Dear Members and Friends
In great concern of continued Iranian Ballistic Missile tests defying both in intent and in violation, with two launches conducted this last month already, we attended a sobering United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the “Recent Iranian Actions and Implementation of the Nuclear Deal,” with the Honorable Thomas A. Shannon Jr., the U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Political Affairs for President Obama as the key witness.
The recently signed Iranian Nuclear Deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) does not address and intentionally did not include Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program, as the framework of this deal was to delay and limit Iran’s capability to develop a Nuclear weapon. Only through intent and interpretation from the nations (United State, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, Germany, and the European Union) that signed this deal, the delivery means for nuclear weapons, Iranian ballistic missiles, would not be developed and tested. Regardless of the JCPOA, Iran’s continuous and blatant overt testing of Ballistic Missiles is prohibited by the United Nations. It is a direct violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929 and the later UNSCR 2231, which superseded 1929. The United States, along with Britain, France, Germany, and Spain, has only sent a joint letter to the U.N. Security Council, stating Iran’s recent ballistic missile tests were “inconsistent with” and “in defiance of” UNSCR 2231, but stopped short of calling the tests a violation. This “walking on egg shells” mode of operations and oversensitivity towards Iran by the Administration for fear of them withdrawing from the JCPOA has enabled Iran to fully take advantage of developing their ballistic missile forces.
Senator Menendez: “What bothers me, is that we seem to create a permissive environment, as is exemplified by what happened in the missile issues that have been raised, and I want to further pursue them with you, in which we are ‘treading on egg-shells’ about doing anything else in this whole universe that we admittedly recognize is against the national security interests of the United States.” He later continued, “Why are we outside of meeting our strict obligations, facilitating the possibilities for them to use their resources in such a way that is against our interests.”
In unanimous, bipartisan support, the committee stood strong in offering Congressional Language to President Obama, to strengthen U.S. unilateral sanctions in forcing Iran to stay both within the intent and the spirit of both the JCPOA and UNSCR 2231. However, Iran has made it abundantly clear, through both its statements and actions that it does not have the same interpretation of the intent and spirit of both the JCPOA and UNSCR 2231 to prohibit the development of its ballistic missiles, which are primarily used to launch a nuclear weapon. As seen below, this point was raised in the heated exchange yesterday in Senator Cory Gardner’s questions to Secretary Shannon.
Senator Gardner: “Do you believe Iran is testing ballistic missile with the hope of someday putting a nuclear warhead on it?”
Secretary Shannon – “Well this is one of the reasons why we are concerned about the ballistic missile program and especially about ballistic missiles that have the capability or are designed to have the capability to launch nuclear weapons…But the JCPOA, as it is implemented, today and over time, uh, will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Should, should for whatever reason…
Senator Gardner: “Today or overtime, is that what you said?”
Secretary Shannon: “Correct.”
Senator Gardner: “Now how many of the Gulf Council countries agree with you on that point?”
Secretary Shannon: “In terms of…”
Senator Gardner: “How many of our allies in the region agree with you that Iran has completely given up its nuclear weapons program?”
Secretary Shannon: “I think at this point they would agree, given what Iran has done in terms of tearing down…”
Senator Gardner: “Leadership in Saudi Arabia, leadership in Qatar privately would agree with you that they have given up their ambitions towards a nuclear weapon and that their testing a ballistic missile to put a conventional warhead on top?”
Secretary Shannon: “Qatar I don’t know cause I haven’t been there and spoken with them. I have been in Saudi Arabia and the Saudis view the Iranian’s umm, uh, as a real danger in the region. And they view them as a danger in the region for any number of ways, umm, but..”
Senator Gardner: “If I may though, do you believe though that they are testing a ballistic missile with someday the hope of putting a nuclear warhead on it?”
Secretary Shannon: “That was their purpose when they began their ballistic missile program.”
Senator Gardner: “Is it no longer their purpose today?”
Secretary Shannon: “You know, umm, it’s not their purpose that they can’t achieve a nuclear weapon.”
Senator Gardner: “Well then why would they test a ballistic missile?”
Secretary Shannon: “Because it is a strategic weapon system that can carry different payloads.”
Senator Gardner: “Like a nuclear weapon?”
Secretary Shannon: “Indeed and this is why..”
Senator Gardner: “So, let me just drill down on this because it is important, because if the administration is so concerned about a ballistic missile and as you have said “they have given up their ambitions for a nuclear weapon.” Do they believe that they would like to, do you believe they would like in hope that they continue to test a ballistic missile in hopes of putting a nuclear warhead on it.”
