Don’t sabotage diplomacy with Iran

Sun., Jan. 12, 2014

From the agreement to eradicate Syria’s chemical weapons to the deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program, 2013 will be remembered as a year of historic diplomatic accomplishments. I hope 2014 is not the year the U.S. Senate passes sanctions that sabotage our diplomats’ achievements.

I hope my senators will oppose the Menendez-Kirk-Schumer legislation that would increase sanctions on Iran and encourage Israel to launch a pre-emptive attack on Iran. If these sanctions pass, they would violate the first-step nuclear deal and likely lead to the collapse of the negotiations with Iran, which is why the White House has issued a veto threat.

The Senate should heed advice from a recent U.S. intelligence community assessment that stated that “new sanctions would undermine the prospects for a successful comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran.”

Walther Soeldner

Spokane

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