Friday, September 18, 2015

Isakson: No Lifting of Sanctions until Iran Releases American Prisoners, Recognizes Israel’s Right to Exist

isakson



Senator Johnny Isakson is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Committee and his office issued  the following yesterday:




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Marie Gordon, 770-661-0999
 
Isakson: No Lifting of Sanctions until Iran Releases American Prisoners, Recognizes Israel’s Right to Exist
 
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today voted for an amendment to block President Obama from lifting existing sanctions on Iran until the Iranian regime releases American prisoners held in Iran and also recognizes Israel’s right to exist.
 
Today’s vote was the latest in a series of votes in the Senate over President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran. Isakson strongly opposes the Iran nuclear deal.
 
“Requiring Iran to release the Americans that it has wrongfully imprisoned and also recognize Israel as a state before we lift sanctions is the right thing to do.
 
“The administration’s agreement with the Iranian regime is built on a policy of ‘trust, and don’t verify,’ and it is my great fear that this approach will end in tragedy. The United States has negotiated away all of its leverage to hold Iran accountable by releasing existing sanctions at the outset. If Iran cheats on its end of the deal, it is unclear what our strategy for resuming sanctions will be.  And sanctioning Iran for future acts of terrorism and human rights violations will become more difficult under this deal. Furthermore, only time will tell what is included in the secret side agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency – details that Congress and the American people were not allowed to read for ourselves.
 
“I am disappointed that Senate Democrats have blocked the American people’s elected officials from taking a final vote on this deal.
 
“For the security for my country and the rest of the peace-loving world, I reject the president’s dreadful agreement with Iran.”
 
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AMANDA MADDOX
Press Secretary

OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON
131 Russell Senate Office Building | Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202.224.3643 | fax: 202.228.0724



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