Obama WH: Pro-Sanctions Senators Should Admit They Want War With Iran

As Jason Ditz highlights in the news section today, congressional support for heaping additional sanctions on Iran, even as the interim deal plays out ahead of further negotiations on a final deal, is picking up in the Senate. Up to 58 senators have committed to voting yes on new sanctions, an action the Obama administration and Iranian negotiators have said would kill good faith negotiations.

But the Obama White House seems to be stepping up the rhetoric in opposition to the new sanctions bill. The Huffington Post: White House Dares Democratic Senators Pushing Iran Sanctions To Admit They Want War

“If certain members of Congress want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American public and say so,” Bernadette Meehan, National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement. “Otherwise, it’s not clear why any member of Congress would support a bill that possibly closes the door on diplomacy and makes it more likely that the United States will have to choose between military options or allowing Iran’s nuclear program to proceed.”

The “certain members” the White House is referring to are led by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is pushing legislation, backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, that would tighten sanctions on the Iranian regime despite the ongoing negotiations.

Let’s remember that Iran and the P5+1 came to an historic deal in November which freezes or rolls back the entirety of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for meager sanctions relief and unfrozen assets. That deal lasts for 6-months while negotiators work to hammer out a more comprehensive and permanent agreement. This interim period is critical and new sanctions on Iran could destroy any chance for success, giving credibility to hardliners in Iran pushing to terminate talks.

“The threat of additional sanctions, at this critical juncture, could derail negotiations toward a peaceful solution,” writes Colin Kahl, associate professor in Georgetown University and former Obama administration official, in a recent piece for The National Interest.

In the piece, Kahl also mentions the underreported fact that this sanctions legislation “also defines congressionally acceptable parameters for a final deal that Iran experts almost universally believe are unachievable, namely the requirement that Iran completely dismantle its uranium enrichment program.”

Rouhani’s ability to forge elite consensus for the additional concessions required for a final nuclear deal hinges on his ability to deliver meaningful sanctions relief, not just avoid an increase in sanctions. Yet by imposing demands that Iran completely dismantle its enrichment program—which Khamenei, hardliners and the majority of the Iranian public view as unacceptable capitulation—prior to lifting U.S. sanctions, the proposed Senate legislation will make it extremely difficult for Rouhani to build a coalition in favor of further compromise.

The Obama White House, it pains me to say it, is exactly right on this one. Those members of Congress pushing for additional sanctions at this particularly sensitive time are rather transparently trying to sabotage the negotiations and set the U.S. back on the war path with Iran.

77 thoughts on “Obama WH: Pro-Sanctions Senators Should Admit They Want War With Iran”

    1. We should be arresting the fifth columnists that are AIPAC and sending off the slimy congressmen and wome to go fight in this war they are preparing to unleash, that will then draw in China and Russia, and soon after, morph into WWIII.

      1. I having been posting for 13 years

        Wake Up America…

        of the I-lobby threat

        has not gotten one bit better

  1. Yes, the white house MUST choose between illegal sanctions against Iran to make them give up their rights (which they deserve far more than the USA and Israel) or military options. That's it. You can't just stop the sanctions and stop the USA's 60 year long stretch of imperial butchery and terrorism against Iran.

    Here's a review of Obama's record: http://empireslayer.blogspot.com/2013/11/obama-su

    What we are seeing is an excellent demonstration of a typical difference between most democrats and republicans. They see only two options: military imperialism or economic imperialism. Both are forms of aggression and terrorism, as they are collective punishment against a civilian population.

    1. "…any military operation against Iran will likely be very unpopular around the world and require the proper international context—both to ensure the logistical support the operation would require and to minimize the blowback from it. The best way to minimize international opprobrium and maximize support (however, grudging or covert) is to strike only when there is a widespread conviction that the Iranians were given but then rejected a superb offer—one so good that only a regime determined to acquire nuclear weapons and acquire them for the wrong reasons would turn it down. Under those circumstances, the United States (or Israel) could portray its operations as taken in sorrow, not anger, and at least some in the international community would conclude that the Iranians “brought it on themselves” by refusing a very good deal."

      -Brookings Institution's 2009 "Which Path to Persia?" report, page 52

      Brookings is funded by Exxon Mobil, Dianne Feinstein, the US government, and others

      More on its Which Path to Persia report, here: http://empireslayer.blogspot.com/2013/10/if-iran-

  2. For one not blinded by ideology, it seems like a no-brainer that current negotiations should be given a chance. Most in the GOP are reflexively against Obama no matter what, so there's not much good we can expect from them. They hardly became anti-war on the Syrian strike. It was all about opposing Obama, although they did conveniently use public opinion as a cover.. But the Dem Senators, especially, should be ashamed for undercutting their party's leader at such a critical time. They are showing where their true loyalty lies – and it's not with the US. Some would call them traitors.