Secretary Shannon: “Now I understand the point, and, and I would just reiterate that we are opposed to this ballistic missile program. “
Senator Gardner: “I understand that, you are talking about how appalled that we are and how concerned we are, but Yes or No, do you believe Iran hopes to put a nuclear weapon on top of a ballistic missile?”
Secretary Shannon: “At this point, no, because they can’t.”
Senator Gardner: “Mr. Shannon I think in the conversations I’ve had with allies in the region, nobody there believes that they’ve given up their nuclear weapons ambition. And, and I think that it’s important to, to address yes, this outrage over ballistic missiles yet we haven’t put in the full measure of responses that we said we would in order to prevent them from continuing to test a ballistic missile, and I don’t believe that they are testing a ballistic missile just to show they can do it. I believe they are doing it with the purpose of continuing to develop a nuclear weapons program. In fact I have heard from leaders in the region where they talk about in the end of this 12 year period where they believe they will have just a short amount of time to indeed possess and develop a nuclear weapon. That’s what the leaders in the region will tell you. Secretary Kerry said in a letter, in September, September 2nd to the Senate, saying that the full measure of U.S. response will be affected if Iran continues to push its bad behaviors like testing ballistic missiles. I don’t believe we have done that. Do you think we have done everything possible to stop Iran’s testing of ballistic missiles?”
Secretary Shannon: “Within the authorities that we have been given, uh, we have. But this is an evolving situation, and as we determine where Iran is getting its…”
Senator Gardner: “Within the authorities we’ve been given. What authorities are preventing us from fully and effectively countering Iran’s ballistic missile program?”
Secretary Shannon: “The authorities we have under sanctions authorities, are being used, and are being used effectively. The problem we face..”
Senator Gardner: “By effective, do you mean stop their ballistic missile program, cause that’s certainly not the case.”
Secretary Shannon: “No, but it has deterred and delayed it by limiting the ability of external assistance to that program, and proliferation assistance to that program. Iran has an indigenous capability that we cannot effect in the short term, but we can limit and delay Iran’s ability to build out it’s ballistic missile program. In the process as we gain time through that we can work with our partners in the region to ensure they have the capability to defend themselves and that we have the capability also to help them defend themselves.”
Senator Gardner: “Let me get this straight. By their continual testing of ballistic missiles, we believe that is a delay of their ballistic missile program?”
Secretary Shannon: “Considering where it would be, absent the sanctions authority, yes. It is not where we want to be obviously, but Iran sees this ballistic missile program as an important part of its strategic weapons systems and it will continue along this route. We just need to make sure that it doesn’t get the in any fast time.”
Senator Gardner: “Secretary Shannon, then do you believe our sanctions efforts against Iran for its ballistic missile program has been a success or a failure.”
Secretary Shannon: “It has been an effective tool, but it has not been a complete success, obviously not, because they’re launching.”
Senator Gardner: “In the Wall Street Journal, April 4th, the U.A.E Ambassador to the United States stated, ‘It is now clear that one year since the framework for the deal was agreed upon, Iran sees it as an opportunity to increase hostilities in the region, but instead of accepting this as an unfortunate reality, the international community must intensify its actions to check Iran’s strategic ambitions.’ Do you agree with the ambassador’s assessment?”
Secretary Shannon: “I do.”
Senator Gardner: “Have our allies in the region expressed similar concerns?”
Secretary Shannon: “Yes”
Senator Gardner: “And have we acted appropriately in response to these concerns?”
Secretary Shannon: “We’re working very closely with our partners around the region to ensure that they have the ability to defend themselves.
To this extent Secretary Shannon concluded that “We have found through experience that the most effective way to push back on aggressive Iranian activity is to work cooperatively with our allies to deter and disrupt Iranian threats. This is why we increased our security cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council – the GCC – following the Camp David summit and have provided additional assistance to Israel.” And later stated, “In addition to our effects to enhance Israeli security, we’ll also work closely with our Gulf allies, as part of the Camp David process started by the President last year, to develop missile defense capabilities and systems.”
It is of great dismay and contrary actions that this Administration’s 2017 Defense Budget requested a cut of $800 million from Missile Defense, including $191.76 million cut for aid to Israeli missile defense, that include capabilities that would enhance the GCC and Israel’s missile defense systems, as well as increasing the confidence and reliability of the United States Homeland Missile Defense system to defeat Iranian Ballistic Missiles.
Click here to watch the full hearing.
