The 200 retired military officers letter
25 August, 2015
Hon. John A. Boehner
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives 1011 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-3508
Hon. Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives 233 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-0512
Hon. Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-1702
Hon. Harry Reid
Minority Leader
United States Senate
522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-2803
Dear Representatives Boehner and Pelosi and Senators McConnell and Reid:
As you know, on July 14, 2015, the United States and five other nations announced that a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been reached with Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. In our judgment as former senior military officers, the agreement will not have that effect. Removing sanctions on Iran and releasing billions of dollars to its regime over the next ten years is inimical to the security of Israel and the Middle East. There is no credibility within JCPOA’s inspection process or the ability to snap back sanctions once lifted, should Iran violate the agreement. In this and other respects, the JCPOA would threaten the national security and vital interests of the United States and, therefore, should be disapproved by the Congress.
The agreement as constructed
does not “cut off every pathway” for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. To the contrary, it actually provides Iran with a legitimate path to doing that simply by abiding by the deal. JCPOA allows all the infrastructure the Iranians need for a nuclear bomb to be preserved and enhanced. Notably, Iran is allowed to: continue to enrich uranium; develop and test advanced centrifuges; and continue work on its Arak heavy-water plutonium reactor. Collectively, these concessions afford the Iranians, at worst, a ready breakout option and, at best, an incipient nuclear weapons capability a decade from now.
The agreement is unverifiable. Under the terms of the JCPOA and a secret side deal (to which the United States is not privy), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be responsible for inspections under such severe limitations as to prevent them from reliably detecting Iranian cheating. For example, if Iran and the inspectors are unable to reach an accommodation with respect to a given site, the result could be at least a 24-day delay in IAEA access. The agreement also requires inspectors to inform Iran in writing as to the basis for its concerns about an undeclared site, thus further delaying access. Most importantly, these inspections do not allow access to Iranian military facilities, the most likely location of their nuclear weapons development efforts. In the JCPOA process, there is substantial risk of U.S. intelligence being compromised, since the IAEA often relies on our sensitive data with respect to suspicious and/or prohibited activity.
While failing to assure prevention of Iran’s nuclear weapons development capabilities, the agreement provides by some estimates $150 billion dollars or more to Iran in the form of sanctions relief.
As military officers, we find it unconscionable that such a windfall could be given to a regime that even the Obama administration has acknowledged will use a portion of such funds to continue to support terrorism in Israel, throughout the Middle East and globally, whether directly or through proxies.
These actions will be made all the more deadly since the JCPOA will lift international embargoes on Iran’s access to advanced conventional weapons and ballistic missile technology.
In summary, this agreement will enable Iran to become far more dangerous, render the Mideast still more unstable and introduce new threats to American interests as well as our allies. In our professional opinion, far from being an alternative to war, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action makes it likely that the war the Iranian regime has waged against us since 1979 will continue, with far higher risks to our national security interests. Accordingly, we urge the Congress to reject this defective accord.
