Interviews 09:47 04/03/2015

‘Netanyahu can cause trouble for US administration but he can’t nix deal with Iran’

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu can’t scrap a possible nuclear deal between the US and Iran, what he can do is pollute the atmosphere on Capitol Hill in getting any sort of a deal through, defense analyst Ivan Eland told RT.

RT: Could Netanyahu really derail any possible nuclear deal with Iran, especially since the Republicans dominate Capitol Hill?

Ivan Eland: I think he can throw a wrench into this trying to sabotage it and certainly the administration under a constitution negotiates with a foreign country so he really can’t scrap a deal. What he can do is pollute the atmosphere on Capitol Hill in getting any sort of deal through if they make it into a treaty, and even if they make it into an executive agreement there can still be a lot of opposition. There have already been complaints of excessive executive action on the part of the Obama administration. So if he made an executive agreement with Iran on the nuclear program I think there will be pressure to have some sort of Congressional approval of it.I think Netanyahu can cause trouble for the administration but he can’t nix any sort of deal that might be signed.

RT: Last October, one Obama administration official branded Netanyahu as a “coward,” although he actually used a stronger word. What are the main arguments between Benjamin Netanyahu and the current US Cabinet?

IE: Of course Netanyahu is a hardliner against Iran. He wants the entire Iranian nuclear program dismantled which is really a nonstarter. They do have a right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to have the peaceful use of nuclear power and according to the Iranians that’s all they are doing. Of course everybody suspects they are trying to get at least the precursors for a bomb. I don’t know if they made a decision to actually weaponize, but they are just not going to give up their nuclear program because of prestige value, and also because most Iranians across the political spectrum in Iran support the nuclear program. And I don’t think more sanctions are going to work because whenever you get a united front in a country when you use either economic or military power against them it usually has a ‘rally round the flag’ effect in that country. So I don’t think more sanctions - which are what Netanyahu is advocating instead of this deal - are going to work. The only logical thing to do is what Obama and other countries are trying to do and that is to limit the ability of Iran to create a nuclear weapon.

RT: How bad does Netanyahu need US government support at the moment?

IE: I think the problem is that he always gets the US government’s support. Frankly this a domestic political issue rather than a security issue. What happens is Israel has a lot of lobbying power in the US and therefore the US usually does Israel’s bidding. Now of course Obama is pushed back on that a little and Obama doesn’t have to be reelected again but there is a whole lot of Democrats who do need to be reelected again, and they need the Jewish vote and a lot of Christians support in Israel as well so they need that vote. I think the biggest news here is that Netanyahu is really putting the Democrats in a bad position because they have to choose between Obama and support for Israel.

RT: Nearly 200 former Israeli military and intelligence officials have criticized Netanyahu's upcoming anti-Iran Congress speech, arguing that it will only spur Tehran to get nuclear weapons. How likely is that in your view? 

IE: These elite in Israel are important in opposing Netanyahu. But the problem is the reason Netanyahu is coming for has nothing to do with the Iranian nuclear program. He’s made his objections clear to the White House and he knows what support he has in Congress. This speech is designed for his audience at home because he is in a tough reelection bid. Just because the Israeli elite goes against Netanyahu the Israeli people may not. These are always crowd pleasers at home when you act tough abroad especially standing up to a US President that isn’t very popular in Israel. So you don’t know what is going to happen with the Israeli election, but Netanyahu is clearly trying to use this to win support in a tight election at home. 



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:13
Expert: Iran doesn't oppose closer Armenia-West relations
Last week, the European Parliament passed a resolution proposing the EU executive power to consider the possibility of granting Armenia the...
16:27
Record heat wave hits Brazil
A heat wave stifling Brazil set new records on Sunday, with Rio de Janeiro's heat index hitting 62.3 degrees Celsius, the highest in a...
16:13
Opposition MP: Armenian authorities share Azeri stance on repatriation of Artsakh Armenians
Opposition Pativ Unem faction MP Tigran Abrahamyan has criticized the Armenian leadership for failure to push for the repatriation of the...
15:36
Pashinyan meets with Armenian border residents
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday visited the border village of Voskepar in Tavush Province. He met with residents of...
15:06
Armenia makes every effort towards normalization with Azerbaijan, FM says
Armenia and Kazakhstan seek to expand bilateral ties, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said following talks with his Kazakh...
14:30
Aliyev lights Nowruz fire in occupied Stepanakert
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday marked the Nowruz holiday by lighting a ceremonial fire in Stepanakert, the capital of...
14:05
Azerbaijani vandals destroy memorial to war heroes in Artsakh village
Azerbaijani vandals continue to destroy memorials and monuments to fallen heroes in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) which was ethnically cleansed of...
13:35
'We'll turn it around', Mkhitaryan says after draw with Napoli
Inter Milan drew 1-1 with visitors Napoli in Serie A on Sunday. The result ended Inter's run of 10 consecutive Serie A victories and...
13:15
Ex-Armenian envoy slams EU's Michel for double standards
Armenia’s former Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has strongly criticized European Council President Charles Michel for double standards...
12:45
NATO encourages Armenia and Azerbaijan to 'seize the opportunity' for enduring peace
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan as part of his regional tour on Sunday....
12:33
Powerful cyclone to bring heavy snow to Armenia
A powerful southern cyclone will strike Armenia on Tuesday, the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center warns. It is bringing heavy snow to...
11:55
Khachanov and Rublev play exhibition match to raise $100,000 for Artsakh refugees
On Saturday March 16, the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA held an exhibition match featuring world-renowned tennis stars Karen Khachanov and...
11:35
Ex-ombudsmen warn against withdrawal of Armenia's lawsuits against Azerbaijan from int'l courts
Former Armenian and Artsakh ombudspersons Arman Tatoyan, Artak Beglaryan and Gegham Stepanyan, as well as lawyers representing the interests of...
11:15
NATO chief: Armenia and Azerbaijan have an opportunity to achieve enduring peace
Armenia and Azerbaijan have an opportunity to achieve a lasting peace after years of conflict, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said...
11:00
Putin wins Russian election in landslide
President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia's election on Sunday, cementing his already tight grip on...
17:00
Rain, strong winds in the forecast
Rain and fog are expected in some parts of Armenia on the weekend to grip most regions next week. Wet snow is forecast for the...
16:45
Monument Watch exposes false Azeri narrative about Artsakh churches
Azerbaijani media not only called the Armenian church in the Krkzhan district of occupied Stepanakert "Albanian", but also falsely...
16:30
Hundreds in Mexico City stretch out for a 'mass nap' to mark World Sleep Day
In one of Mexico City's busiest neighborhoods on Friday, about 200 people took a collective nap in the middle of the street to celebrate...
16:05
From Earth to Mars or from Vienna to Armash: AMADEE-24 has launched
Mount Ararat, azure blue sky, a rocky plateau reminiscent of Mars, red soil and… analog astronauts in spacesuits: the explorations for...
15:34
Biden reaffirms U.S. commitment to peace between Armenia, Azerbaijan
The United States reaffirms its commitment to a durable and dignified peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, U.S. President Joe Biden...
15:10
Armenia's Artur Aleksanyan tops UWW rankings
Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Aleksanyan tops the United World Wrestling (UWW) rankings in the 97kg weight class. Aleksanyan, an...
14:36
Netanyahu approves Rafah ground operation plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday he had approved the military's plan for an operation in Rafah, where...
14:06
Five wounded, including minors, in car crash in Armenia
Five people, including two minors, were injured in a road traffic accident in Armenia on Saturday morning. The crash occurred on the...
13:31
Canada's PM says he thinks daily about leaving 'crazy job'
Canada's prime minister says he frequently thinks about leaving his "crazy job" but plans to stay on through another election....
13:15
Opposition MP lambasts Armenian FM for Artsakh remarks
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan hit out at Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan for his “cheap” comments on Artsakh...
12:34
Armenian Church commemorates St. Gregory the Illuminator's torments
The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates St. Gregory the Illuminator’s torments and commitment to the pit on Saturday 16 March,...
12:15
Putin votes online in Russian presidential election
The incumbent Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, who is vying for the country’s top office as an independent candidate, has cast his...
12:00
Moscow warns Yerevan about consequences of anti-Russian policy
Moscow has warned Yerevan of the consequences of its involvement in the anti-Russian course by the West, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria...
11:31
Armenian parliament speaker's advisor sacked
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has signed an order to dismiss Hovhannes Nalbandyan as his advisor at his own request. The...
11:15
Azeri oil firm which took Russian funds reportedly redeems US bank loans early
Azeri oil firm Socar has redeemed a $1.3 billion syndicated loan led by U.S. banks Citi and JP Morgan two years ahead of schedule, around the...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}