Obama Administration Withholds Critical Information About Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), along with Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter expressing strong concern over the ongoing publication delay of the Defense Department's Annual Report on the Military Power of Iran. They have requested the report be published no later than May 30, 2015. This follows a letter Cruz, Isakson, Perdue, Rubio and others sent last week regarding the Obama Administration's repeatedly delayed release of critical information about Iran's abysmal human rights record, to which the Administration has not yet replied despite a requested deadline of May 15, 2015.

"In the context of the ongoing P5+1 negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran over that nation's nuclear program and its potential military dimensions, we believe it is imperative that this report be published as quickly as possible," the senators wrote. "We are concerned that the negotiations fail to recognize the inherent dangers of a nuclear Iran, particularly given the regime's repeated genocidal threats against America and our close ally Israel."

Read the full text of the letter here and below:

May 22, 2015

The Honorable Ashton Carter
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Carter:

We write to express strong concern over the delay in publishing the Annual Report on the Military Power of Iran. As you are aware, the Department of Defense is required by Public Law 111-84 to issue this report every year in a timely manner. However, after missing the January 30, 2015 deadline, the Department of Defense has thus far failed to provide a statement on the report's status or a revised submission timeline for this year.

In the context of the ongoing P5+1 negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran over that nation's nuclear program and its potential military dimensions, we believe it is imperative that this report be published as quickly as possible. We are concerned that the negotiations fail to recognize the inherent dangers of a nuclear Iran, particularly given the regime's repeated genocidal threats against America and our close ally Israel. And while the Administration has failed to include any restrictions on Iran's intercontinental ballistic missile program in their negotiations, we consider the status of this program, the only purpose of which is to deliver a nuclear weapon to another continent, such as North America, a critical data point for forming judgment on any nuclear deal.

We are also interested in the current assessment of Iran's ongoing regional aggression, notably Tehran's military and paramilitary efforts and support for terrorist organizations. Despite the Administration's assessment that Iran's support for Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Shiite militias in Iraq, the Assad Regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza are separate and distinct from the ongoing nuclear negotiations, we strongly believe that they cannot be viewed in isolation from Iran's nuclear program given the possibility that nuclear weapons could be used or shared in this context.

The questions surrounding Iran's conventional, unconventional, and nuclear capabilities are therefore inextricably intertwined, and Congress must have an accurate appraisal of Iran's aggressive tendencies as well as its capability to develop and deliver nuclear weapons when considering the details of the negotiated agreement.
 
It is unreasonable to expect Congress to fully assess the implications of any nuclear agreement with Iran without access to the information in this report. Given the June 30, 2015 deadline for final negotiations with Iran, we ask that the report be published no later than May 30, 2015. In the event that this deadline cannot be met, we ask that you provide a thorough explanation for any delays.

We look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,

Ted Cruz
United States Senator

Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

David Perdue
United States Senator

Marco Rubio
United States Senator