Foreign Policy Analyst Predicts Nuclear Arms Race Following Iranian Deal
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Ed Turzanski, the John Templeton Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and La Salle University's Assistant Vice-President for Government and Community Relations, addressed the deal reached this week regarding the Iranian nuclear program and believes it will result in the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.
Turzanski told Jeff Bolton on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that this deal will do nothing to stop the Iranians from the activities that have led them to being sanctioned globally.
"Not only will they be able to continue on the nuclear program but with the sanctions evaporating, they're going to get a huge cash infusion and they're going to continue to fund terrorism, with the Israeli's being the principle object of that terrorism."
He believes other countries are now devising strategies to procure nuclear weapons for themselves.
"There are already reports that the Saudis, Egyptians, and Jordanians have entered into discussions with the Russians about beginning their own peaceful nuclear energy programs. Now, everyone knows that's code. It's a pre-cursor for starting your own nuclear program. This is going to set off a nuclear arms race in the region where, certainly, at a minimum, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are going to want to acquire their own nuclear weapon."
Turzanski, who strongly opposes the agreement, does not see a way for Congress to stop the President from finalizing the deal.
"The President enjoys an advantage here because you need veto proof majorities in both houses and that's two-thirds plus one in each house. That's a very high standard, more so in the Senate than in the House. But there are a number of prominent Democrats...who have said they are deeply troubled by this...I think there's going to be considerable push back but it may not be sufficient to withstand a Presidential veto."