U.S. Politicians Contradict White House Statements That They Were Briefed By Israel On Iranian Nuclear Deals

The Guardian: Alleged Israeli spying on Iran talks leaves members of Congress unmoved

* ‘Baffled’ John Boehner denies receiving information from Israel
* Senator Graham: ‘If they’re spying, they’re not telling me about it’

US politicians have downplayed a report that the Obama administration accused Israel of spying on international negotiations with Iran in order to sway members of Congress against an emerging nuclear deal.

The Wall Street Journal cited a senior administration official who accused Israeli officials of eavesdropping on the talks and obtaining information from confidential US briefings. Israeli officials then selectively leaked the information to lawmakers on Capitol Hill as part of a broader effort by the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to sink the deal, the official said.

Previous Post: Israel Spied On The U.S. - Iran Nuclear Talks

WNU Editor: If true .... one has to wonder why the White House reacted in such a manner .... what details are they afraid of being leaked?

U.S. Congress Sends Letter To President Obama Expressing Their Concerns On Iran

CNN: 367 House lawmakers warn Obama on Iran

Washington (CNN)A veto-proof, bipartisan majority of House lawmakers have signed an open letter to President Barack Obama warning him that any nuclear deal with Iran will effectively require congressional approval for implementation.

A group of bipartisan senators have penned a bill mandating that any deal be reviewed and approved by Congress, but the House letter notes that lawmakers have another way to halt an agreement — by refusing to roll back sanctions.

WNU Editor: For any U.S. - Iranian deal to come into force, Congress will need to vote to abolish the sanctions .... that is their leverage. The letter is here.

More News On The U.S. Congress Warning President Obama On Any Iranian Nuclear Deal

Grave Issues on Iran Cited by 367 House Members in Letter -- Bloomberg
367 House members warn Obama on Iran -- The Hill
367 House members send letter on Iranian nuclear negotiations to Obama -- Washington Times
367 House Members Send Letter to Obama on Iran’s ‘Pathway to Bomb’ -- PJ Media
Veto-Proof Majority of House Sends Obama Letter on Iran -- Breitbart
Senator McCain threatens to block Iran nuclear deal -- Haaretz

U.S. Congressional Objections To Current Iranian Nuclear Talks Grows

Washington Times: Democrats join fight against Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran as details emerge

Bipartisan resistance to the Obama administration’s push for a nuclear deal with Iran surged on Capitol Hill on Thursday, even as details emerged about a potential agreement that would allow Tehran to retain up to 6,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges while getting immediate relief from international economic sanctions.

Administration witnesses got an earful from representatives of both parties over the administration’s handling of nuclear negotiations involving the U.S., Iran and other world powers that could be reaching a climax in Geneva this week. Many lawmakers say the White House is flagrantly icing Congress out of the deal.

U.S. Congressional Objections To Current Iranian Nuclear Talks Grows

Obama administration, Congress clash again over nuclear deal with Iran -- Euronews
Congress not backing down on Iran nuclear deal as bill could face veto -- The Guardian
Tension Flares in Hearing on Congress' Role in Iran Deal -- VOA
Lawmakers want bigger role for Congress in Iran deal -- USA Today
U.S. Democrats, Republicans agree to delay committee's Iran bill vote -- Reuters
US Senate won’t vote on nuclear Iran bill until after talks deadline -- Middle East Eye
No Iran Nuclear Treaty Without Congressional Action -- Evan Bayh, Saxby Chambliss and Norm Coleman, Roll Call

White House Issues A Saturday Night Warning To The U.S. Senate On Passing Any Iran Legislation

Snow starts to fall as a woman walks past the White House in Washington March 5, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Huffington Post: White House Issues Saturday Night Iran Deal Warning To Senate

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to reassert control over the domestic political debate surrounding sensitive negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, the White House penned a letter Saturday night warning senators to hold back on legislation that would detract from the president’s ability to affect and approve a final agreement with Iran.

