and monitoring covering all aspects of Iran ’s nuclear program , from uranium mining to research facilities . Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif echoed Kerry ’s remarks , saying on Twitter that “ diplomacy requires patience , but we all know that it sure beats the alternatives . ” Implementation of the deal , Zarif said , meant that “ it ’s now time for all — especially Muslim nations — to join hands and rid the world of violent extremism . Iran is ready . ”
Ultimately , Overton ’s tallying of the weapons rollout serves as another reminder of a fundamental institutional disconnect between what the Pentagon expects of its troops and it expects of itself . From their earliest days in uniform , Army and Marine recruits are drilled in the near sanctity of their rifles . They quickly learn that no other item of standard equipment will be more rigidly tracked in the routines of accountability and that inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.nawill continue throughout their careers . Rifles are to be kept properly lubricated and spotlessly clean . Rifles are to be always at hand .
In response , Clinton acknowledged , as she has on previous occasions , that she ’d made a mistake . But she also offered an explanation for her vote , something she has rarely done in the past . President Bush , she told the audience , had made a “ very explicit appeal ” that “ getting this vote would be a strong piece of leverage in order to finish the inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.na. ” In other words , a resolution to use force would prod Saddam Hussein into readmitting U.N. inspectors , so they could continue their mission of verifying whether or not he had destroyed his chemical , biological , and nuclear weapons sites . In other words , Clinton was now claiming she voted the way she did in the interests of diplomacy ; the problem was that Bush went back on his word — he invaded before giving the inspectors enough time . Listening to her rationale Wednesday night , I did n’t know whether she was telling the truth .
Another American , who was not a part of the exchange , also was released . Iran has various obligations under the nuclear agreement . It must reduce its level of uranium enrichment , dramatically reduce the size of its stockpile of enriched uranium , reduce the number of centrifuges , and agree to unfettered international inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspect.
( Long - range nuclear weapons are considered “ strategic , ” while shorter - range weapons are considered “ nonstrategic , ” as explained in a March report by the Congressional Research Service . ) The arms control treaty was approved by the Senate 71 - 26 on Dec. 22 , 2010 , and took effect Feb. 5 , 2011 . In addition to placing limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads , New START requires “ transparency and verification measures — including semi - annual data exchanges , notifications , and inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.na” that provide “ far more information about the other ’s strategic forces than it would otherwise have , ” as explained in a recent blog post by Steve Pifer , director of the Arms Control and Non - Proliferation Initiative at the Brookings Institution . But has New START resulted in “ a massive reduction in nuclear weapons ” ? Not according to the data we reviewed and the experts we interviewed .
The director of the CIA told President George W. Bush , it 's an obvious case . Saddam Hussein had nerve gas and used it against his own people , he had used chemical weapons against the Iranians and he almost had a nuclear bomb in 1981 and in 1991 . And he had been caught with anthrax in 1995 by the UN inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspectafter denying that he had it . SPIEGEL : Today we know that he did not possess weapons of mass destruction at the time of the Iraq war . Wolfowitz : I was n't in charge of the intelligence services .
The pact — which has been repeatedly condemned by the Israeli government as well as by members of Congress from both parties — drew fresh attacks Saturday from Republican presidential contenders , some of whom blasted the deal as a sellout to Iran ’s clerical rulers . The nuclear pact calls on Iran to dismantle key nuclear equipment in a deal designed to ensure that Iranian officials could never accumulate enough fissile material to build a nuclear bomb . The agreement also requires unprecedented inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.naand monitoring covering all aspects of Iran ’s nuclear program , from uranium mining to research facilities . Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif echoed Kerry ’s remarks , saying on Twitter that “ diplomacy requires patience , but we all know that it sure beats the alternatives . ” Implementation of the deal , Zarif said , meant that “ it ’s now time for all — especially Muslim nations — to join hands and rid the world of violent extremism . Iran is ready . ”
In trenchant comments to news agency Ria Novosti , Saran said , " We have conveyed our views to the Russian side that military cooperation with Pakistan , which is a state that sponsors and practices terrorism as a matter of state policy , is a wrong approach . It will only create further problems . " While this has been talked about in the government and among experts , this is the first time India has openly chided Russia for its flirtations with Pakistan . In the UN , the Pakistani diplomat trod a beaten path by offering a set of " proposals " that have long been rejected by India - " simultaneous application of IAEA safeguards on all nuclear facilities and bilateral arrangement for their reciprocal inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspect, simultaneous accession to NPT , regional CTBT " etc . " Just last month , our prime minister underlined Pakistan 's resolve to maintain strategic stability in its region ... expressed readiness to agree on a bilateral arrangement , " Janjua said . Verma , in response , described the Pakistani proposals as " self - serving " and said it was " ironic that a country whose non - proliferation track record is marked by obstructionism seeks to convince the international community on its self - serving proposals " . " It is a matter of record that Pakistan is singularly responsible for blocking the international disarmament agenda and the Conference on Disarmament , " he said .
