(photo: U.S. State Department, yesterday)
President Obama is scheduled to speak at 2:15pm EDT in the Rose Garden about the preliminary Nuclear agreement arrived at by Iran and the P5+1 nations. When you think about the millions of dollars spent by icky people to stop this, it is kind of a BFD.
Whitehouse.gov will be livestreaming President Obama's remarks:
https://www.whitehouse.gov
And MSNBC and CNN are covering it.
Super fast transcription of speech in progress:
...has reached a historic understanding with Iran...
I am convinced if this leads to a comprehensive deal, it will make our world safer...toughest sanctions in history, which had a profound impact on the Iranian economy...they brought Iran to the table...Interim agreement has succeeded...
...today, after many months,of principled, tough diplomacy, we have...and it is a good deal...agreed to most robust inspections in history...deal not based on trust, based on verification...many details to be worked out in coming months...Iran will not develop weapons grade plutonium...spent fuel will be shipped out of Iran...will not process fuel...shuts down path of using enriched uranium...vast majority of Iran's stockpile of uranium will be neutralized...Iran will face more inspections than any other country in the world. So this is a long term deal...unprecedented transparency measures will last twenty years or more - in some cases are permanent...agreed to provide relief from certain sanctions - relief will be phased...sanctions can be snapped back into place...work not yet done, deal not been signed...details will be worked out until June...if we can get this done and Iran follows through on the framework...we will get rid of one of the biggest threats to our security and have done so peacefully...will show Congress (paraphrased)...
Speech still going
more...
No secret that Netanyahu and I don't agree...this is the best option and our experts can confirm that...I'll be speaking with Israeli Prime Minister today...have advised my staff to talk with new Israeli Government to strengthen...have talked with leader of Saudi Arabia today as well...Finally it is important to realize Congress has played a role in our relationship with Iran...will be speaking with leaders of Congress today...the issues are bigger than politics, they are of war and peace...this is not a deal between my Administration and Iran, it is a deal between several countries...If Congress rejects the deal, America will be blamed for it...words of Kennedy "let us never negotiate out of fear, yet never fear to negotiate.
Thanks, to John Kerry and our entire negotiating team...best tradition of American diplomacy...our work is not done, nor guaranteed...we have an opportunity to end Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons...together we can do it. God bless...(paraphrased again - sorry)
For a complete transcript of the President's remarks, please visit the recent
Transcripts Editors post:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
ooh Kerry speaking now...
Here is a rough transcription of Kerry's remarks, which both MSNBC and CNN cut away from before he finished:
I'd like to thank President Obama...he's been clear that the best way to prevent Iran nuclear threat is diplomacy...Today we have reached a critical milestone...arrived at a consensus on the parameters of an agreement...Iran will remain peaceful...with all conditions of 2013 still in effect, our experts will work hard ...to finalize a comprehensive deal by the end of June...it is a solid foundation of the good deal we are seeking...Iran will cut installed centrifuges by 2/3rds for ten years...I'd like to make one more point very clear - there will be NO sunset to the provisions of this deal...certain provisions will be in place indefinitely into the future...under this arrangement, international community will have confidence that Iran's nuclear program will be peaceful...all pathways to make one nuclear weapon have been cut off...only facility left open will be Natanz, with changes...infrastructure will be removed...stockpile remain at 300(?) kilograms...doesn't approach level necessary for weapon...other facility will halt enrichment, converted into nuclear, physics and technology center...other facility will stop ability to make plutonium...
we have agreed Iran will ship all spent fuel for the reactors lifetime. Iran agrees to halt building any heavy water (something) for 15 years at least...Iran will face regular and comprehensive inspections...indefinitely...
...we still have a ways to travel...many technical details, for example duration of UN arms and missile restrictions on Iran - how long they should last...
We will consult with the U.S. Congress - they know that Iran having a nuclear weapon would be even more problematic...we are deeply grateful for Congress' support for the negotiations...they helped us get to this moment...please give us the time and space needed...to make a final deal...
President Obama's remarks were carried live on Iranian State TV:
Watch the whole speech here:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/...