  3. Jesus died for You You will go to Heaven

    What is Prophecy?
    Prophecy is always a promise of God. God gives prophecy-promises of hope to His children. GodWhat is Prophecy?
    Prophecy is always a promise of God. God gives prophecy-promises of hope to His children. God also gives prophecy-promises of judgment to those who disagree wither are indifferent to Him. 

    Can men give prophecy?
    No! Genuine prophecy comes only from God. “No prophecy was ever an act of human will” (1 Peter 1:21)

    Why is prophecy (a great gift from God), avoided today by many? Why do Lutheran pastors often avoid preaching on prophecy?
    In recent years a small group of Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Dispensationalist preachers have predominated television preaching. These preachers claim that the key prophecies of God deal with the state of Israel. These misguided preachers have twisted God’s prophecies and removed Christ from the center of prophetic preaching. By doing this, they replace Jesus Christ with the geographical state of Israel. This misuse of prophecy has cause many Lutheran pastors to avoid teaching about prophecy altogether, thereby leaving their people in the dark and without the hope that God desires to give His people through Christ-centered prophetic preaching. 

    If you were to make a tree diagram of all Old Testament prophecies–with a branch or twig representing each specific prophecy–why would Genesis 3:15 be the root of this big “tree” of many old testament prophecies?
    There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. Already in the third chapter of the first book, God gives His “root,” His “foundation block,” or His cornerstone prophecy. This cornerstone prophecy on which all other prophecies are built is Genesis 3:15. Every activity of the entire Old and New Testament is tied in some way to Genesis 3:15, just as every branch and smallest twig of a tree is in some way tied to the root. 

    WHY IS GOOD NEWS DEVOTING AN ENTIRE ISSUE TO PROPHECY?
    The primary purpose of GOOD NEWS is to give its readers hope. As You turn these pages and see specific prophecies explained, you will also experience the hope God desires to give you.

    HOW CAN YOU EASILY DETECT THE HERETICAL TEACHING OF TODAY’S TELEVISION PREACHERS AND DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE SOLID AND RELIABLE TEACHING THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HAS ALWAYS USED REGARDING PROPHECY?
    Popular and heretical preachers of prophecy usually focus on the Bible books of Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel. These books are then used to explain current world politics, especially current events, and to guess when Jesus will return. The greatest condemnation of these charlatans is the clear teaching of Jesus: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36)

    WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR CHRISTIANS TO KNOW ABOUT THE TWISTED HERESY OF DISPENSATIONALISM?
    As already noted, the Dispensationalist teaching of prophecy takes Jesus from the center of all prophecy and replaces our blessed Lord with the state of Israel. In Luke 24:44, Jesus says, “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Dispensationalists, in effect, have recast this section of God’s Word to say, “All things written about the state of Israel in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Furthermore, as Luther points out, Israel, even in the Old Testament, has always referred to those who believed and followed God, not to a particular race of people or to a certain geographical area. 

    WHY IS IT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO KNOW WHAT THE WORD ‘ISRAEL” MEANS TODAY?
    Over the centuries, in its worship services, the Christian church has always used the Psalms. The Psalms regularly refer to Israel. When the Psalmist is referring to Israel, he is pointing to those whom God has promised to bless. In their false understanding of Scripture, the Dispensationalists have misled millions to believe that the Psalms are referring to God blessing the state of Israel, when, in fact, the Psalms refer to a blessing God wants to give to all who are worshiping him. In other words, the heretical Dispensationalist theology twists and redirects God’s promises of blessings from children who are His through Baptism to those they believe are His through geography.
    So, the bottom line is this. When people in your congregations are hoodwinked into believing Dispensationalist theology, they do not experience the blessings that God has to give them as His New Israel! (Romans 9:1-8)

    WHERE ARE THE CHIEF THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS THAT TEACH DISPENSATIONALISM?
    Among themselves Dispensationalists would agree that the leading schools teaching their interpretation of the Scriptures would be Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas. One of the founders of Fuller Theological Seminary was also a major promoter of Dispensationalism.

    WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE LEADING AND MOST POPULAR TEACHERS OF THE TWISTED THEOLOGY OF DISPENSATIONALISM?
    The most popular teacher of dispensationalism has been Hal Lindsey, the author of The Late Great Planet Earth which sold some 35 million copies and was translated into over 50 languages. In more recent years, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins authored the Left Behind series of books, which netted each author over fifty million dollars. These figures demonstrate how widely this 19th-century American heresy has been spread and the threat that it poses to Christ’s church. Jesus says, “Many will … mislead many” (Matthew 24:5). 

