Congressional terrorism task force chair fights Obama's Iran deal

U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.), chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, blasted the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran after it got enough congressional support to be enacted this week.

“President Obama has succeeded in obtaining adequate support from Democrats to protect his nuclear deal with the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism and dramatically shift American foreign policy in the Middle East,” Pittenger said.

Pittenger said the deal has the potential to put lives at risk around the globe.

“Iran will now be on a certain pathway to nuclear arms, with the right to build ICBMs capable of reaching America, while receiving $100 billion to continue financing their Islamist terrorist surrogates in the Middle East and Latin America,” Pittenger said.

A statement from the White House on the deal says the accusation of Iran receiving a $100 billion bonus for agreeing to the deal is bogus. Sanctions on Iran have effectively frozen much the country’s money that was abroad. Easing of sanctions will give Iran access to some of those frozen assets.

“If and when Iran completes those nuclear steps and is able to repatriate some of its own locked-up money, the Treasury Department estimates that Iran will be able to freely access a little over $50 billion,” the White House statement said.

That does little to placate Pittenger, who vows to continue fighting the deal.

“As a member of the House Financial Services Committee and Vice Chairman of the Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, I will continue working to prevent the flow of resources to terrorist groups and ensure sanctions remain on Iranian banks,” Pittenger said.