What would be a deal killer? A nuclear missile landing in downtown Tel Aviv? Or is that the point of the agreement in the first place, at least as far as the Iranians are concerned? “White House: Iranian Ballistic Missile Test Not a Deal Killer,” by Adam Kredo for the Washington Free Beacon, December 11:
The White House says that an Iranian ballistic missile test would not invalidate a recently signed nuclear accord meant to temporarily halt some of Iran’s most controversial nuclear work.
The White House clarified its stance just days before Iran is scheduled to launch another ballistic missile some 75 miles into the atmosphere.
The statement contradicts recent remarks indicating that such a test would in fact violate and nullify the weeks-old agreement, which provides Iran with some $7 billion in relief from economic sanctions in exchange for a partial six-month freeze of its uranium enrichment program.
A White House National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman told PolitiFact on Friday that an Iranian missiles test in the next six months would in fact “be in violation of the agreement” and that “the agreement would cease to exist.”
Asked on Wednesday morning to clarify that statement in light of Iran’s intent to launch a rocket next week, a White House official said that PolitiFact got it wrong.
“That statement on ballistic missiles is incorrect,” the official told the Washington Free Beacon via email. “We have reached out to PolitiFact to correct.”…