    WHY DO THESE RELIGIOUS FICTION BOOKS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT DEAL WITH PROPHECY, SELL SO WELL?
    All people, even those committed to secularism, are interested in getting a peek into the future. Thus, when a charlatan comes along who claims to be interpreting present and future events ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, there are many buyers! Even members of the U.S. Department of Defense were known to be reading The Late Great Planet Earth in the hope of seeing the future of world political and military movements. One author noted that reading The Late Great Planet Earth was like getting an advance copy of tomorrow’s newspaper!
    Finally, on e could read many, many books explaining how the twisted theology of Dispensationalism has impacted politics in the United States and other parts of the world. But politics is not our mission at GOOD NEWS. While we have taken some space to point out the deadly menace of Dispensationalism, you can see that the greater percentage of this issue is devoted to the true and correct Biblical understanding of prophecy, a great blessing God wants you to have! 
    Dispensationalism is effectively exposed in volume XIII of Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics: Escatology by John R. Stephenson. p. 83-97, in the essay titled, “Fictitious Signs of His Coming: Sundry Dreams of the Dispensationalists” (Published by the Luther Academy, Fort Wayne, IN. 1993).

    For Bible Study questions about this page, turn to page 41 and use questions 43 through 45.

    43. The heresy of Dispensationalism has been promoted by many popular evangelical preachers on television and radio. Major schools of theology, such as the Moody Bible Institute, promote Dispeationalism. Bestselling books like The Late Great Planet Earth, and even the series, sow the tares of dispensational thinking in the minds of million of Christians (Matthew 13:24-30). Nevertheless, Dispensationalism is not a God-Pleasing doctrine. Jesus warns us: “Many will come in My name … and will mislead many” (Matthew 24:5).

    44. Jesus claims that the entire Old Testament speaks of Him (Luke 24:44). Dispensationalism removes Jesus from the center of Biblical prophecy and replaces Him with the modern state of Israel. Dispensationalists base their teaching on obscure passages while ignoring the Bible’s clear teachings, such as: “But of that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). Finally, Dispensationalism robs God’s children of the comfort of their Baptism. By focus-ing on bringing back the political state of Israel, Dispensationalism denies God’s promise that, through Baptism, He has established the Christian church as His New Israel (Romans (:1-8)

    45. No matter how persuasive and exciting television preachers or popular books may be, always remember: Christ, not the state of Israel, is the center of all Scripture (Luke 18:31). When you hear novel interpretations drawn from books such as Revelation or Daniel, keep in mind: “No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). Search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), and compare the claims of Dispensational teachers to God’s clear testimonies, such as Matthew 24:36 and Romans 9:1-8. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), knowing that the entire OLd Testament speaks of Him (Luke 24:44). And bear in mind that all prophecy springs from the root of Genesis 3:15. When you are armed with these clear Biblical teachings, and refreshed by God’s forgiveness in Word and Sacrament, you will be able to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

    (Good News Magazine Prophecy Issue 35, Concordia Mission Society, P.O. box 8555 St Louis MO 63126)

  4. It appears that in 2014, we are very soon about to repeat the mistakes of 1914 when the world plunged into an abyss we never have really gotten out of. This time it will be at the direction of our Israeli puppet masters and their Amen Corner in Congress. One can hope that as in the case of Syria, the American public will see this legislation for what it really is, a prelude to what will quickly morph into WWIII, and give a loud and resounding "No," to the war being prepared for them and which they will be paying for, and their sons and daughters will be dragooned to go fight in. All for Israel's sake.

    1. Hey, look on the bright side. WWIII would probably put an end to excessive population growth, industrial civilization and global warming.

  5. The White House could also point out that new sanctions out of Congress would also have the effect of breaking the sanctions. Sanctions that are clearly intended to derail what the rest of the world sees as a reasonable negotiation would expose and isolate the United States, and even the Europeans- let alone the Chinese and Russians- would simply toss aside the sanctions at that point.

    The biggest threat to the sanctions is this overreach on sanctions.

    1. It appears that these senators pushing for more sanctions are living in the past, back when the rest of the West would roll over and support whatever the big, bad US wanted. If they succeed in passing this monstrosity, then overriding a Presidential veto, why do they think the rest of the world will meekly go along? The rest of the P5 + 1 nations (save possibly France) want the negotiations to work. These senators may wind up pushing the US out on a limb, with only Saudi Arabia and Israel supporting us. Trade with Iran can continue as long as Russia and China support it. The world does not revolve around the US any more.

  6. Just like the US government pushed Japan into attacking in 1941 – in order to have an excuse to enter the war -, the Senate is now doing the same in respect of Iran. It only goes to prove that the US is the greatest threat to peace in our days. But maybe a war against Iran will go the same way of that other war in Vietnam, and that a few tens of thousands Americans will die or be maimed as a result of the Senators' idiocy.

