Lawmakers: Obama Watering Down Iran Sanctions, PA Punishment
Latest update: December 16th, 2012
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Congressman Doug Lamborn (L) on the Richard Randall Show. Lamborn is concerned about the Administration's backtracking on both Iran and the PA.
There are some in Congress who are fed up not only with the unilateral actions taken by the Arab Palestinians to subvert the agreed-upon path to Middle East conflict resolution, but also with this administration’s repeated efforts to create unlevel footing such that Israel is doomed to stumble and fall on the world stage.
Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO5), is one long-time supporter of Israel who is deeply unhappy about recent events that endanger the Jewish State, and the reluctance of this administration to aggressively block – and sometimes is the one that needs blocking – of those actions.
In response to the Arab Palestinian effort to upgrade their status at the United Nations from non-state to state non-member observer, pro-Israel, pro-peace (the real kind) members of the U.S. Senate moved to impose consequences on the Arab Palestinians for thumbing their noses at the Obama administration and Congress and for shredding the remnants of the Oslo agreements.
Even before the U.N. Resolution passed, Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wy.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and James Inhofe (R-Okla. ) introduced amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act to cut funding to the PA and to close the PLO mission in Washington, D.C., which is what the Arabs were told would happen if they moved forward with their U.N. ploy. Pro-Israel groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the National Council of Young Israel and the Zionist Organization of America condemned the U.N. resolution and urged that stiff consequences be imposed.
However, when the NDAA was reported out of the Senate in early December, the amendments designed to enforce consequences on the PA for its unilateral U.N. action had been stripped from the bill. There was some speculation at the time that it was pressure from the White House, or even that it was left-wing anti-Israel political heft that forced lawmakers to remove those measures.
According to Washington, D.C. journalist Alana Goodman, the amendments were removed because of Senate procedural rules. She wrote,
The amendment was dropped from the bill because of a technicality in Senate procedure, according to Senator Lindsey Graham’s office, which sponsored it.
“Once cloture was invoked, the amendment was not eligible for a vote because it was not technically germane to the legislation,” said Graham spokesperson Kevin Bishop.
Cong. Lamborn believes that “the NDAA is too far along in the process – it is going to conference, probably by next week” – to affect aid to the PA through that vehicle, but he told The Jewish Press that concerned members are already working on vehicles to impose the necessary consequences on the Arab Palestinians.
THE PATTERN CONTINUES WITH WATERING DOWN IRAN SANCTIONS
But Lamborn is also deeply concerned with continued efforts by the administration to “water down” the latest sanctions on Iran. While U.S. administration cheerleaders continue to extol their efforts in passing “biting” sanctions, there have been reports that even in the latest efforts to sanction – i.e. punish, deter, prevent wrongdoing – Iran for moving forward on its path towards nuclear weaponization, this U.S. administration insists on weakening the efforts.
The latest sanctions which passed unanimously through the Senate on Nov. 30 as part of the NDAA, would blacklist Iran’s energy, port, shipbuilding and shipping sectors, and impose new barriers to Iran’s ability to obtain insurance for those industries. It would also greatly increase U.S. support for human rights in Iran and impose harsh penalties on those who divert humanitarian assistance to other purposes.
But Tommy Vietor, the National Security Council’s Spokesman, explained that it is “the White House’s view the sanctions aren’t needed and aren’t helpful at this time,” according to Josh Rogin in “White House Opposed New Iran Sanctions,” in Foreign Policy.
Journalist Rosie Gray posted in an article the administration’s redlined draft of the Senate amendments to the current Iran sanctions bill she said were submitted to the Armed Services Committee of the House and Senate. One of the most significant proposed changes is the doubling of the time in which the sanctions would take effect, from the 90 days which the Senate proposed, to 180 days. Gray said the document was provided to her by a Democratic source.
Gray writes,
The bill as passed by the Senate would bar transactions with businesses owned by Iran’s government, which are on a Department of the Treasury list of “specially designated nationals,” or SDN’s. The administration wants to prevent this part from applying to any of these business entities that aren’t already flagged for terrorism, human rights abuses or proliferation. The administration also wants to remove sanctions from metal providers.
Perhaps of greatest concern is that the administration continues to insert or offer additional waivers to countries, thereby undercutting what other wise might actually be biting sanctions.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Lori Lowenthal Marcus is the US correspondent for The Jewish Press. She is a recovered lawyer who previously practiced First Amendment law and taught in Philadelphia-area graduate and law schools.