The letter, written by White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), reiterates a veto threat of the bill, while insisting that Congress will have a say in reviewing and affecting the ultimate outcome.

WNU Editor: This warning was issued late Saturday night .... which in itself is a surprise. Something is brewing with Iran, and it is clear that the White House wants nothing to disrupt it.

More News On The White House Issuing A Saturday Night Warning To The U.S. Senate On Passing Any Iranian Legislation

White House Warns Senate Anew on Iran Legislation -- ABC News/AP
White House warns Republican Senators legislation could hurt Iran talks -- Reuters
White House warns Congress on Iran vote -- Politico

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Tells Congress 'You Cannot Modify Iran-U.S. Nuclear Deal'

Reuters: Kerry tells Republicans: you cannot modify Iran-U.S. nuclear deal

(Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Republicans who control Congress on Wednesday they would not be able to modify any nuclear agreement struck between the United States and Iran.

Kerry said he responded with "utter disbelief" to an open letter to Iran on Monday signed only by Republican senators that said any deal would only last as long as U.S. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, remains in office.

"When it says that Congress could actually modify the terms of an agreement at any time is flat wrong," Kerry, who has been negotiating a deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "You don't have the right to modify an agreement reached executive to executive between leaders of a country."

More News On U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Telling Congress That They 'Cannot Modify Iran-U.S. Nuclear Deal'

Kerry: Congress Won't Be Able to Change an Iran Nuclear Deal -- AP
Iran Nuclear Deal, If Reached, Wouldn’t Be ‘Legally Binding,’ Kerry Says -- WSJ
Kerry: Even a Republican president won’t undo Iran nuclear deal -- Yahoo News
Here's what Kerry means when he says a nuclear deal with Iran will be 'nonbinding' -- Armin Rosen, Business Insider

President Obama Accuses U.S. Senate Republicans Of Interfering In His Negotiations With Iran

BBC: Obama mocks Republican letter to Iran over nuclear talks

US President Barack Obama has criticised a letter from Republican senators to Iran, accusing them of "interfering" in ongoing nuclear talks.

He said the 47 senators made an "unusual coalition" with Iran's hard-line religious leaders.

The letter reminds Iran that any deal is just an executive agreement unless it gets congressional approval.

Talks on Iran's nuclear programme are at a critical stage, with an outline agreement due on 31 March.

WNU Editor: The U.S. media is on board with the White House in criticizing this open letter from the U.S. Republicans to the Iranian leadership (see above video). What's my take .... as an outside observer, I find it interesting that President Obama and the Democrat party (coupled with much of the U.S. main stream media) appear to be more worked up, agitated, and angry at the Republican Party than at Iran.

More News On White House And Democrat Reaction To The U.S. Senate Republican Letter To The Iranian Leadership

Republicans Draw White House Ire for Warning to Iran -- Time
Obama, Iranian official slam GOP letter on deal -- CNN
President Obama Angry with Senate GOP Over Letter to Iran, Claims It Undermines Negotiation Talks -- IJReview
Obama: Some Republicans making "common cause" with Iran -- EFE
Joe Biden: GOP senators’ Iran letter ‘offends me’ -- MSNBC
Joe Biden: Republicans letter on Iran sends 'dangerous signal' to friends -- The Telegraph
Text of Joe Biden’s Statement on Senators’ Letter to Iran’s Leaders -- WSJ
GOP senators send letter to Iran in attempt to undermine nuclear deal; Biden calls it ‘false’ and ‘dangerous’ -- PBS/AP

U.S. Democrats Are Becoming Divided Over Foreign Policy

Jackson Diehl, Washington Post: Obama’s fight with his own party over foreign policy

WNU Editor: Democrat politicians ... like everyone else in that position .... travel the world and meet the leaders and their representatives from other countries who in turn tell US politicians on what do they think of U.S. foreign policy and strategy. In the beginning of the Obama Presidency there was a certain excitement that things will change .... but after 6 years that "honeymoon" is definitely over, and the lack of strategic vision and direction on what should be the U.S. role in many of the world's trouble spots is not only raising fears among U.S. allies abroad, but they in turn are raising their concerns and fears to their friends in the Democratic party. Expect this break to become even more pronounced as the Obama Presidency comes to an end.

