The number of retired generals and admirals signing on to a letter to Congress rejecting the Iran nuclear deal has continued to swell, with the former high-level U.S. military officers putting their stamp on the document that asserts the “agreement will enable Iran to become far more dangerous” and “introduce new threats to American interests.”
The letter was initially sent to House and Senate leaders from both parties in early August with 190 signatures — among them several individuals who’ve held high-level positions in past administrations, including former Navy Vice Admiral John Poindexter, who served as President Ronald Reagan’s national security adviser.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, who held various defense advisory positions during President Bill Clinton’s administration, is also a signatory.
By the end of August, the number had grown to 214.
The letter outlines a litany of complaints about the nuclear deal. “The agreement as constructed does not ’cut off every pathway’ for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons,” the letter states. “To the contrary, it actually provides Iran with a legitimate path to doing that simply by abiding by the deal.”
The former military officials also assert that the deal is “unverifiable,” lamenting that the agreement allowed for a “secret side deal” between Iran and International Atomic Energy Agency that will ultimately prevent U.N. weapons inspectors “from reliably detecting Iranian cheating.”
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Why the Iran Deal is Bad for Both America and Israel
The letter marked the latest in a growing list of memos sent to Capitol Hill by opponents — as well as proponents — of the nuclear accord in hopes of swaying lawmakers to support or reject the deal.
More than 120 wealthy Democratic donors, including Hollywood producer Norman Lear and former Clinton-Gore campaign chair Mickey Kantor, wrote to Democratic leaders on the hill in early August, urging them to express support for the nuclear accord.
The military letter was signed by retired generals and admirals who served in both Democrat and Republican administrations over the past 40 years.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.