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One Response to “Lawmakers: Obama Watering Down Iran Sanctions, PA Punishment”
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yes there are efforts in the administration; but Obama is fighting upstream right now against the House that is against him and Congress which is leaning more and more against him daily…
In November, the American public had a chance to get rid of Obama. Instead, what do the people do, elect the same man wasted hundreds of billions of dollars by throwing money at corrupt companies like freddie mac, fanny may, AIG, and others with no way to track where those funds went and what were they used for, not coming up with a viable plan to improve the economy or decrease unemployment. But, for me the most egregious act from the Obama administration is his maltreatment of Israel and his insatiable appetite for appeasment of the Arabs. But, the American public voted for Obama for another term and if you think the first four years were bad, it will pale in comparison to what Obama has in store for us in the next four years. This is why I get very agitated at Prime Minister Netanyahu for not being aggressive enough in standing up for Israel's rights. When I found out Netanyahu agreed to stop the recent "pillar of defense" operation I was furious. What Netanyahu should have said is while I appreciate the concern from the administration, this operation will commence until every last vestige of Hamas is rooted out. There have been thousands of innocent Israelis who have been murdered by this lunatic fringe terrorist group and it will finally be removed to ensure the well being of Israel and her people. If Obama doesn't like it, then let him go to therapy to deal with it. As a result of listening to Obama, violence increased and the Arabs consider it a win for them. Israel is a independent nation and must act accordingly. The same thing in deciding to strike Iran, Netanyahu backed down. Unfortunately, Obama is here for the next four years, it will be incumbent on Israel to stand firm on their beliefs and actions, regardless of what the U.S., UN, EU, and anyone else thinks. When you are running a nation it's not a popularity contest, all decisions should be made exclusively by Israel, that will help to ensure the survival of Israel, a Jewish state, and the only one we got, let's not destroy it with poor decisions.
It is not for us here in the diaspora to second guess the Prime Minister of Israel on security matters. There is no real evidence that he ever wanted a full scale war in Gaza this year.
These 'sanctions aren't needed and aren't helpful?' What the hell does that mean? This is a very dangerous man who is sitting in the W.H.
This is what the Jews of America voted for so now live with it!
A lot of Jews didn't vote for him, but even if all the Jews didn't vote for him, he would have been elected by any means necessary! Especially voter fraud!
At the risk of repeating myself: Obama is Israel's biggest enemy in America. And with all the Americans that seem to be unhappy with hin, how did he get re-elected?
Voter fraud!!!!
iran will get the bomb and obama will do nothing.
iran will get the bomb and obama will do nothing.
North Korea just ignored U.S. warning and launched its missile.. Both Afghanistan and Iraq are under U.S. occupation/control and both still do not recognize Israel. Nobody listen to the U.S. anymore
One of the tragic outcomes of the Obama election is the "dropping of Israel" by the U.S. administration. We, the people – love, support and stand with Israel… but all aid, military help, etc. is tied to Obama. He is no friend of Israel, but don't feel bad or left out – he isn't a friend to Americans either! We are heading into the most dangerous and destructive (within) period in American history. I hope that, along with Israel, we can ALL hang in there and survive. The take-over by the Muslim Brotherhood will come to haunt us all – and by all – I mean the total world.
Now that President Obama has been re-elected will he keep his promises made during the debate with Romney about keeping a military option to attack Iran's nuclear weapons program on the table?
Not if he appoints Chuck Hagel.
Chuck Hagel is the wrong person to be Defense Secretary at this time.
According to the Obama Administration a military option to attack Iran if it does not stop its nuclear weapons program after some brief negotiations is on the table.
This is what the President promised the American people during the election.
But Hagel is only committed to negotiations and has no commitment to a military option on the table.
Iran has always cheated on all its previous agreements. It only even talks about any compliance issues after it has been exposed with its fingers in the cookie jar. So any agreement with Iran is really worthless.
Iran will never give up its program. Even if it wanted to , it cannot go to it's people and say "Sorry we put you through years of sanctions we were wrong."
So if President Obama appoints Hegel, and he means what he says, How can Hagel lead the attack on Iran that will be the only way to stop its program?
There is no difference between the US of obama and nazi germany 1930s.