Joe Manchin's Flip-flop On Iran Deal

Manchin “leaning strongly” toward approving Iran deal | CBS – July 26, 2015 |

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, said he is “leaning very strongly” toward voting to approve the nuclear deal with Iran, he said in an interview Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

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Manchin said that he’s leaning toward a “yes” vote “because of the options that I have.”

“The only other option is go to war, and I’m not ready to send our people into harms way again until people in that part of the world want to clean up their own mess,” he said. Manchin said he believes that military action is a viable option because “we’ve proved that we can drop a bomb anyplace, anytime, anywhere,” but he wants to prevent the U.S. from getting bogged down in another Middle East conflict.

As part of his decision-making process, Manchin said he has spoken to the representatives of four out of the five allies who were U.S. partners in the negotiations with Iran.

“They all believe that this is a pathway that they should be taking. It’s one they support,” Manchin said. “If we pull out we pull out by ourselves.”

Manchin Statement on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Address

[links added in article below are mine – Oui]

Manchin Announces He Will Vote Against Iran Deal plus statement on video

“For me, this deal had to be about more than preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon for the next 10-15 years. For me, this deal had to address Iran’s terrorist actions. Without doing so would reward Iran’s 36 years of deplorable behavior and do nothing to prevent its destructive activities. In fact, even during the negotiating process, it has continued to hold four Americans hostage, support terrorism around the world, breed anti-American sentiment and acquire arms from Russia.

“The continued actions by Iran and its recent activities with Russia [Syria fighting AQ and IS jihadists?] have proven to me that when we catch Iran violating the agreement, and I believe we will, I have grave doubts that we will have unified, committed partners willing to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“I also cannot in good conscience agree to Iran receiving up to $100 billion in funds that everyone knows will be used, at least in some part, to continue funding terrorism and further destabilize the Middle East. Lifting sanctions without ensuring that Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism is neutralized is dangerous to regional and American security. The Administration has accepted — what I consider to be a false choice — that this is only about nuclear weapons and not terrorism. However, the fact of the matter is that we are concerned about Iran having a bomb because, in large part, it is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. Asking us to set aside the terrorist question is irresponsible and misses the point.

“Over the last 36 years, Iran has carried out thousands of acts of terror that have killed thousands of innocent lives not just in the Middle East, but around the world; defied international sanctions and treaties; continued to call for and attempt to violently destroy the state of Israel; bombed diplomatic buildings; and murdered innocent civilians.”