Nancy Pelosi Appoints The First Muslim Lawmaker To The U.S. House Intelligence Committee

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., left, pictured with then-Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., at a Congressional Black Caucus job fair in Miami in 2011. He will be the first Muslim to serve on the House Intelligence Committee. Reuters/Joe Skipper

Politico: Nancy Pelosi to name first Muslim lawmaker to House intelligence committee

WNU Editor: His appointment to the U.S. House Intelligence Committee is going to be controversial .... André Carson, Indiana Congressman, Says U.S. Public Schools Should Be Modeled After Islamic Schools (Huffington Post), and here .... Muslim Congressman Andre Carson And Known Terrorist Mazen Mokhtar Team Up On Ferguson (Western Journalism).

More News On Andre Carson Become The First Muslim On The U.S. House Intel Committee

Andre Carson to become first Muslim on House Intel committee -- UPI
House Intelligence Committee: Muslim Congressman André Carson Makes History -- IBTimes
Indiana Democrat André Carson Will Become First Muslim on Congressional Intelligence Committee -- Slate
Pelosi to appoint 'Islamists' choice' for intel post -- Bob Unruh, WND

Does The U.S. Congress Care About The War Against The Islamic State?

Here’s How Much Congress Cares About Fighting the Islamic State -- Washington Free Beacon

Empty chairs galore

On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee met to discuss the war against the Islamic State.

“This was no minor congressional hearing involving witnesses from various and obscure think tanks,” the Washington Examiner‘s T. Becket Adams said of the hearing.

“Both Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made appearances to testify on U.S. military action against the Islamic State.”

Despite that, many representatives did not stay for the entire hearing.

This is how the hearing opened, according to Adams.

This is how he said it ended.

My Comment: Why does this not surprise me.

U.S. Democrat Senator: President Obama Does Not Have The Power To Deploy More Troops

Dem: Obama Doesn't Have Power To Deploy More Troops -- The Hill

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is calling President Obama’s plan to send 1,500 more troops into Iraq a “temporary band-aid," and said it should have been considered by Congress.

"I do not think president has the ability under current authority to authorize 1,500 troops without Congress acting," Murphy said in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union."

He pointed to the hundreds of thousands of troops who unsuccessfully tried to build up the government in the war-torn country over the last decade, and questioned the impact of just 1,500 troops.

“I want to make sure this is a realistic mission,” he added.

Read more ....

My Comment: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is right .... there are limits to what the President can do .... unfortunately .... as Conor Friedersdorf has written in the following Atlantic post .... How Obama Took the Brakes Off the War Machine .... it is Congress that gave him the power to expand his authority.

Is President Obama About To Replace His Foreign And National Security Team?

The president’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, is seen as part of a tight circle. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

Obama Could Replace Aides Bruised By A Cascade of Crises -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — One day this month, as the nation shuddered with fears of an Ebola outbreak and American warplanes pounded Sunni militants in Syria, President Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, invited a group of foreign policy experts to the White House to hear their views of how the administration was performing.

She was peppered with critiques of the president’s Syria and China policies, as well as the White House’s delays in releasing a national security strategy, a congressionally mandated document that sets out foreign policy goals. On that last point, Ms. Rice had a sardonic reply.

“If we had put it out in February or April or July,” she said, according to two people who were in the room, “it would have been overtaken by events two weeks later, in any one of those months.”

Read more ....

My Comment: If the Democrats get "slaughtered" in Congressional elections next week .... expect big changes in the White House.