Excerpts: Obama,Congress deal re nuclear talks. Impact of Russia's missile
defence sale to Iran April 15, 2015

+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 15 April ’15:”Obama,Congress sign deal over Iran
nuclear talks”, by Staff Writer with Reuters and the Associated Press
SUBJECT:Obama,Congress deal re nuclear talks
QUOTE: “The Obama administration is also required to send the text of a
final agreement to Congress as soon as it is completed “

FULL TEXT:U.S. President Barack Obama has reluctantly agreed to allowing
Congress to have a say on a nuclear deal with Iran, following pressure from
Republicans and some in his own party after they crafted a rare compromise
demanding a say.

The deal reached on Tuesday[14 April] places a new element of uncertainty,
just days after an initial deal was reached between the P5+1 nations and
Iran.

An outline agreement on the future of Iran’s nuclear program was reached on
April 2.

Since then the White House had stepped up its efforts to persuade Democratic
senators not to support the bipartisan bill that would give Congress a say
on a final deal.

Israel is pleased with the deal achieved between the United States Congress
and the administration of President Barack Obama, Israeli Intelligence
Minister Yuval Steinitz said on Wednesday.[15 April]

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joined his counterparts from
the Group of Seven industrial powers at a meeting in northern Germany on the
gathering’s second day, flying in overnight after discussing Iran with
lawmakers in Washington.

“Yesterday there was a compromise reached in Washington regarding
congressional input,” Kerry told reporters in the Baltic Sea port of
Luebeck. “We are confident about our ability for the president to negotiate
an agreement, and to do so with the ability to make the world safer.”

But Washington, as well as negotiators from Iran and other members of the
six-power group, have expressed concern that Congress could fatally
undermine a deal before a June 30 deadline for a final pact.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Bob Corker, who wrote
the bill, said the White House agreed to the bill only after it became
apparent there was strong Democratic support.

The bill that was passed cut from 60 to 30 days the time in which Congress
can review any final nuclear agreement and eliminated the requirement that
Obama certify that Iran is not supporting acts of terrorism against the
United States.

The new bill requires the White House send Congress regular, detailed
reports on issues including Iran’s support for terrorism, ballistic missiles
and nuclear program.

The Obama administration is also required to send the text of a final
agreement to Congress as soon as it is completed, and blocks Obama’s ability
to waive many U.S. sanctions on Iran while Congress reviews the deal.

A deal with Iran is seen as an important legacy for the Obama
administration.

While Obama can lift sanctions he imposed, he would still need the backing
of Congress to lift those imposed by U.S. lawmakers.

(With Reutersand the Associated Press)




+++.SOURCE:Jordan Times 15 April ’15:”Russia’s sale of missile defence to
Iran could help secure nuclear deal ---experts”,Agence France Presse

SUBJECT:Impact of Russia’s missile defence sale to Iran

Full text;PARIS — Russia's decision to supply Iran with the S-300 missile
air defence system was seen by critics in Israel and the United States as
proof this month's framework nuclear agreement was already making Tehran
more of a threat.But some experts said the controversial move could make it
difficult for Iran's enemies to propose air strikes against its nuclear
facilities, thus bolstering the case for a diplomatic solution.

Israel was predictably angered by Russia's decision to arm its arch-foe.

"Instead of demanding that Iran desist from the terrorist activity that it
is carrying out in the Middle East and throughout the world, it is being
allowed to arm itself with advanced weapons that will only increase its
aggression," said Israel's Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz.

The United States took a similar line, with State Department spokeswoman
Marie Harf saying: "We think given Iran's destabilising actions in the
region, in places like Yemen or Syria or Lebanon, that this isn't the time
to be selling these kinds of system to them."

But some analysts said Russia's decision was in line with its hopes to
secure a lasting deal that will stop Iran building a nuclear bomb and
removed global sanctions on the Islamic republic.

"The goal of the Russians is certainly not to help out the West, but nor do
they want to see a nuclear Iran," said Francois Heisbourg, chairman of the
Geneva Centre for Security Policy."This S-300 deal could be a way of
ensuring Tehran stays in line with the negotiations."

The announcement serves two purposes — demonstrating to Tehran the
advantages of sticking with the nuclear talks, while also making military
alternatives more difficult for its opponents, said Jeremy Binnie, Middle
East editor of IHS Jane's Defence Weekly in London.

"It is a carrot to Iran. But it is also a stick against US and Israeli
officials who say the military option is still on the table," he said.Israel
and many US officials, particularly among the Republicans, have opposed the
nuclear accord, saying air strikes are the only way to prevent Iran getting
the bomb.

'Dark arts of' Iran currently lacks the sort of sophisticated air defences
that could take down modern fighter planes.

The capabilities of the S-300 are not fully known and have yet to be tested
in a real-world combat situation."We are talking about the really dark arts
of air defence here," said Binnie.

But the S-300 would be a major upgrade of the country's defences, and the
updated V-series being offered by Russia will also allow Iran to intercept
missiles fired by regional foes such as Saudi Arabia.

It may not be a match for the latest US planes, said Andrey Bablitskiy, from
the PIR think tank in Moscow, "but they could make an operation more costly
and make them think twice".

Iran has also invested heavily in radar and jamming technology to help spot
stealth bombers and other foreign aircraft — capabilities it demonstrated
when it brought down a US spy drone in 2011.

Despite calls from hawks in Washington and elsewhere, it has never been
clear whether enemy air strikes could have "a meaningful impact" on Iran's
nuclear capabilities even without a high-performance defence system, said
Binnie."They can get an aircraft over Iran, but can they carry enough bombs
and can those bombs have enough penetration ability? It would be hard," he
said.

Offensive or defensive?Nor is it certain whether Russia had to ban the
supply of the S-300 system in the first place.

The original sale was agreed in 2007, and was only called off by Russia two
years later as a "voluntary" move to show its dedication to the nuclear
talks, in which it is working alongside fellow UN Security Council permanent
members the US, Britain, China, and France plus Germany.

Loopholes meant the S-300 system could possibly have been exempted from the
sanctions regime on the grounds it is only a defensive system.

"It's debatable," said Binnie. "It has a range of 300km that means it could
shoot down aircraft in another country's airspace, and you could use it for
surface-to-surface missiles.

"But you wouldn't want to — it is not designed for that and would not be
very accurate."

Despite its statement against the S-300 deal, the US has effectively
accepted that Iran will soon resume arms purchases.Its criticism may have
been designed simply to placate allies in the region such as Israel and
Saudi Arabia that have been deeply distrustful of the peace process.

"[The Americans] weren't rolling on the floor in a rage," said Heisbourg.
"Their protest felt like it was just for show
=================
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA