Tue, Nov 25, 2014 02:00 PM

Dear Al, Officials announced yesterday that the Iran nuclear talks will need to be extended until July to insure that an agreement can be hammered out.  "We remain convinced that, based on the progress made and on the new ideas which continue to be explored, there is a credible path through which a comprehensive solution can be reached," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union envoy Catherine Ashton, who coordinates the negotiations on behalf of the global powers, said in a joint statement. With bad news coming out of the Middle East nearly every day, continued negotiations with Iran are something to lift up not bring down. This is a key time to lessen tensions in the Middle East. The extension of talks continues to freeze Iran's nuclear program, providing significant safeguards and inspections to guarantee non-weapon uses of nuclear technology. Please take a moment to write your Congressman and Senators Warren and Markey to let them know you support the extension of the P5+1 negotiations with Iran on the nuclear program. The agreement under discussion would protect US security by preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb (which Iranian leaders have consistently denied any plans to develop). These agreements, if completed by the parties, would ensure that Iran could not build a bomb. If the US were to walk away from a deal, the current negotiated restrictions on Iran's nuclear program would end. Iran would be free to enrich as much uranium as it wanted and to resume enriching at the higher levels that the interim agreement has prohibited. The only way to insure these benefits is to continue working on the final agreement.  Please tell Congress to give peace a chance. Any final agreement will include verification and monitoring, like the agreements that form the basis of the negotiations. The US and its allies are not relying on trust to ensure that Iran complies with the terms of the agreements and keeps its nuclear program peaceful during the negotiation. Any final agreement will put in place further intrusive inspections that will deter Iran from cheating and would detect it if Iran tried to. The US and its allies could promptly respond if Iran were to violate the agreements.which form the basis for the negotiations.  The interim nuclear deal gave us unprecedented insight into Iran’s nuclear program by establishing a strong monitoring regime. The final deal will lock in that verification regime and add to intrusive inspections. If the US walks away from a deal, we would lose these inspections and be blind to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program. Please tell your Representative and our Senators that the choice is clear: Support the extension and continued negotiations, or risk war. For peace, Shelagh Foreman Program Director Join Massachusetts Peace Action - or renew your membership today!   Dues are $40/year for an individual, $65 for a family, or $10 for student/unemployed/low income.  Members vote for leadership and endorsements, receive newsletters and discounts on event admissions.  Donate now and you will be a member in good standing through December 2015! Your financial support makes this work possible! Massachusetts Peace Action, 11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 617-354-2169  • info@masspeaceaction.org • Follow us on Facebook or Twitter