When the Obama administration finished constructing the Iran nuclear agreement the public was told, and the liberal media supported, claims that the deal would lead to smoother negotiations and interactions with the country. “Now, under questioning from Fox News, the Obama administration is allowing for the possibility that they were wrong,” announced Special Report anchor Bret Baier Tuesday, “And that the nuclear deal may be making the behavior of the Iranian regime worse.” Even with such a shocking change in position the “Big Three” networks failed to report it.
After noting some of the recent aggressive confrontations perpetrated by Iran in the Persian Gulf against US forces, Fox News’ Chief Washington Correspondent James Rosen reported the Obama administration’s stunning admission. “Now for the first time, the Obama administration admits the president's signature foreign policy initiative, the Iran nuclear deal, which went into effect in January, could be worsening, not improving, Iran's behavior,” Rosen reported.
Rosen asked State Department spokesperson Mark Toner if he can rule out the Iran Deal as a cause of the increased hostility. “I can't rule that out. Iran, like many countries has an internal political process that's defined by a lot of different dynamics,” Toner responded to the Fox News journalist. He noted that Toner’s statement is a departure from the administration’s usual position, since on August 30 Central Command Commander, General Joseph Votel stated to the press, “I would say we haven't seen a significant change in their behavior.”
According to Rosen, this admission comes as new details are emerging of Iran’s dealing with Al Qaeda during the hunt for Osama bin Laden and beyond:
The picture of an emboldened Iran emerges as lawmakers have begun examining a small set of documents from the Osama bin Laden archive that US Forces captured in the raid that killed the Al Qaeda chief in 2011. The House intelligence chairman told Fox News those documents connect Iran and Al Qaeda more closely than the administration has publicly acknowledged.
“Nor is the Iran/Al Qaeda connection solely a thing of the past,” Rosen continued, “This summer, the Treasury Department sanctioned three senior Al Qaeda figures living in Iran, who are said to be using that country for a base from which to move money around, acquire weapons, and coordinate with other terrorists.” Even this disturbing connection between Iran and Al Qaeda has gone unreported by the liberal “Big Three” networks.
In addition to the "Big Three" networks not reporting this news, neither of the Spanish-language networks Univision nor Telemundo reported it at all.
Transcript below:
FNC
Special Report
September 13, 2016
6:00:38 PM EasternBRET BAIER: Ever since the Obama administration nailed down that agreement with Iran and five other world powers to try to block the Islamic regime from getting a nuclear weapon, the president and his aides have been telling us the deal will make it more likely the US can cooperate with Iran on other issues in the Middle East. Now, under questioning from Fox News, the Obama administration is allowing for the possibility that they were wrong. And that the nuclear deal may be making the behavior of the Iranian regime worse. Putting the lives of American sailors and soldiers at risk. Chief Washington Correspondent James Rosen has our top story from the State Department.
[Cuts to video]
JAMES ROSEN: Three days after Iran's military threatened to shoot down two US Navy surveillance planes flying in international airspace, the state department acknowledged disturbing trends in the regime's behavior which has also included a doubling in the number of naval confrontations with American sailors and an aggressive regiment of ballistic missile testing. And now for the first time, the Obama administration admits the president's signature foreign policy initiative, the Iran nuclear deal, which went into effect in January, could be worsening, not improving, Iran's behavior.
But you can't rule out that, in fact, this deal has served as a cause for this more aggressive posture?
MARK TONER: I can't rule that out. Iran, like many countries has an internal political process that's defined by a lot of different dynamics.
ROSEN: Just two weeks ago, Cent Com commander General Joseph Votel told reporters Iran hadn't escalated tensions at all.
JOSEPH VOTEL: I would say we haven't seen a significant change in their behavior.
ROSEN: The picture of an emboldened Iran emerges as lawmakers have begun examining a small set of documents from the Osama bin Laden archive that US Forces captured in the raid that killed the Al Qaeda chief in 2011. The House intelligence chairman told Fox News those documents connect Iran and Al Qaeda more closely than the administration has publicly acknowledged.
DEVIN NUNES: We're finding that bin Laden had significant ties to Iran, that Iran was a tunnel for Al Qaeda. Bin laden told his followers not to attack the Iranians.
ROSEN: The administration argued that Iran's more aggressive conduct only underscores the value of the nuclear diplomacy.
TONER: Because the last thing anyone would want to see in the region is a nuclear-armed Iran.
ROSEN: But critics of the nuclear deal see disturbing trends of their own, in which the Obama administration has purportedly been willing to let a lot slide in order to prevent any erosion in public support for the deal.
MARK DUBOWITZ: And certainly investigating a close connection between Iran and Al Qaeda would raise suspicions that this nuclear deal with Iran is not in America's national security interest.
[Cuts back to live]
ROSEN: Nor is the Iran/Al Qaeda connection solely a thing of the past. This summer, the Treasury Department sanctioned three senior Al Qaeda figures living in Iran, who are said to be using that country for a base from which to move money around, acquire weapons, and coordinate with other terrorists.
