regime and enabled its malign behavior, while at best delaying its ability to pursue nuclear weapons and allowing it to preserve nuclear research and development.
The President has directed his Administration to immediately begin the process of re-imposing sanctions related to the JCPOA.
The re-imposed sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy, such as its energy, petrochemical, and financial sectors.
Those doing business in Iran will be provided a period of time to allow them to wind down operations in or business involving Iran.
Those who fail to wind down such activities with Iran by the end of the period will risk severe consequences.
United States withdrawal from the JCPOA will pressure the Iranian regime to alter its course of malign activities and ensure that Iranian bad acts are no longer rewarded. As a result, both Iran and its regional proxies will be put on notice. As importantly, this step will help ensure global funds stop flowing towards illicit terrorist and nuclear activities.
IRAN’S BAD FAITH AND BAD ACTIONS: Iran negotiated the JCPOA in bad faith, and the deal gave the Iranian regime too much in exchange for too little.
Intelligence recently released by Israel provides compelling details about Iran’s past secret efforts to develop nuclear weapons, which it lied about for years.
The intelligence further demonstrates that the Iranian regime did not come clean about its nuclear weapons activity, and that it entered the JCPOA in bad faith.
The JCPOA failed to deal with the threat of Iran’s missile program and did not include a strong enough mechanism for inspections and verification.
The JCPOA foolishly gave the Iranian regime a windfall of cash and access to the international financial system for trade and investment.
Instead of using the money from the JCPOA to support the Iranian people at home, the regime has instead funded a military buildup and continues to fund its terrorist proxies, such as Hizballah and Hamas.
Iran violated the laws and regulations of European countries to counterfeit the currency of its neighbor, Yemen, to support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force’s destabilizing activities.
ADDRESSING IRANIAN AGGRESSION: President Trump is committed to ensuring Iran has no possible path to a nuclear weapon and is addressing the threats posed by the regime’s malign activities.
President Trump will work to assemble a broad coalition of nations to deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and to counter the totality of the regime’s malign activities.
Nations must work together to halt the Iranian regime’s destabilizing drive for regional hegemony.
In Syria, the Iranian regime supports the Assad regime and is complicit in Assad’s atrocities against the Syrian people.
In Yemen, the regime has escalated the conflict and used the Houthis as a proxy to attack other nations.
In Iraq, Iran’s IRGC sponsors Shia militant groups and terrorists.
In Lebanon, the Iranian regime enables Hizballah to play a highly destabilizing role and to build an arsenal of weapons that threatens the region.
The Administration’s actions are directed against the malign behavior of the Iranian regime, not against the Iranian people, who are the regime’s longest-suffering victims.
President Trump is making clear that, in addition to never developing a nuclear weapon, the Iranian regime must:
Never have an ICBM, cease developing any nuclear-capable missiles, and stop proliferating ballistic missiles to others.
Cease its support for terrorists, extremists, and regional proxies, such as Hizballah, Hamas, the Taliban, and al-Qa’ida.
End its publicly declared quest to destroy Israel.
Stop its threats to freedom of navigation, especially in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
Cease escalating the Yemen conflict and destabilizing the region by proliferating weapons to the Houthis.
End its cyber-attacks against the United States and our allies, including Israel.
Stop its grievous human rights abuses, shown most recently in the regime’s crackdown against widespread protests by Iranian citizens.
Stop its unjust detention of foreigners, including United States citizens.
Senator Murray Blasts Trump Homeland Security Secretary on Department’s “Cruel” Anti-Immigration Agenda
Press release issued 5/ 8/ 18(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called out the Trump Administration’s cruel practice of detaining pregnant women in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and its management and budget challenges during a subcommittee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) budget. During the hearing Senator Murray questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen about the inadequate level of care pregnant women receive in DHS facilities, highlighting that DHS officials did not initially inform Congress of a policy change that would lead to more pregnant women being placed in detention for longer periods of time, and urging Secretary Nielsen to reverse course on this policy because it puts pregnant women in detention at risk. Additionally, Senator Murray pressed Secretary Nielsen on DHS’ habitual use of detention for detainees over less costly alternatives that are more effective, and emphasized that reducing detention through cheaper alternatives would save critical taxpayer dollars and discourage overspending caused by ICE unnecessarily detaining people.
Senator Murray has been a consistent critic of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda and has vocally opposed efforts at the Department of Homeland Security to eliminate or undermine protections for undocumented people, including urging the Trump Administration to reverse its reckless decision to rescind protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), challenging it’s decision to detain pregnant women, and pushing back on their plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for foreign residents living in America after fleeing natural disasters and crime in other parts of the world.
