Cotton Fires Back at White House: Subsidizing Iran’s Nuclear Program Isn’t a ‘Laughing Matter’

[rangerrebew]

 Cotton Fires Back at White House: Subsidizing Iran’s Nuclear Program Isn’t a ‘Laughing Matter’
Posted By David Rutz On April 28, 2016 @ 7:25 am In National Security | No Comments

Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) fired back at the White House’s “sparkling water” slam against him Thursday on Morning Joe, saying he didn’t find the subsidizing of Iran’s nuclear program to be a “laughing matter.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest took exception to Cotton’s proposed amendment that would prevent the U.S. from using taxpayer dollars to purchase Iranian heavy water.

“Sen. Cotton is certainty no expert when it comes to heavy water. I’m confident that he couldn’t differentiate heavy water from sparkling water,” Earnest said at Wednesday’s briefing.

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough asked Cotton to respond to that criticism.

“This guy at the White House may think it’s a laughing matter to subsidize Iran’s nuclear program, but I don’t,” Cotton said. “I think it’s a very serious matter. Heavy water is not radioactive. It’s not dangerous in normal qualities, but it is an essential part of any kind of nuclear program like Iran’s.

“Iran is required to reduce its heavy water stocks under the nuclear deal that President Obama signed with them last year. However, we are not obligated to take that heavy water. We certainly are not obligated to provide U.S. taxpayer dollars to Iran’s nuclear program for that heavy water, so I offered a simple amendment on the Department of Energy’s budget that said that the U.S. taxpayer next year would not subsidize any more kind of deals like this.”

Unfortunately, Cotton said, Democrats had blocked it from going forward because of its 60-vote threshold. He guessed they didn’t want to go on record as thwarting Obama on Iran.

Cotton has been a staunch opponent of the Iran nuclear deal throughout its negotiation and implementation. Last year, Earnest took another shot at Cotton as an “international man of mystery” for his allegations of secret “side deals” within the Iran nuclear agreement.

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URL to article: http://freebeacon.com/national-security/cotton-white-house-subsidizing-irans-nuclear-program-laughing-matter/

[massadvj]

You put this Iran deal together with other things: (1) the USA and NATO surrender of Ukraine to the Russians; (2) The targeting of ISIS as the number one threat to western civilization; (3) the exposure of Saudi complicity in 9/11. (4) normalizing relations with Cuba.  What they all have in common is the realignment of the USA as an ally to Russia and Iran, and a potential foe to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and our traditional Middle East allies (including Israel).  Trump, by all appearances, is on board with this shift.

It's an admission of our own impotence or unwillingness to protect the world, and the policy avoids immediate world war.  But over the long term, it could well mean the end of the USA as a world power.  I am not sure that is a bad thing, necessarily, except that someone else will step into the role, and if it is Iran and Russia, they aren't likely to be interested in pluralism and human rights.

It might be a good idea for you women to figure out your burka size and get yours early before the mad rush.

[rangerrebew]

You are so correct on so many points.  The thing I see as a potential huge problem would be the rise of otherwise petty tyrants to big ones without the U.S. threat.  Democratic governments have never gone to war against each other but the same can't be said for dictatorships.  We could easily get dragged into one of those Asia/Eurislam conflicts without the means or will to be involved.