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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEyes on Silent Dems as Hawks Push for War with Iran
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/01/13-8A majority of Senate Democrats are refusing to reveal where they stand on a bipartisan Iran sanctions bill that experts warn risks a catastrophic war with Iran.
According to the latest count, 59 senators publicly support the Iran Nuclear Weapon Free Act of 2013 (S. 1881) 16 of the Democrats. Ten Democratic committee chairs have come out as opposed to the bill, and Harry Reid is said to be against it too. That leaves the positions of almost 30 Democratic Senators unknown, according to the count of Greg Sargent writing for the Washington Post.
The bill would advance further sanctions on Iran and impose near-impossible conditions on a final agreement. It stands in direct violation of an interim agreement reached in late November in Geneva that the U.S. will "refrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions" during the six-month period the agreement is in effect, and critics charge it amounts to a call for war.
Introduced by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), the bill is strongly backed by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee and is opposed by the Obama administration.
LuvNewcastle
(16,820 posts)Most Americans don't know about AIPAC. If Obama goes to the people and tells them that Congress is trying to start another war in the Middle East, I think it would put a stop to this pretty quickly. Or maybe not. But he's got to try; saying nothing will basically assure its passage. They might have enough votes to override a veto. Isn't it funny how Congress can come together when there's an issue they think is important? I wish they thought we were important enough to get us through this recession without starving.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)President Obama is completely in the right on peace before war in Iran -- and Syria and everywhere the neocon's real men want to go next next next.
This news also implies NSA must have interesting intercepts on the offshore accounts, drug-use and sex lives of 59 senators.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)This has got to stop!
marmar
(76,982 posts)"Iran Nuclear Weapon Free Act"
Where's the Israel Nuclear Weapon Free Act, India Nuclear Weapon Free Act, United States Nuclear Weapon Free Act. ...... We're waiting........