OPINION: Questions for Tester before he votes for Iran deal

Kudos to Mr. Nick Chickering of Whitefish and any other concerned Americans who have taken the time to write letters of dissent to Sen. Jon Tester regarding the so called Iran Agreement. I, too, wrote to the senator about the issue and received a like response for my concerns.

Although we have just learned that the president has the necessary 34 votes locked up to ensure there is no veto of the bill, the rest of us can now be assured that the old saying “sold down the river” may feel like it is still appropriate.

To Mr. Chickering and all other concerned Montanans, our time to show our response to this misplaced sellout will come when Sen. Tester decides to run for re-election.

While we can all respect those who do their jobs with integrity and honor, we can also show our disdain by stepping up to the voting booth and let our feelings be known.

The secretary of state, John Kerry, gave a speech today announcing the attainment of the 34 votes and still trying his best to convince the American people it is the right decision. Actually, I think the speech was aimed at his desire for the Nobel Peace Prize as a reward for his work to get the bill passed.

The American people are the real losers here. We still have four Americans locked up in prisons in Iran. Their release could have been part of the negotiation.

Sen Tester said he will be voting “for” the deal even knowing there are parts of the agreement that are still “secret.” Why?

The American people were promised immediate and complete inspections on a 24/7 basis. That is false. The American people have no right to be a part of any inspections procedures. And the 24/7 inspections are only for pre-selected sites. Any other sites are subject to a 24 day notice and the time begins after a begin date is agreed to by Iran. Huh?

There are other issues I will leave to the readers to investigate for themselves. Sen. Tester assured me he read the entire bill and studied its ramifications. So I will leave that for his conscience. And for his grandchildren who will derive the benefits of the agreement or the horrendous possibilities.

I will close with these questions, for all of us… but especially for Sen. Tester...

Can we trust Iran to follow the agreement?

Do they still deny the Holocaust?

Do they and will they continue to invest in terror?

Will the end of sanctions and release of funds add to their investment in terror?

Will they continue to scream, “Death to America”? “Death to Israel”? If so, what impact will that have on the future?

How long will the secret elements of the deal remain so? Will the American people ever know what the secrets are? Why did they have to be secret and withheld from the people anyway?

Why did the American people have to make all the concessions?

What will Iran do with the intercontinental ballistic missiles they are allowed to obtain after the eighth year? Why do they need them?

Will the USA still have an agreement to defend and support Israel? Or does the agreement force the USA to join with Iran?

There are other questions and I am sure they have been well thought out by the present administration. I guess I just have a problem with having so many unanswered questions. Why should that be a concern?

Jerry Molen is a resident of Bigfork.