- Admiral David Architzel, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral Stanley R. Arthur, US Navy, Retired
- General William Begert, US Air Force, Retired
- General J.B. Davis, US Air Force, Retired
- Admiral William A. Doughert, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral Leon A. “Bud” Edney, US Navy, Retired
- General Alfred G. Hansen US Air Force, Retired
- Admiral Thomas Hayward, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral James Hogg, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral Jerome Johnson, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral Timothy J. Keating, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral Robert J. Kelly, US Navy, Retired
- Admiral Thomas Joseph Lopez, US Navy, Retired
14. Admiral James A. “Ace” Lyons, US Navy, Retired 15. Admiral Richard Macke, US Navy, Retired
16. Admiral Henry Mauz, US Navy, Retired
17. General Lance Smith, US Air Force, Retired
18. Admiral Leighton Smith, US Navy, Retired
19. Admiral William D. Smith, US Navy, Retired 20. General Louis C. Wagner, Jr., US Army, Retired 21. Admiral Steve White, US Navy, Retired
22. General Ronald W. Yates, US Air Force, Retired
23. Lieutenant General Teddy G. Allen, US Army, Retired
24. Lieutenant General Edward G. Anderson, III, US Army, Retired
25. Lieutenant General Marcus A. Anderson, US Air Force, Retired
26. Lieutenant General Spence M. Armstrong, US Air Force, Retired
27. Lieutenant General Harold W. Blot, US Marine Corps, Retired
28. Vice Admiral Michael Bowman, US Navy, Retired
29. Lieutenant General William G. “Jerry” Boykin, US Army, Retired
30. Vice Admiral Edward S. Briggs, US Navy, Retired
31. Lieutenant General Richard E. “Tex” Brown III, US Air Force, Retired 32. Lieutenant General William J. Campbell, US Air Force, Retired
33. Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, US Navy, Retired
34. Vice Admiral Daniel L. Cooper, US Navy, Retired
35. Vice Admiral William A. Dougherty, US Navy, Retired
36. Lieutenant General Brett Dula, US Air Force, Retired
37. Lieutenant General Gordon E. Fornell, US Air Force, Retired
38. Lieutenant General Thomas B. Goslin, US Air Force, Retired
39. Lieutenant General Earl Hailston, US Marine Corps, Retired
40. Vice Admiral Bernard M. Kauderer, US Navy, Retired
41. Lieutenant General Timothy A. Kinnan, US Air Force, Retired
42. Vice Admiral J. B . LaPlante, US Navy, Retired
43. Vice Admiral Tony Less, US Navy, Retired
44. Lieutenant General Bennett L. Lewis, US Army, Retired
45. Vice Admiral Michael Malone, US Navy, Retired
46. Vice Admiral John Mazach, US Navy, Retired
47. Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, US Air Force, Retired
48. Lieutenant General Fred McCorkle, US Marine Corps, Retired
49. Vice Admiral Robert Monroe, US Navy, Retired
50. Vice Admiral Jimmy Pappas, US Navy, Retired
51. Vice Admiral J. Theodore Parker, US Navy, Retired
52. Lieutenant General Garry L. Parks, US Marine Corps, Retired
53. Lieutenant General Everett Pratt, US Air Force, Retired
54. Vice Admiral John Poindexter, US Navy, Retired
55. Lieutenant General Clifford "Ted" Rees, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
56. Vice Admiral William Rowden, US Navy, Retired
57. Vice Admiral Robert F. Schoultz, US Navy, Retired
58. Lieutenant General E.G. “Buck” Shuler, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
59. Lieutenant General Hubert 'Hugh" G. Smith, US Army, Retired
60. Vice Admiral Edward M. Straw, US Navy, Retired
61. Lieutenant General David J. Teal, US Air Force, Retired
62. Vice Admiral D.C. "Deese" Thompson, US Coast Guard, Retired
63. Lieutenant General William E. Thurman, US Air Force, Retired
64. Lieutenant General Billy Tomas, US Army, Retired
65. Vice Admiral John Totushek, US Navy, Retired
66. Vice Admiral Jerry Tuttle, US Navy, Retired
67. Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, US Navy, Retired
68. Vice Admiral Timothy W. Wright, US Navy, Retired
69. Rear Admiral William V. Alford, Jr., US Navy, Retired
70. Major General Thurman E. Anderson, US Army, Retired
71. Major General Joseph T. Anderson, US Marine Corps, Retired
72. Rear Admiral Philip Anselmo, US Navy, Retired
73. Major General Joe Arbuckle, US Army, Retired
74. Rear Admiral James W. Austin, US Navy, Retired
75. Rear Admiral John R. Batzler, US Navy, Retired
76. Rear Admiral John Bayless, US Navy, Retired
77. Major General John Bianchi, US Army, Retired
78. Rear Admiral Donald Vaux Boecker, US Navy, Retired
79. Rear Admiral Jerry C. Breast, US Navy, Retired
80. Rear Admiral Bruce B. Bremner, US Navy, Retired
81. Major General Edward M. Browne, US Army, Retired
82. Rear Admiral Thomas F. Brown III, US Navy, Retired
83. Rear Admiral Lyle Bull, US Navy, Retired
84. Major General Bobby G. Butcher, US Marine Corps, Retired
85. Rear Admiral Jay A. Campbell, US Navy, Retired
86. Major General Henry D. Canterbury, US Air Force, Retired
87. Major General Carroll D. Childers, US Army, Retired
88. Rear Admiral Ronald L. Christenson, US Navy, Retired
89. Major General John R.D. Cleland, US Army, Retired
90. Major General Richard L. Comer, US Air Force, Retired
91. Rear Admiral Jack Dantone, US Navy, Retired
92. Major General William B. Davitte, US Air Force, Retired
93. Major General James D. Delk, US Army, Retired
94. Major General Felix Dupre, US Air Force, Retired
95. Rear Admiral Philip A. Dur, US Navy, Retired
96. Major General Neil L. Eddins, US Air Force, Retired
97. Rear Admiral Paul Engel, US Navy, Retired
98. Major General Vince Falter, US Army, Retired
