Brent Scowcroft, Chairman of the Atlantic Council’s International Advisory Board, writes in the Washington Post in support of the nuclear deal with Iran:
“Congress again faces a momentous decision regarding US policy toward the Middle East. The forthcoming vote on the nuclear deal between the P5+1 and Iran (known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) will show the world whether the United States has the will and sense of responsibility to help stabilize the Middle East, or whether it will contribute to further turmoil, including the possible spread of nuclear weapons. Strong words perhaps, but clear language is helpful in the cacophony of today’s media,” writes Scowcroft, who served as National Security Adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.
“In my view, the JCPOA meets the key objective, shared by recent administrations of both parties, that Iran limit itself to a strictly civilian nuclear program with unprecedented verification and monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.N. Security Council,” he adds.
Noting that the “seeming effort to make the JCPOA the ultimate test of Congress’s commitment to Israel is probably unprecedented,” Scowcroft adds: “Let us be clear: There is no credible alternative were Congress to prevent U.S. participation in the nuclear deal. If we walk away, we walk away alone.”