Over 100 former US ambassadors send Obama letter praising Iran nuclear deal

Notable signatories of the document include former under secretary of state Nicholas Burns and Daniel Kurtzer, the former envoy to Israel and Egypt.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: JULY 18, 2015 18:32
United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. (photo credit: REUTERS)
United States Capitol building in Washington, DC.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Earlier this week it was revealed that over 100 former US ambassadors sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing their support for the "landmark agreement" struck between world powers and Iran.
"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran stands as a landmark agreement in deterring the proliferation of nuclear weapons," the letter begins. "Without your determination and the admirable work of Secretary of State Kerry and his team, this agreement would never have been reached."
Notable signatories of the document included former under secretary of state Nicholas Burns; Daniel Kurtzer, the former envoy to Israel and Egypt; and Thomas Pickering, the former ambassador to Israel, Russia, India, and the United Nations.
Madeleine Albright, who served as secretary of state in the Clinton administration, also penned a piece for TIME magazine in which she wrote favorably of the deal on the same day the letter was released Thursday.
Michael Wilner reports on nuclear talks from Vienna
"We recognize that the JCPOA is not a perfect or risk-free settlement of this problem," the letter states. "However, we believe without it, the risks to the security of the United States and our friends and allies would be far greater."
According to the ambassadors, the agreement reached achieved its most imperative goal: Iranian nuclear nonproliferation and security for the Middle East, especially Israel.
"Effective diplomacy backed by credible defense will be critically important now, during the period of inspection and verification of Iran’s compliance with the agreement."