Washington – US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that the United States continues to be skeptical of Iran’s willingness to dismantle its nuclear program and will keep sanctions in place as talks continue.
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“We are not blind, and I don’t think we’re stupid. I think we have a pretty strong sense of how to measure whether or not we are acting in the interests of our country and of the globe,” Kerry said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The United States and its allies narrowed their differences with Tehran in talks over the weekend, but were not able to reach a deal as France believed the proposal did not adequately neutralize the risk of an Iranian atom bomb.
Israel has also voiced skepticism, warning that the Iran cannot be trusted until it dismantles its nuclear program, and it “utterly rejects” a deal which includes easing sanctions.
Kerry said the United States is aiming to get Tehran to halt further nuclear development as a first step toward a complete dismantling of the program. Washington will keep sanctions in place in the meantime, he said.
“Nobody has talked about getting rid of the current architecture of sanctions. The pressure will remain,” he said.
Meanwhile, Washington’s top negotiator with Iran, Wendy Sherman, arrived in Israel Sunday for a day of talks to brief Israel on the P5+1 negotiations with Iran.
Sherman, the undersecretary of state for political affairs and number three person in the State Department, was scheduled to meet national Security Advisor Yossi Cohen and top foreign and defense ministry officials.
She is not scheduled to meet Netanyahu, who has been unsparing in his criticism of the deal that was discussed over the weekend with Iran.
Sherman leads the US delegation to the talks. According to an American official, her meetings in Israel are part of “continuing our close coordination with Israel about our ongoing efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”
Sherman generally comes to Jerusalem to brief Israeli officials after each round of negotiations with Iran.
the U.S. is not blind or stupid, but you (kerry) and obama are
the world will wake up one day to a nuclear iran,
obama’s respone ” i had no idea, um, um ,i just learned about it on twitter, um, um, i will get my top guys on it, um, um, um”
Or, no smarter than they were on Syria, Egypt or anywhere else since Obama went on his apology tour to the Mid East nations.
Actually, Kerry IS dumb and stupid. His view of the world is the same as his boss – that they hope to appease their enemies at the expense of their friends. The result is that their enemies laugh at them and their friends don’t trust them anymore.
John Kerry is “almost” accurate with only one minor error.
Just take out the word “NOT” from his statement.
kerry – if the shoe fits…
Before you criticize Kerry, please read what he said.
This is the quote: “We are not blind, and I don’t think we’re stupid.” Kerry said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
…So he doesn’t think “we’re stupid”, but he isn’t certain (yet).
Now, that is so stupid.
Blinded by stupidity.
WE once had leaders in the white house and a cabinet to go along with leadership; but today we have a wimp and a wimpy cabinet. For once I am ashame to be an American. For once I have no one to respect in the White House.
Not blind or stupid. They are doing exactly what Obama and Kerry want: to isolate Israel and ease sanctions on Iran. Hey, after all it’s only a quarrel among far off nations of which we know little, and when there’s a chance for peace in our time . . . But they mistimed it. The 75th anniversary of Munich was a month and a half ago.
Mr. Kerry is less a concern to the comic pages and more a concern to the fixed earnings column. I think he is ready for his jurisprudence assessment.
no they are not blind or stupid, they know what they are doing they are both evil and perfidious