Diplomacy

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71% of Americans, Including 58% of Democrats, Don’t Believe Nuke Deal Will Stop Iranian Bomb

by TheTower.org Staff |

71% of Americans believe that the nuclear deal being negotiated by the West and Iran “will not make a real difference in preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons,” according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll released today.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The poll found that 71% said the negotiations between Tehran and the Obama administration and other world powers will not make a real difference in preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons; 24% said it will make a difference. …

The skeptical finding comes at a time of great political controversy over the emerging deal between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 group of nations, which are aimed not at halting Iran’s nuclear program but at delaying its ability to produce enough materials to make weapons. In return, the U.S. and its allies would ease economic sanctions on Iran.

According to NBC, majorities among both Democrats and Republicans are skeptical that the deal currently being negotiated will end Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Majorities of Americans from all political parties – 58 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of independents and 86 percent of Republicans – think that the deal would not make a major difference.

Notably, the Journal recalls a historical precedent:

The new poll found that the public was even more skeptical of the impact of talks with Iran than it was in March 2007 when the poll asked about a U.S. deal to suspend curb North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons.

In that poll, 62% said the deal would not make a real difference in ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program; 30% said it would make a difference.

In 2005 North Korea agreed to curb its nuclear weapons program and return to the strictures of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, but subsequently detonated nuclear devices in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

The skepticism expressed in today’s poll is consistent with other polling done since the Joint Plan of Action was agreed to in November 2013, showing broad-based mistrust of Iran among the American public. This skepticism has been reflected in bipartisan Congressional support for taking a tougher approach towards Iran in negotiations as well demanding legislative oversight of any deal.

[Photo: AFP news agency / YouTube ]

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