    1. of course our Israel-first msm will never tell us that…it is all those backward countries in the ME that are to blame

      surely it was not the East/west Europeans invaders that stole land in Palestine

  7. Ignoring sanctions at this point is a civic duty for whoever could afford the risks entailed.

  8. How about a third option – ignore our Quisling congress, remove the sanctions, tell Netanyahu to pound sand, and try to mind our own business.

    1. Raimondo's hero Rand Paul is among your "Quislings". When will Raimondo throw him under the "political bus"? Never? This is already across the line of hypocrisy.

  9. no matter what Obama is commander-in-chief and he aint going to start anything on Iran

    the US congress can not start military action on Iran

    I think that in the end…Iran will be trading with others and the US will be left out…

  10. from Robert Gates new book

    At one point, he says, he was so worried that Mr. Bush might be persuaded by Vice President Dick Cheney and Mr. Olmert “to act or enable the Israelis to act” (that is, to take military action to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon) that he made an intense private call to Mr. Bush in which he argued

    “we must not make our vital interests in the entire Middle East, the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia…. "hostage to another nation’s decisions" …..— no matter how close an ally.”

    will Hagel do the same

    1. Ally? To be an ally there has to be an alliance. There is not one. Israel has been offered an alliance multiple times. It rejects the offer because it would require a definition of its border. That in turn would hinder Racist Israel's ongoing Genocide of the Christian and Muslim native populations.

  11. The Zionists and Israel-firsters sense that their host the US may collapse or cease to be Israel's 'one true friend' (TM), so they are starting to suck up to the Chinese. I wouldn't be surprised if the Israelis didn't try to establish themselves as a military supplier to the Chinese.

    1. " I wouldn't be surprised if the Israelis didn't try to establish themselves as a military supplier to the Chinese." Are you kidding? Israel has been supplying China for years, especially advanced American technology.

      Do you think Israel's leaders give hoot or a holler about America's security? Think – the Lavon Affair, the USS Liberty, Pollard and even pinning medals c. 5 years ago on the professional terrorists who attempted to blow up US facilities in Egypt. No other nation has ever pinned medals on Terrorists openly. And America was the target. The US jet forced down on Hainan about a decade ago was done so with American technology that Israel illegally sold to China.

      Contracts mean nothing to them when a quick shekel is at stake. In 1973 a half billion dollar high tech Intel facility was abandoned to the Syrians and an hour later Soviet generals were inspecting its dismantling for reverse engineering. And no money changed hands? Israel is not an ally, not a friend, it is a parasite, a deadly parasite.

      1. Israel–that criminal, racist Zionist entity–pisses on the U.S. whenever it pleases. Of course, when the Zionist
        leech has sucked America dry, it'll be time to find a new host.

        Knesset West–er, the U.S. Congress–is AIPAC-owned-and-operated.

  12. Gee I just can't imagine who could possibly have enough influence to pull off this impossibly stupid stunt.

  13. War what is it good for? For the ends of those who in our country want to rule our Republic, not govern by consent in accorded with the highest standards of civilization which are the best in mans nature . The President should declare that he will remove all sanctions from Iran if these new sanctions pass and he should do it by executive order for the determined freedom of our country. Furthermore The President should tell majority leader Reid that he must not bring the measure up for a vote. Call the people you elected and tell them this is America and not an America made in Israel or Saudi Arabia, we are not foreign nationals we are members of the freest Republic on earth and we are Americans period in of story.

    1. Members of the FREEST REPUBLIC? You must be kidding.Don't you know? Yours is the most bonded society, or republic if you want. Bonded to AIPAC and Israel. You are slaves.Slaves.

  14. As a friend of mine wrote: “troops for a war with Iran should be recruited from campus Hillels nationwide”. Maybe that would cool their war fervor.

  15. America is finished.America is the Zinbad of legends. You have the old man in the form of AIPAC,ADL, etc on your shoulder. You can not shake them off.Yours is the most corrupt society in the world, where law makers can be bought off very cheaply. There is corruption every where else.including in India, my country. But certainly your law makers are really cheap . Few hundred thousand for selling out your own country

  16. Several posters blame Israel or else AIPAC for the Munendez-coup. I am not arguing that you are wholly wrong. What I am suggesting is that you may overlook the possibility that a majority of US voters supports the Menendez-coup. If that is the case don't you think that lawmakers ought to listen to voters?

    1. I have yet to hear of a poll on how Americans feel about this. Isn't it time one was conducted? I think it's strange that no polls (to my knowledge) have been published.

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