Roby on Iran: We can’t trust a country that encourages its people to chant ‘death to America’

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June 30, 2015

WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration on Tuesday announced another deadline extension in its Iran nuclear negotiations, leading Alabama Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-AL2) to assert that it may be time for the United States to walk away from the negotiating table.

“The fact that we keep extending the deadline tells you all you need to know about the priorities at play for the Administration,” Roby said. “It seems President Obama and Secretary Kerry want a deal, any deal, so badly that they are not willing to walk away from a bad one as deadlines keep passing. Now might be time to withdraw from these negotiations altogether.”

The State Department announced Tuesday that Iran negotiations would be extended to July 7, one week past the previous deadline of June 30. Roby, who recently traveled to the Middle East and discussed the Iran situation with American allies in the region, said there is reason to be concerned.

“We’ve had extension after extension and concession after concession,” she said. “I’m very concerned that our negotiators are unwilling to just say ‘no’ when the terms don’t line up with Americans interests.”

In particular, Roby said she is watching to see how negotiators uphold American interests on parameters for inspections of Iran’s facilities and whether to lift economic sanctions. Both inspection guarantees and sanctions are necessary accountability mechanisms given Iran’s open hostility towards the United States, she said.

“We cannot trust Iran – a country that encourages its people to chant ‘death to America’ – to do the right thing,” Roby said. “We ought to be able to inspect Iran’s facilities anytime, anywhere – including nuclear facilities.

“Our sanctions that we’ve had in place are working, and there’s no reason those should be made any weaker [as a precondition to a deal].”