Strong handle. I want to ask secretary lew and secretary kerry about the consequences of Congress Voting down this deal. I heard senator rischs frustration the frustration made by the administration theres no choice. In fact, i hear you to say the very opposite. I hear to you say this is not, in fact, a referendum on this deal. This is a choice between two set of consequences. A set of consequences that flow forward if we approve the deal and then a different set of consequences that flow forward if Congress Rejects this deal. So as i look at that second set of consequence we have to be fully cognizant of if the u. S. Congress reject this is deal i see it in five parts. I want to give this analysis to you and then ask you both to tell me where im wrong or where i might be right. First, the sanctions are going to fray initially. Russians and chinese likely wont continue to sign on, and likely will in substance fall apart. Iran will resume its Nuclear Program as it gets closer and closer
A snap back without the sanctions in place . It would be very powerful with or without it. The embargo. Youre right. I can read you. No, no. Wet, have separate resolutions and we have separate regimes that applyth to them, for instance is a very powerful instrument. With United Nations language, do you believe israel is safer eight years with the embargo lifted than it is today . Theres no question in my mind. With the ability to put all other siendz of sanctions in place, u. N. Resolutions apply to missiles and other things. Do you believe Prime Minister netanyahu is highly critical of this deal and knows what he is talking about. I respect and know Prime Minister netanyahu very well. I consider o him a friend and he and i talk regularly, were still talking even in the mist of this agreement because we have a lot of of things to talk about. I completely understand the Prime Minister of is lael. But this iras also a big challenge and i understand the expressions of concerns that he has
That is part of what this vote would be. We dont trust that, it was no way iran could come under it. The consequences of this are even more than what you laid out. Here is what else happens but better on politics long enough, i have a pretty good sense a lot of people were opposing this before it was announced before they read it. If this does not meet congresses approval, and iran goes back to enriching, you can hear the cry now. What are we going to do about it . You hear the Prime Minister of his rail calling me up it is time to bomb. What are we going to do . That is why learned people say that is the alternative. When they are glitching like crazy, and the patched up diplomacy, and passed up the nonproliferation treaty, what is left . I know senators are uncomfortable that they may have an enrichment program, so what is your plan . Knock out their entire capacity . Erase the memory . Totally go to war . I heard somebody mention iraq that we had a huge ability to know what happened
Of broadcasteakout time. Breakout time in arms control is the time it takes to get a weapon. We have been dealing only with the amount of time it takes to get enough fissile material to produce one weapon. You still have to produce the weapon and most people dont guesstimate that a country is going to be satisfied with only one weapon and enough fissile material for one. Theres a lot of time beyond that. Weve been operating with a huge safety cushion here, and well have one year of broadcasteakout time for one fissile weapon for at least ten years and then it begins to tail down, but not as a cliff. It begins to tail down as we go through the next five years and thn were arriving at a point where iran has, hopefully, achieved normal status in the npt. I say hopefully because if they havent, the agreement hasnt worked in the sense theyve violated it and we go back to snapback and have the sanctions back in place. Can you answer whether all of our intelligence agencies are agreed on that
Serious question that needs to be objected to. Senator menendez . I was going to add a small foot note to the issue of countries without diplomatic relations not being part of the inspection team. I want to point out again for decades now all inspectors have training here in the United States. Were very confident in a very, very broad set of confident people. In addition i could get you the exact number but right now i think we have a dozen americans in the safegardz efforts at iaea and they play a very critical role. I would love it if you would get me that information specifically. Senator, ill get you a list of all the mcnichls we have to prevent arms flowing. Those are critical questions to me and the american public. Thank you for service to our country. Thank you, senator. Were going to take a break when we have the second round start. Can you make it through three more senators . Thank you. Thank you mr. Chairman. Thank you for your service to our country. We very much appreciat