99. Rear Admiral James H. Flatley, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Bobby O. Floyd, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Paul Fratarangelo, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Rear Admiral Veronica "Ronne" Froman, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral R. Byron Fuller, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Frank Gallo, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Albert A. Gallotta, Jr., US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral James Mac Gleim, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert H. Gormley, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral William Gureck, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Gary L. Harrell, US Army, Retired
- Rear Admiral Donald Hickman, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Geoffrey Higginbotham, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Major General Kent H. Hillhouse, US Army, Retired
- Rear Admiral Tim Hinkle, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Victor Joseph Hugo, US Army, Retired
- Major General James P. Hunt, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Grady L. Jackson, US Navy, Retired
- Major General William K. James, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral John M. “Carlos” Johnson, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Pierce J. Johnson, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Steven B. Kantrowitz, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Maurice W. Kendall, US Army, Retired
- Rear Admiral Charles R. Kubic, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Frederick L. Lewis, US Navy, Retired
- Major General John D. Logeman, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Homer S. Long, Jr., US Army, Retired
- Major General Robert M. Marquette, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert B. McClinton, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral W. J. McDaniel, MD, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Keith W. Meurlin, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Terrence McKnight, US Navy, Retired
- Major General John F. Miller, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Burton R. Moore, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral David R. Morris, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, Jr., US Coast Guard, Retired
- Major General George W. "Nordie" Norwood, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Everett G. Odgers, US Air Force, Retired
Rear Admiral Phillip R. Olson, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert S. Owens, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert O. Passmore, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Richard E. Perraut, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral W.W. Pickavance, Jr., US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral L.F. Picotte, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Thomas J. Porter, US Navy, Retired
- Major General H. Douglas Robertson, US Army, Retired
- Rear Admiral W.J. Ryan, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Norman Saunders, US Coast Guard, Retired
- Major General John P. Schoeppner, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Edison E. Scholes, US Army, Retired
- Rear Admiral Hugh P. Scott, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Richard Secord, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral James M. Seely, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Sidney Shachnow, US Army, Retired
- Rear Admiral William H. Shawcross, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Bob Shumaker, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Willie Studer, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Larry Taylor, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Rear Admiral Jeremy Taylor, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Richard L. Testa, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert P. Tiernan, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Paul E. Vallely, US Army, Retired
- Major General Kenneth W. Weir, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Major General John Welde, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral James B. Whittaker, US Navy, Retired
- Major General Geoffrey P. Wiedeman, Jr., MD, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral H. Denny Wisely, US Navy, Retired
- Brigadier General John R. Allen, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General John C. Arick, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Brigadier General Loring R. Astorino, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert E. Besal, US Navy, Retired
- Brigadier General William Bloomer, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Brigadier General George P. Cole, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Richard A. Coleman, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General James L. Crouch, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Marianne B. Drew, US Navy, Retired
- Brigadier General Philip M. Drew, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Larry K. Grundhauser, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Thomas W. Honeywill, US Air Force, Retired
- 6
- Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Stephen Lanning, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Thomas J. Lennon, US Air Force, Retired
- Rear Admiral Bobby C. Lee, US Navy, Retired
- Brigadier General Robert F. Peksens, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Joe Shaefer, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Graham E. Shirley, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Stanley O. Smith, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Hugh B. Tant III, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Michael Joseph Tashjian, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General William Tiernan, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Brigadier General Roger W. Scearce, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Robert V. Woods, US Air Force, Retired