Senate Republicans delayed a vote on Thursday that would have increased the already harsh economic sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, arguing for the inclusion of tougher language that threatens military attack.
“I feel I’ve been jerked around,” Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor after the Republicans blocked the vote. .
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said that his staff did not receive a draft of the bill until late on Wednesday night, and needed more time to review it.
“There is no reason in the world why we can’t resolve whatever differences we have and move forward. We certainly don’t want to take a step backward, and there are members on my side of the aisle who are concerned that the way the measure is currently crafted could actually be a step in the wrong direction,” McConnell said.
The truth is that many in the GOP’s leadership want the bill to include tougher language, specifically an explicit threat of military attack. Sen. Lindsey Graham said adding the language would “send an appropriate” signal to Iran.
“I just want to add one simple line that says we recognize what the president was saying that military force is also an option,” Graham said.
“The problem I have is that it is silent on a concept that we all agree on and I don’t want to create a document before negotiations on Tuesday that doesn’t include something beyond sanctions to change the Iranian behavior we all want to avoid,” he said.
An aide to a Republican senator said, “We’re sending a signal to the Iranians that unless we see a halt to all enrichment activities, we’re coming at you with another sanctions bill,” he said. Notably, developing nuclear weapons is not the GOP’s red line on Iran. Since Iran isn’t developing nuclear weapons, they’ve moved the red line to something Iran is doing (peaceful nuclear enrichment).
The effort by the most hawkish people in Congress to force Iran to give up its legal right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes or else face attack may be the most ominous pull toward war. Although Graham is right that President Obama has explicitly left unprovoked attack on the table, the notion that America needs to go to war with Iran when it poses to conceivable threat is pathologically destructive policy-making.
Long live the warmongers. Too bad that we can't send them in first, like in the glory days of Rome with a shield and a sword.
They wll crap their drawers with just a hint of their being sent there.
Warmongers? You are being kind. They are terrorists. They are making terror threats against an entire population.
And they are indeed terror threats because the intention is to incite fear in the entire population of iran, including women and children.
Terrorism has no equal — When you limit an Empire’s ability to plunder
If you haven’t been able to send a message to Iran in so many years and many sanctions while everything was on the table, what makes you think you can do it now?
If you are making noises aimed at getting AIPAC's financial support for your re-election, you’re overdoing it. It makes you appear holier than Pope.
Why doesn't the United Nations stop this? That's why the UN was created after WWII…to prevent war. Now the new aggressor power in the world is not Germany, but the United States.
Anti Govt Rebel
the UN cant stop it because the main antagonist has the VETO, its time to get rid of the VETO for the UN Security council.
Could some one please inform me of a year since WWII ended where the United States hasnt threated war or actually attacked a country, It hasn't happened! At the present America is at war with Afghanistan Iraq They are still there, many places in Africa Yemen Pakistan, South America, troops are fighting there as well, the Phillipines. There are threats being made to Russia, China, and of course we cannot forget about Iran, all while Americas finances are a bit dodgy, really wonfer what they would do if they actually went to war with China seeing thats who they borrow their money from!
Sick bunch and.they love to see "non co operative" people suffer. If any other country did this to the USA, the so called American "leaders" would pitch a temper tantrum, and play the role of the outraged victims. The BIBI disease. Can it be cured with anything but a heavy dose of drugs, and a straight jacket ?
Certainly! If waterboarding is good enough for their "terrorists" it's good enuff for ours.
Man how I would love to see chicken**** chickenhawk Lindsey Graham with a rag stuffed in his mouth, coughing and sputtering water from his nose!