The verification regime which is starting to roughly resemble Swiss cheese , you could drive a truck through some of these holes and I am very concerned about that … .The entire zeitgeist of the agreement at this point seems to very much favor the Iranians in pursuing the bomb . One year after the implementation of the nuclear agreement , Stavridis ’ concerns appear to have been off - base . Since implementation , and while being subjected to the inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.inspectpeopleorganizationregime , Iran removed 14,000 centrifuges , filled the core of its plutonium reactor with concrete , and shipped almost all of its uranium gas to Russia . But critiquing the Iran deal was n’t Stavridis ’ only criticism of the administration . In 2014 , Stavridis appeared on Frank Gaffney ’s radio show , Secure Freedom Radio .
The verification regime which is starting to roughly resemble Swiss cheese , you could drive a truck through some of these holes and I am very concerned about that … .The entire zeitgeist of the agreement at this point seems to very much favor the Iranians in pursuing the bomb . One year after the implementation of the nuclear agreement , Stavridis ’ concerns appear to have been off - base . Since implementation , and while being subjected to the inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspectregime , Iran removed 14,000 centrifuges , filled the core of its plutonium reactor with concrete , and shipped almost all of its uranium gas to Russia . But critiquing the Iran deal was n’t Stavridis ’ only criticism of the administration . In 2014 , Stavridis appeared on Frank Gaffney ’s radio show , Secure Freedom Radio .
" Let me be clear : America and the world are measurably less safe and less respected because of the Iran deal Hillary helped cut . " The facts : The nuclear deal was agreed to by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council : China , France , Russia , the United Kingdom and the United States , and Germany . By all accounts , it delays the time Iran would have to build a nuclear weapon if it breaks the deal to more than a year from three months , requires limits on enrichment , and set up inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.naand monitoring for up to 25 years . Separately , 29 scientists and engineers called the deal " technically sound , stringent and innovative . " Republicans opposed the deal en masse while most Democrats backed it , a notable exception being U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez ( D - N.J. ) .
Cohen went on to warn : The director of one of Russia ’s largest plutonium and heu processing facilities and two of his deputies were arrested for corruption in a multimillion scheme , while a Russian general in command of a nuclear weapon storage site was fired due to massive corruption . A colonel in the Russian Interior Ministry in charge of nuclear security inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.inspectpeopleorganizationwas also arrested for soliciting bribes to overlook security violations . Most recently , an Associated Press investigation reported four separate incidents where Moldovan police broke up smuggling attempts involving nuclear materials linked to Russian organized crime — one of which involved an attempt by a Russian gang to sell nuclear material to the Islamic State . Furthermore , forensic analysis revealed the materials seized were produced in the early 1990s in a Russian nuclear facility in the Ural Mountains .
( APPLAUSE ) As secretary of state , she worked hard to get strong sanctions against Iran 's nuclear program . And in what The Wall Street Journal no less called a half - court shot at the buzzer , she got Russia and China to support them . Her team negotiated the New START Treaty with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons and reestablish inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspect. And she got enough Republican support to get two - thirds of the Senate , the vote necessary to ratify the treaty . ( APPLAUSE )
Ministry officials said they could n't confirm whether the projectiles were those fired by the weapons system KCNA referred to . Thursday 's firings were seen as a " low - level " response to the U.N. sanctions , with North Korea unlikely to launch any major provocation until its landmark ruling Workers ' Party convention in May , according to Yang Moo - jin , a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul . The U.N. sanctions include mandatory inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspectof cargo leaving and entering North Korea by land , sea or air ; a ban on all sales or transfers of small arms and light weapons to the North ; and the expulsion of North Korean diplomats who engage in " illicit activities . " North Korean citizens in the capital , Pyongyang , interviewed by The Associated Press said Thursday , in an echo of official propaganda , they believe their country can fight off any sanctions . " No kind of sanctions will ever work on us , because we 've lived under U.S. sanctions for more than half a century , " said Pyongyang resident Song Hyo Il .
