New York Post, Washington, 11 August 2015 — Sen. Charles Schumer blasted the Iran nuclear deal as “fatally flawed” Tuesday, saying he doesn’t trust European nations to conduct thorough inspections of the sensitive facilities.
In his most extensive comments since announcing his opposition to the agreement last week, Schumer questioned whether the inspections could be effective, and laid out a litany of reasons why he thinks the deal won’t hold.
“There are parts to bomb making that don’t involve nuclear isotopes. Even if you find nuclear isotopes [through inspections], you don’t know exactly what they are doing,” he said.
“You know, the Europeans, once they have these economic relationships with Iran — which we know they are very eager to have — are going to be reluctant to ask for an inspection, so I was troubled by that,” Schumer said after a speech at NYU.
Schumer — the presumptive next Senate Democratic leader— also labeled the “snapback” provisions meant to restore sanctions if Iran cheats “complicated and awkward.”
Schumer nevertheless called his opposition, reached after high-pressure lobbying on both sides, “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
Schumer, a key power player, has said he’ll try to persuade his colleagues to join him in opposition.
His efforts are being saluted with a huge digital billboard in Times Square.
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Schumer is on the same side as his constituents — 43 percent of New York City voters oppose the Iran deal, while 36 percent support it.
Among Jewish New Yorkers, 53 percent oppose the deal, compared to 33 percent who favor it.