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(Updated) Senator Chuck Schumer promises more Iran sanctions, vows to ‘defeat’ Arab world and Palestinians

New York Senator Chuck Schumer was his usual hawkish self on Sunday evening.  In an address to the OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services gala, Schumer railed against the deal the Obama administration struck with Iran and vowed that Democrats and Republicans would work to pile on more economic pressure on the country.

“Democrats and Republicans are going to work together to see that we don’t let up on these sanctions…until Iran gives up not only its nuclear weapons, but all nuclear weapon capability, all enriched uranium,” Schumer said.  “Every time the Arab world, the Palestinians, have risen against us, we have risen to defeat them.  The one existential threat to Israel’s existence is a nuclear Iran.”

The Democratic Senator made the remarks to attendees at a fundraiser for OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services, an Orthodox Jewish welfare organization. Video of Schumer’s remarks were uploaded by Jacob Kornbluh, a New York-based reporter.

Schumer’s speech was a preview of the potential difficulties the Obama administration will have in convincing the most hawkish Senators and Representatives that sanctions should be held off.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were successful in pressuring Congress to hold off on new sanctions before last weekend’s Geneva negotiations.  During the talks, Kerry reportedly warned that new sanctions would be coming down the pike if no deal was struck to pressure Iran.

But a deal was struck, and now the Obama administration has to watch out for new Congressional efforts to sanction Iran–which would scuttle the deal reached to curb Iran’s enrichment program in exchange for some relief from economic pressure.

In a previous statement, Schumer said that the “disproportionality of this agreement makes it more likely that Democrats and Republicans will join together and pass additional sanctions when we return in December.” Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid called the Iran deal an “important first step” but did not fully close off the possibility that new sanctions would be enacted before the six-month deal with Iran is up.

Some Democrats, like the hawkish Rep. Eliot Engel, said that while he doesn’t trust Iran, the deal should be tested.  A more likely scenario than immediate sanctions–which Obama could veto–are new sanctions that would go into effect in six months, which would up the pressure on the Obama administration to reach a far-reaching deal with Iran.

Update: The Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Ron Kampeas fills in more of the Iran sanctions picture.  What emerges from his report is that Congressional hawks will indeed push for new sanctions legislation. But the legislation–if it passes–will only go into affect if Iran cheats or if Iran hasn’t “dismantled” its nuclear program in six months.

Kampeas also reports that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee will be drafting new sanctions legislation after Thanksgiving that will “will condition the environment for a final deal.”

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“Democrats and Republicans are going to work together to see that we don’t let up on these sanctions…until Iran gives up not only its nuclear weapons

News alert by Scumer: Iran has nukes.

Isn’t that happened with Iraq? Bush gave Iraq a countdown I saw on TV for Saddam to give up his WMDs. The problem for Iraq in fulfilling this demand was that Iraq did not have any.

Chuck Shumer, who never fails to note that his last name means Shomer or “Guardian” in Hewbrew, has repeatedly stated that his basic priority is to advance Israel’s interest. He is not alone.

Mark Kirk went even further. He said his entire reason for being in Congress is to advance the cause of Israel.

Let AIPAC and its political whores – for that is what they are – do their work.
We saw in Syria what happened. They want a war but can’t get one. So they will try to destroy Iran with sanctions, make it more extreme and scuttle any deal by any chance. They could well succeed.

But the days when the lobby operated in secret without any media coverage is over.
Steve Rosen called it a night flower. When sunlight reaches it; it dies.

The MSM failed to act on AIPAC in the run-up to the Iraq war. They learned their lesson with Syria. Now comes the grand prize for the lobby; Iran. It was always about Iran. This is where the lobby is the strongest. If it can be defeated here, it would be an almost-fatal blow to its political credibility.

Just imagine how fast it went from the Hagel hearings, where it demonstrated its political muscle, to playing defence on a core issue like Iran, all within the same year. Things are changing, fast.

The lobby was right to fear Obama. And he would never forgive them for what they made him endure during his first term.
Now he is out for their throat, going for the arteries.

Obama has leeway on Iran, despite U.S. lawmakers’ concerns http://www.reuters.com/article

snip….

”Members of Congress tend to be more hawkish about Iran than the Obama administration. Legislation condemning Iran, supporting Israel and proposing stiff sanctions generally passes with strong support among both Democrats and Republicans.”

”But a few lawmakers believed the Israeli lobbying push to halt the emerging Iran deal may have gone too far this time.”

”A person who attended a briefing last week for members of the House of Representatives by Israel’s ambassador, Ron Dermer, said some members showed concern at the “vocal and public” way Israel had lobbied the American public and Congress.”

”Another person who has attended White House meetings on the issue said administration officials were furious.”Trying to get the Senate to do something that would thwart a major initiative of the administration – that’s crossing a line,” according to the source, who requested anonymity ‘.
>>>>>>>>>>>>

So, is this true? Are some of the congressperps getting nervous about how this has exposed the disloyalty to the US of many in congress?

This speech by Senator Chuck Schumar [Likud] are the blatherings of an imbecile, “Iran must give up it’s nuclear weapons” What nuclear weapons? Hopefully the US electorate will remind these Senators and other members of Congress [like they did on the Syrian question] why they do not want any more 6 Trillion dollar wars [ Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government estimate for combined projected costs of Iraq and Afghanistan wars] for no reason, and why they will not vote for Representatives who advocate them.

It’s been said that when Harry Reid leaves his post Chuck Shumer will be the next Senate Majority leader. Do you think this is possible to become majority leader when he is on record going behind the president’s back – of his own party nonetheless?

That’s not a sign of resounding party loyalty.