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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 15 September 2018

Trump, Pompeo bash ex-Secretary of State Kerry on Iran talks

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sec-
retary of State Mike Pom-
peo unloaded Friday on
his Obama-era predeces-
sor John Kerry for “actively
undermining” U.S. policy
on Iran by meeting several
times recently with the Ira-
nian foreign minister, who
was his main interlocutor in
the Iran nuclear deal nego-
tiations.
In unusually blunt and caus-
tic language, Pompeo said
Kerry’s meetings with Mo-
hammad Javad Zarif were
“unseemly and unprec-
edented” and “beyond
inappropriate.” President
Donald Trump had late
Thursday accused Kerry of
holding “illegal meetings
with the very hostile Iranian
Regime, which can only
serve to undercut our great
work to the detriment of
the American people.”
Pompeo said he would Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference in the press briefing room at the State Department in Washington,
leave “legal determi- Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, in Washington.
nations to others” but Associated Press
slammed Kerry as a former be more worried about said Friday she wasn’t with meetings with the very hos- to a foreign government
secretary of state for en- Paul Manafort meeting with Kerry and Moniz when she tile Iranian Regime, which doesn’t make you a for-
gaging with “the world’s Robert Mueller than me met Zarif there. Along with can only serve to undercut eign agent.”
largest state-sponsor of ter- meeting with Iran’s FM. But Kerry, Moniz and Sherman our great work to the detri- When reports of Kerry’s ex-
ror” and telling Iran to “wait if you want to learn some- played key roles in negoti- ment of the American peo- officio contacts with Zarif
out this administration.” He thing about the nuclear ating the 2015 agreement ple,” Trump tweeted late first surfaced in May, Trump
noted that just this week agreement that made the between Iran and several Thursday. “He told them to tweeted similar thoughts.
Iranian-backed militias had world safer, buy my new world powers that lifted wait out the Trump Admin- “John Kerry can’t get over
fired rockets at U.S. diplo- book,” said Kerry. sanctions against Tehran istration! Was he registered the fact that he had his
matic compounds in Iraq. He has been harshly critical in exchange for restrictions under the Foreign Agents chance and blew it! Stay
“You can’t find precedent of the president and his de- on its nuclear program. Registration Act? BAD!” away from negotiations
for this in U.S. history, and cision in May to withdraw “I wasn’t in the meeting, The law Trump invoked — John, you are hurting your
Secretary Kerry ought not from the Iran deal but de- but I am reasonably confi- the Foreign Agents Reg- country!” he said on May 8.
to engage in that kind of nies “coaching” Tehran. dent that he was not there istration Act, or FARA — A day earlier, he tweeted:
behavior,” an agitated In a statement, his spokes- in support of U.S. policy requires registration and “The United States does not
Pompeo told reporters at man, Matt Summers, said: with respect to the Islamic transparency by people need John Kerry’s possibly
the State Department. “It’s “There’s nothing unusual, Republic of Iran,” Pompeo or companies acting on illegal Shadow Diplomacy
inconsistent with what for- let alone unseemly or in- said. “Former secretaries of behalf of foreign govern- on the very badly negoti-
eign policy of the United appropriate, about former state — all of them, from ei- ments, political parties or ated Iran Deal. He was the
States is as directed by this diplomats meeting with ther political party — ought individuals. one that created this MESS
president, and it is beyond foreign counterparts. Sec- not to be engaged in” this But Josh Rosenstein, a part- in the first place!”
inappropriate for him to be retary (Henry) Kissinger has kind of activity, he said. ner with the Washington Trump and Pompeo’s criti-
engaged.” done it for decades with “Actively undermining U.S. law firm Sandler Reiff and a cism came after Kerry told
Kerry, who is promoting his Russia and China. What policy as a former secretary specialist in lobbying com- conservative radio host
new book “Every Day is Ex- is unseemly and unprec- of state is literally unheard pliance, said there are too Hugh Hewitt on Wednes-
tra,” tweeted a response edented is for the podium of.” Meetings between a many unanswered ques- day that earlier reports of
to Trump that referred of the State Department private U.S. citizen and for- tions to know whether the his meetings with Zarif were
to the president’s former to be hijacked for political eign official are not against law applies to Kerry’s inter- correct: They had met three
campaign chairman, Paul theatrics.” the law and not necessarily actions with Zarif. FARA’s or four times since Kerry left
Manafort, who agreed on Pompeo also took to task inappropriate or a violation provisions don’t extend to office but not since Pom-
Friday to cooperate with former Energy Secretary of federal regulations, but activities conducted entire- peo took the job in April.
the special counsel’s inves- Earnest Moniz and ex-Iran Trump, Pompeo and sev- ly overseas, so where Kerry One of those meetings took
tigation into Russia interfer- deal negotiator Wendy eral GOP lawmakers say interacted with him mat- place in Oslo, Norway, and
ence in the 2016 presiden- Sherman for joining Kerry they are evidence Kerry ters. Also unclear is whether another in Munich, he said.
tial election and possible at a meeting with Zarif and former Obama admin- any Iranians specifically A third is reported to have
coordination between and other Iranian officials istration officials are trying asked Kerry for advice. occurred at the United Na-
Russia and the Trump cam- earlier this year at a se- to subvert Trump’s hard line “The devil’s always in the tions headquarters, which
paign. curity conference in Mu- on Iran. details,” Rosenstein said. is not technically on U.S.
“Mr. President, you should nich — though Sherman “John Kerry had illegal “Simply offering advice soil.q