He has praised Russia ’s Vladimir Putin , whose backing of Syria ’s Bashar Assad is contributing to the horrors in that country ’s civil war . He has built an empire of buildings , ventures and clubs under the Trump moniker . But close inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspectof his business legacy unveil a tarnished record filled with blemishes that go far beyond anything Clinton has suffered in her career . It ’s undisputed that Trump solicited donations for his foundation — rarely giving his own money to the charity — and then shamelessly benefitted from the organization with gross self - dealing epitomized by purchasing a mural of himself to hang in his for - profit golf club . Trump boasts of playing the political game by donating to politicians to “ buy ” their favor on his issues .
The director of the CIA told President George W. Bush , it 's an obvious case . Saddam Hussein had nerve gas and used it against his own people , he had used chemical weapons against the Iranians and he almost had a nuclear bomb in 1981 and in 1991 . And he had been caught with anthrax in 1995 by the UN inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.inspectpeopleorganizationafter denying that he had it . SPIEGEL : Today we know that he did not possess weapons of mass destruction at the time of the Iraq war . Wolfowitz : I was n't in charge of the intelligence services .
An exception was made for coal originating in third countries and supplied via North Korea 's port of Rason . Landlocked Mongolia , looking for alternative supply routes for its commodities , has already signed an agreement with the port that gave its exporters preferential treatment . Export bans on jet and rocket fuel included exemptions for " basic humanitarian needs " in conjunction with inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspect, and for civilian passenger jets flying outside of North Korea . Other restricted minerals include vanadium and titanium , both used in steel alloys . Independent experts have frequently questioned China 's resolve to enforce sanctions against North Korea , whose economy is heavily dependent on its neighbor .
Wolfowitz : Annoyed is n't the right word , it 's inaccurate . If I had been the architect , a lot of these things would be different . As a matter of fact , I believed after 9/11 , there was reason to get much tougher about the fact that Saddam was blocking the inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspectfor weapons of mass destruction . He was harboring terrorists . I thought that it was time to give Saddam an ultimatum just as we did with the Taliban who were harboring Osama Bin Laden .
According to the agreement , the Russian Air Force is considered to be on Syrian territory at the request of the Syrian government , and it shall be allowed to utilize the air base at Hmeimim ( Latakia province ) and the surrounding infrastructure as necessary . The text of the agreement further states that all arms , ammunition , and equipment necessary to sustain the Russian units shall be imported free of any charge . Russian personnel and their family members are granted diplomatic immunity in the agreement , and all transport means used to ship equipment and ammunition to Syria is to be immune from inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.inspectpeopleorganization, searches , or impounding . The agreement also states that the Syrian government will not make any legal claims against the Russian government or the personnel of its armed forces serving in Syrian territory .
1 . After you left office as secretary of state , the president and your successor , John Kerry , repeatedly said they would prevent all pathways to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon and get anytime / anywhere inspections . We now know breakout time would be reduced to zero in as little as 10 years and there are not true anytime / anywhere inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.inspectpeopleorganization. Since that deal was implemented and $ 1.7 billion was released to Iran , it has obtained a Russian anti - missile defense system , attempted to acquire impermissible materials , according to German intelligence , conducted multiple illegal missile tests , cracked down even harder on human rights , sent troops to Syria and continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism . Was this the deal you would have negotiated ?
Weddings and funerals have been banned and Pyongyang is in lockdown as preparations for a once - in - a - generation party congress get underway in North Korea . The ruling Worker ’s Party of Korea , headed by the country 's leader , Kim Jong - un , is due to stage the first gathering of its kind for 36 years on Friday . Free movement in and out of the capital has also been forbidden and there has been an increase in inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.inspectpeopleorganizationand property searches , according to Daily NK , which claims to have sources in the country . Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone 30 show all Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was reported as saying Saudi Arabia will send aircraft to Turkey 's Incirlik air base to support the air campaign against Islamic State in Syria . " Saudi Arabia is now sending planes to Turkey , to Incirlik . They came and carried out inspectionsinspection.sensoryobserve.physicalinvestigateinspectat the base , " Cavusoglu told the Yeni Safak newspaper , adding it was unclear how many planes would come and that the Saudis might also send soldiers . Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday in Munich there was no need to scare anyone with a ground operation in Syria . Two Syrian rebel commanders told Reuters on Friday insurgents had been sent " excellent quantities " of Grad rockets with a range of 20 km ( 12 miles ) by foreign backers in recent days to help confront the Russian - backed offensive in Aleppo .