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WORLD NEWS HEADLINES FROM THE UN NEWS CENTER & OTHER SOURCES...
UN PRESS RELEASE: Force Commanders in Africa Outline Challenges Facing United Nations Peacekeeping Efforts During Briefing to Security Council
Robust Mandates, Civilian Protection, Mission Exits among Main Topics of Discussion
On the seventieth anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping, the commanders of three of the Organization’s missions in Africa briefed the Security Council this afternoon on the increasingly complex challenges faced by Blue Helmets, emphasizing that their core role was to establish secure environments that would enable political solutions to take root.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13329.doc.htm
Secretary-General ‘Deeply Concerned’ by United States Announcement on Withdrawing from Iran Nuclear Agreement, Calls on Other Parties to Fulfil Commitments
The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:
I am deeply concerned by today’s announcement that the United States will be withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and will begin reinstating United States sanctions.
I have consistently reiterated that the JCPOA represents a major achievement in nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy and has contributed to regional and international peace and security.
It is essential that all concerns regarding the implementation of the Plan be addressed through the mechanisms established in the JCPOA. Issues not directly related to the JCPOA should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments.
I call on other JCPOA participants to abide fully by their respective commitments under the JCPOA and on all other Member States to support this agreement.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sgsmn19022.doc.htm
UNICEF urges wealthy countries to encourage more breastfeeding
Babies in wealthy countries are five times more likely to miss out on breastfeeding than those in the under-developed, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday, explaining that this gap could be addressed by better support for working mothers, and regulating sales of infant formula.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009322
Iran deal represents ‘significant verification gain’ – UN atomic energy chief
Speaking the day after the United States withdrew from an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, the head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency made it clear that Iran has consistently stuck to its commitments.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009252
New UN agency guidelines aim to sustain forest benefits for future generations
New guidelines designed to give poor and isolated communities more of a say in how tropical forests are used and preserved around the world were published on Thursday, by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009312
US MISSION TO THE UN:
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing with Force Commanders on UN Peacekeeping Operations
Amy Tachco, Political Coordinator, U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Thank you so much, Madam President. And I’d like to thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for convening the force commanders here this week. We think that this is an extremely valuable annual event, when the force commanders have a chance to come together and really discuss the challenges they face, and particularly in today’s environment where missions are facing greater and greater challenges. It’s important for them to be able to share experiences and best practices, so thank you for that. And thanks to the Polish presidency for convening this meeting today, where we are able to hear from these three great force commanders here. Your briefings are not only very important but I would like for you and all of your colleagues to convey how much the Council and the United States appreciates everything that the troops under you do, and all of the sacrifices made, and all of the dedication to duty.
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8425
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the International Criminal Court Libya
Mark Simonoff, Minister Counselor, U.S. Mission to the United Nations
As we have said many times before in these briefings, those responsible for crimes committed during the 2011 revolution must be held to account. The Security Council unanimously referred the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court to guarantee that the atrocities of the Qadhafi regime would not go unpunished and that those victims would receive a measure of justice.
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8423
Remarks at a UN Security Council Debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Amy Tachco, Political Coordinator
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
Thank you very much, Madam President, and congratulations to you on the assumption of the presidency this month. I would like to thank High Representative Inzko for your very frank update on the developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We greatly appreciate the work of the Office of the High Representative to help the country achieve greater peace and prosperity and strengthen security and stability in the region.
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8422
Remarks at the 48th Annual Conference on the Americas
Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Among other things, we are each other’s largest and best trading partners. The United States sells more goods and services to our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere than we do to China, Japan, and India combined. While a lot of attention is placed on issues of trade with China, we should keep in mind that we trade nearly three times as much with the Western Hemisphere as we do with China.
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8420
US STATE DEPT: Addressing the Challenge of Returning Families of Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Workshop Held in Bali, Indonesia
The United States and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in cooperation with the Republic of Indonesia and under the auspices of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), held the second of three regional workshops on the Initiative on Addressing the Challenge of Returning Families of Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Bali, Indonesia on May 7-8, 2018.
https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2018/05/281969.htm
DOD: Niger Report Highlights Bravery of U.S. Troops, Notes Training, Planning Deficiencies
WASHINGTON --
American special operations forces fought valiantly against overwhelming odds in the battle against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists outside Tongo Tongo, Niger, and while a number of factors contributed to the clash, no single factor within the control of U.S. forces caused the deaths of four U.S. Army soldiers and four Nigeriens, a military investigation has concluded.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1517497/niger-report-highlights-bravery-of-us-troops-notes-training-planning-deficienci/
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