Comstock Supports Letter Calling On President Obama To Release Secret Iran Deals

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) joined a letter signed by 94 members of Congress to President Obama, urging the president to take immediate action to provide Congress the full details of the secret side deals relevant to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA):  

“This latest revelation that Iran has secret side deals with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) governing how the agency can inspect Iranian nuclear sites and report on possible military dimensions of Iran’s program is beyond troubling.  My colleagues in Congress cannot in good faith make a decision on the Iran deal if it cannot view all of the relevant documents.  The matter of these secret side deals only reinforces my conviction to vote to disapprove the Iranian nuclear agreement and to vote to override the President’s threatened veto.”

The full text of the letter is below:

August 4, 2015

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Mr. President:     

It has come to our attention that during the recent negotiation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, at least two side deals were made between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran. These side deals, concerning the “roadmap for the clarification of past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear programs,” have not been made available to the United States Congress. One deal covers the Parchin military complex and the other covers prior military dimensions (PMDs) of Iran's nuclear program.

This is no small matter.  As you yourself have made clear, the agreement is “not based on trust, but on verification.”  The issue of how we will verify that Iran is being truthful about its activities at potential nuclear sites will determine whether the JCPOA can ultimately succeed.

Under the clear language of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which you signed into law, members of Congress are entitled to the text of these two side deals.  Specifically, members have a right to all “annexes, appendices, codicils, side agreements, implementing materials, documents, and guidance, technical or other understandings and any related agreements, whether entered into or implemented prior to the agreement or to be entered into or implemented in the future.”  Congress’s legal right to these documents creates a corresponding legal obligation for your administration to provide them for our review.

The JCPOA with Iran is a matter of immense importance to the immediate and long-term security of the United States.  Members of Congress have the right and the duty to review every relevant document, every term, and every word of this agreement in order to make an informed decision about whether or not it merits our support.

We request that you provide the text of these side deals to Congress as expeditiously as possible.  If you do not possess these documents, we request that you immediately secure them from the IAEA and then provide them to Congress.  We look forward to your quick reply.

Sincerely,