Page 2 - aruba-today-20171021

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 21 OctOber 2017
GOP bill seeks more constraints on Iran Breaking long tradition, former

presidents sparring with Trump
By LAURIE KELLMAN discourse and has seemed not directed towards the
Associated Press to relish public fights over president.” Trump said Fri- By RICHARD LARDNER
WASHINGTON (AP) — For- sensitive subjects, including day he does not believe Associated Press
mer presidents are shed- nuclear war, race relations, that feuding with Republi- WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sanctions against Iran au-
ding a traditional reluc- immigrants and, this week, can senators could get in tomatically would kick in if Tehran violates new con-
tance to criticize their suc- the war dead. the way of his agenda for straints, according to a draft Republican bill sought by
President Donald Trump as he tries to unravel the land-
mark 2015 international accord to prevent Iran from
assembling an arsenal of atomic weapons.
The draft bill, crafted by GOP Sens. Bob Corker of Ten-
nessee and Tom Cotton of Arkansas with input from
the Trump administration, wouldn’t necessarily violate
the Iran nuclear deal if passed into law. But the mea-
sure, obtained by The Associated Press, could still end
up derailing the agreement by holding Iran to a series
of requirements not previously agreed to when the
deal was forged by the U.S. and other world powers
two years ago.
Among the expanded criteria Iran would be pun-
ished for breaching, according to the legislation: flight
testing, manufacture or deployment of warhead-
capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, including
any attempts to convert space-launched vehicles
into ICBMs; and “any work to clandestinely acquire
nuclear material, or equipment intended to produce
nuclear material, from outside of Iran.”
The legislation aims to meet Trump’s demands that
Congress act quickly to toughen the existing law that
governs U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., speaks to reporters while heading to vote on budget amendments, Trump also is insisting that other countries party to the
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Washington. U.S. sanctions against Iran automatically would kick in if accord repair a series of deficiencies and he threat-
Tehran violates new constraints, according to a draft Republican bill crafted by GOP Sens. Bob ened last week to pull the U.S. out of the agreement if
Corker of Tennessee and Tom Cotton of Arkansas and sought by President Donald Trump as he the changes aren’t made.
tries to unravel the landmark 2015 international accord to prevent Iran from assembling an arsenal Trump alone cannot actually terminate the accord,
of atomic weapons.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) which lifted sanctions that had choked Iran’s econ-
omy in exchange for Tehran rolling back its nuclear
cessors, unleashing pointed Bush this week delivered a tax cuts and a new health program. But withdrawing the U.S. would render the
attacks on the Trump White speech that was remark- care law. deal virtually meaningless.
House and the command- able for its takedowns of “I think, actually some- Trump, along with many Republicans, has long been
er in chief — but without key features of the political times it helps,” Trump said hostile to the nuclear agreement that was agreed to
mentioning him by name. movement that put Trump in an interview on Fox Busi- during former President Barack Obama’s second term
Remarks on the same in power. “Bullying and ness Network. “Sometimes and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. France,
day by former Presidents prejudice in our public life it gets people to do what Germany and the United Kingdom are parties to the
George W. Bush and sets a national tone, pro- they’re supposed to be accord. But Trump late last week refused to certify
Barack Obama raise the vides permission for cruelty doing.” However coinci- that Iran is complying with the accord and blamed
prospect that more dissent- and bigotry, and compro- dental, Bush and Obama’s Tehran for malign and destructive behavior that’s de-
ers will follow in defiance mises the moral educa- comments capped peri- stabilized the Middle East.
of President Donald Trump tion of children,” he said in ods of reticence for both Critics of unilaterally legislating new terms outside of
and his policies. New York. Never a fan of men during Trump’s tumul- the so-called “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”
“What they are doing is Trump’s, Bush drew his big- tuous first months in office. have argued such an approach may isolate the U.S.
laying down a marker for gest applause with this line: Neither mentioned Trump’s and force key European allies to side with Iran in de-
acceptable public dis- “The only way to pass along name, but the pair left fense of the deal. While the bill has yet to circulate
course,” said Kathleen Hall civic values is to first live up no doubt who they were among many lawmakers, Senate Democrats said they
Jamieson, a professor of to them.” Three hundred talking about. Trump has are opposed to any measures that may rewrite or nul-
political communication miles to the south, Obama, pursued a ban on Muslim lify the criteria for Iran to receive U.S. sanctions relief
and rhetorical theory at a Democrat, used a similar immigration, feuded with under the terms of the 2015 pact. Republicans hold
the University of Pennsylva- approach to denounce disabled Americans, hur- a narrow majority in the Senate and Democrats may
nia. “They’re saying, ‘We Trump’s brand of politics. ricane victims and Gold be able to use the filibuster to block the measure from
don’t stand for that kind of “Why are we deliberately Star parents and bestowed being brought to a vote.
language and behavior. trying to misunderstand belittling nicknames on crit- “I think there always is the potential to work on policy
These are our values, these each other and be cruel to ics — including former Flor- that cracks down on Iran’s nefarious behavior in the
are our principles.’” each other and put each ida Gov. Jeb Bush, Bush’s region,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member
Bush and Obama them- other down? That’s not brother, during the 2016 of the Foreign Relations Committee. “But my impres-
selves were preceded by who we are,” he said dur- GOP primary. sion is there’s not a lot of Democratic support, if any,
other prominent figures. In ing a political appearance To be sure, there remains a to rewrite terms of the deal.”
recent weeks, Republican in Richmond, Virginia. long slate of Cabinet mem- The draft proposal reflects the deep misgivings among
Sens. Bob Corker of Ten- At the White House on Fri- bers and lawmakers who many Republicans over what they consider to be fatal
nessee and Arizonans John day, presidential spokes- try not to cross Trump in flaws in the nuclear deal. Chief among them are key
McCain and Jeff Flake woman Sarah Huckabee public — from Secretary of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program that will begin to
have taken swipes at a Sanders said the adminis- State Rex Tillerson, to most expire in year 10 of the accord, heightening concerns
president who has pushed tration believes the former of the Senate Republican Iran may be able to build an atomic bomb even be-
the limits of polite political presidents’ remarks “were caucus. q fore the end of the pact.q