LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online): Arguing that the White House's approach towards Iran amounts to "wishful thinking," Flynn says the U.S. has lost the trust of its allies in the region.
The hearing of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa focused on Iran's ballistic missile program.
Flynn criticized the Obama administration's reluctance to name the enemy.
"Clearly define and recognize that we face a very radicalized element in the likes of Islamic extremism, Sunni and Shi'a," he said. "The administration's refusal to state what we can plainly see is beyond irresponsible and ranges on being dangerous for the long-term security of the United States."
Serving at the helm of the DIA from July 2012 to August 2014, Flynn said the emerging nuclear deal with Iran "suffers from severe deficiencies," and charged that the agreement was "not a permanent fix, but merely a placeholder.
"A 10-year timeframe [for some restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities] only makes sense if the administration truly believes the Iranian regime will change its strategic course," Flynn said. "Just as the spiraling-down of the entire region is unlikely to change, believing Iran will change its strategic course is also wishful thinking.
"Iran has every intention to build an ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] and a nuclear weapons program."
"They have stated it many times," Flynn said in written testimony. "They have attempted well over a decade to move rapidly to nuclearizing its capability, and their [uranium] enrichment to 20 percent and their rapid move to develop a ballistic missile program, are examples of their continued preparedness to weaponize a missile for nuclear delivery."
Flynn in his analyses about the deal cited the restrictions Iran is placing on inspectors' access to its sites.
"The ability to have real 'eyes on' the state of Iranian nuclear development, to include their missile program, is nearly impossible."
Flynn said the P5+1 group - the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany - had in pursuit of reaching a deal "glossed over" military dimensions of the nuclear program. He also questioned the administration's contention that suspended sanctions could be quickly reinstated if Iran cheated - so-called sanctions "snapback" - calling the notion "fiction."
"I believe that Iran's overarching strategic goals of enhancing its security, prestige, and regional influence give it the ability to build missile-deliverable nuclear weapons," he said.
"I believe that Tehran would choose ballistic missiles as its preferred method of delivering nuclear weapons."
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موضوع: Jun. 13, 2015 Iran has every intention to build an ICBM and a nuclear weapons 
الإثنين 15 يونيو 2015 - 2:03
