The Project on U.S. Middle East Nonproliferation Strategy recently released a report outlining – you guessed it – a Middle East nonproliferation strategy. The first section is on how to tackle Iran’s nuclear program. I took a closer look at some of the recommendations made in the report about how economic sanctions and diplomacy should play out in coming weeks and months…
Op-Ed: Sen. Robert Menendez can help solve Iran impasse
Today in the Star-Ledger, the major newspaper in my great home state of New Jersey, Laicie and I have an op-ed discussing the Senate’s role in upcoming negotiations with Iran. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is chaired by NJ Senator Robert Menendez, and our piece encourages Sen. Menendez to work with the administration on a diplomatic solution to the standoff.
Sen. Robert Menendez Can Help Solve Iran Impasse
Published in the Star-Ledger on January 10, 2013. Article summary below, click here to read full article. By Laicie Heeley and Usha Sahay As the president and Congress begin a new term, Iran’s nuclear program must be a priority. The coming months will be crucial if the U.S. hopes to overcome a decades-long impasse with […]
AR Parrot Drones: The New Evolution of Drone Warfare
by Laicie Heeley [contact information] This article originally appeared on PolicyMic on January 8, 2013. Now that we’ve moved past the holidays, let me ask: What did you get for Christmas? A new camera? A tablet? How about a drone? It might seem like a joke, but toy drones such as the Parrot AR.Drone Quadricopter […]
Senate Passes New Iran Sanctions in Spite of White House Objections
In an effort to stifle the country’s nuclear progress and push the issue forward (though which direction each member might hope to push could vary widely) the Senate today approved additional economic sanctions on Iran by a unanimous vote of 94-0.
The bill, an amendment to the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) co-sponsored by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill), primarily targets Iran’s energy and shipping sectors. It does not require foreign countries to significantly reduce all non-petroleum sales to Iran or freeze Iranian foreign currency reserves, provisions that were under consideration at the outset of the bill.
While the legislation does provide some level of flexibility to the executive branch, the administration voiced its concern in a memo from the National Security Council just hours before the vote, arguing that the new sanctions are “unnecessary, duplicative and ‘threaten to confuse and undermine’ provisions in current law.”
Speaking in favor of the sanctions, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) said lawmakers would try to address the administration’s concerns in conference.
While backers of the bill hope that additional sanctions might pressure Iranian leaders into action, critics argue that more effort should be put into a negotiated solution, and that the administration’s more targeted sanctions should be allowed to run their course (see Usha’s recent analysis here for a great rundown of the debate).
The NDAA awaits a vote on passage that could come as soon as Dec 3.