A sizable majority of workers in the U.S. national security industry do not support the Iran nuclear deal, according to a new survey conducted by Defense One.
The survey results indicate that the national security community has a relatively dim view of the negotiations and the proposed deal, with 66 percent disagreeing that the existing deal is a good arrangement for the United States. Only 26 percent stated that the deal was in the interests of the U.S.
An even larger number, 71 percent, believe that the deal would negatively impact Israel’s security. A similar situation exists for the surrounding countries, and even Europe. Of those surveyed, 67 percent think it presents a security threat to Saudi Arabia, 67 percent again for the Gulf Arab states and 53 percent for Europe.
The security threat isn’t solely focused on fears over nuclear weapons. As many observers have pointed out, dropping sanctions and unfreezing assets would generate major economic growth for the Iranian government.
A recent report from American Action Forum argued that while estimates differ as to how many billions in assets the Iranian government would be able to access, given past rates of military expenditure, there’s a strong likelihood that the deal would result in at least $3.1 billion for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This elite force has a history of funneling resources and support to terrorist organizations all throughout the Middle East. (RELATED: Report: Iran Deal Would Increase Available Terrorist Financing By $3.1 Billion)
Since the deal presents such a great security risk, 62 percent think that the United States should flat-out reject it and keep pressing sanctions. Just 31 percent disagreed.
But despite opposition, President Barack Obama just received the support he needs in the Senate to ensure the deal survives Congress. Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski joined 33 other Democrats in support Wednesday, although she admitted that no deal is perfect. With her support in the bag, the deal is essentially unstoppable, though House Republicans, with Speaker John Boehner leading the way, don’t intend to lie down quietly. It’s unclear what Republicans will try to muster to block the deal.
The survey, conducted from August 20-27, has a sample size of 465 national security workers from various branches of government, like the Department of Defense and military services, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.29 percentage points.
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