Will The Trump Administration Declassify President Obama's 'Secret' Dealings With Iran?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) and U.S. President Barack Obama (AFP Photo/Reuters) / Reuters

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: Trump's National Security Picks Want to Air Obama's Iran Secrets

For years, many Republicans and conservatives have charged that President Barack Obama was shielding embarrassing intelligence and policy details about Iran in order to support the nuclear deal reached last year.

With Donald Trump's upset victory, the party of Lincoln will have an opportunity to declassify and disclose this information. While no decisions have been made, two early picks to Trump's cabinet suggest this is going to happen.

Let's start with retired general Michael Flynn, the next president's choice to be national security adviser. Flynn served for two years as Obama's director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014. Just as relevant, however, is that in 2011 he ran a team at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that reviewed the troves of material captured in the 2011 Osama bin Laden raid.

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WNU Editor: There is a precedent for this. When then Senator Obama was campaigning in 2008 against President Bush's policies on waterboarding and enhanced interrogation .... one of the first things that he when he took office was to declassify and release the legal memos that justified and revoked these practices. 8 years later it looks like the Republicans are about to do the same thing to him.

U.S. Senate Republicans Are Not The First U.S. Senators To Directly Contact Iran On U.S. Foreign Policy

Photo: Ambassador William G. MIller (The Iran Project)

Power Line: How Barack Obama Undercut Bush Administration’s Nuclear Negotiations With Iran

In 2008, the Bush administration, along with the “six powers,” was negotiating with Iran concerning that country’s nuclear arms program. The Bush administration’s objective was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On July 20, 2008, the New York Times headlined: “Nuclear Talks With Iran End in a Deadlock.” What caused the talks to founder? The Times explained:

Iran responded with a written document that failed to address the main issue: international demands that it stop enriching uranium. And Iranian diplomats reiterated before the talks that they considered the issue nonnegotiable.

The Iranians held firm to their position, perhaps because they knew that help was on the way, in the form of a new president. Barack Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination on June 3. At some point either before or after that date, but prior to the election, he secretly let the Iranians know that he would be much easier to bargain with than President Bush. Michael Ledeen reported the story last year:

WNU Editor: Is this a case where the "coffee pot is calling the tea kettle black"? Only the conservative blogosphere is pushing this story, but U.S. politicians have a long history of contacting foreign governments much to the chagrin of whoever is the current occupant in the White House. Who says U.S. politics is not messy?

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry: The U.S. Deserves "The Benefit Of The Doubt" To See If A Nuclear Deal Can Be Reached With Iran

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds a joint news conference with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (not pictured) at the State Department in Washington February 27, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Gary Cameron

Reuters: Kerry says U.S. deserves 'benefit of the doubt' on getting Iran nuclear deal

(Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday the United States deserves "the benefit of the doubt" to see if a nuclear deal can be reached with Iran that would prevent any need for military action to curb Tehran's atomic ambitions.

Kerry also said he hoped that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned speech to Congress on Tuesday, in which he will warn against a possible nuclear deal with Iran, does not turn into "some great political football."

WNU Editor: In short he is saying to all of us .... these talks are being kept secret because we do not want your input to "muck it up" .... also .... do not criticize us, we know better, accept what we tell you.

Why is it that I do not feel reassured?

Iran Is Denying Reports That Supreme Leader Khamenei Replied To President Obama 's Letter On The Islamic State

Reuters: Iran denies that Khamenei replied to Obama letter on Islamic State

Iran has denied a Wall Street Journal report that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently responded to a letter sent in October by U.S. President Barack Obama suggesting cooperation with Iran in fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

"There has been no new letter from Iran's side," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said, according to a report carried late on Sunday by the official IRNA news agency. "The claim made by the Wall Street Journal is an unprofessional media game."

The Journal cited an unnamed Iranian diplomat as saying Khamenei's letter had been "respectful" but noncommittal.

Update: Iran dismisses WSJ report that Leader sent letter to Obama -- Tehran Times

Previous Post: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Has Been Secretly Communicating With President Obama

WNU Editor: And here we are all wondering if President Obama and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are now best friends. I guess they are not.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Has Been Secretly Communicating With President Obama

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. Caren Firouz/Reuters

FOX News/Wall Street Journal: Iranian Ayatollah Sends Secret Communications to White House

WASHINGTON—Iran’s paramount political figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has responded to overtures from President Barack Obama seeking better relations by sending secret communications of his own to the White House.

The Iranian cleric wrote to Mr. Obama in recent weeks in response to an October presidential letter that raised the possibility of U.S.-Iranian cooperation in fighting Islamic State if a nuclear deal is secured, according to an Iranian diplomat. The supreme leader’s response was “respectful” but noncommittal, the diplomat said.

WNU Editor: The leak for this "secret communication" is apparently coming from Iran .... which is surprising considering that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would probably want to keep such communications secret. What is also surprising is that apparently this is not the first time that he has communicated with President Obama .... that the first letter was actually sent in 2009 when President Obama started his first term. On a side note .... I am also sure that Israel is not comfortable with these disclosures .... my gut is telling me that they probably knew of these secret communiques but kept it to themselves because it showed how far apart both sides were.

More News On Reports That Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Has Been Secretly Communicating With President Obama

Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei sent Obama secret letter - WSJ -- Reuters
Iran Supreme Leader Sends Reply to Obama’s Letter Seeking Better Relations -- Sputnik
Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei sent Barack Obama secret letter -- The Telegraph

U.S. Congress Upset With Secret White House Overtures To Iran

Obama’s Letter To Iran Rattles Congressional Nerves -- Wall Street Journal

House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) expressed concern Thursday when asked about President Barack Obama recent overture to Iran, in which the president outlined a shared interest in countering Islamic State militants in the region.

“I don’t trust the Iranians, I don’t think we need to bring them into this,” Mr. Boehner said.

Mr. Obama secretly sent letter sent last month to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to people briefed on the communication, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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Previous Post: President Obama Wrote Secret Letter To Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei About Fighting The Islamic State And Reaching A Nuclear Deal

Update: Source says reported letter from Obama to Ayatollah ‘f***s up everything' -- FOX News

My Comment: Some are hoping that Tuesday's Republican election victory may actually spur U.S. - Iran negotiations for a nuclear deal .... US Elections Speed Up Iran Negotiations – OpEd (Kaveh L. Afrasiabi, Eurasia Review), and that a deal will be reached during the Congressional lame duck period .... Iran Quietly Fearful of Republican Takeover of Congress (Washington Free Beacon).

As to what is my take .... I am not that optimistic.

Regular reader Publius has a must read analysis/commentary on this development ... the link is here.

President Obama Wrote Secret Letter To Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei About Fighting The Islamic State And Reaching A Nuclear Deal

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. REUTERS/Caren Firouz

Obama Wrote Secret Letter to Iran’s Khamenei About Fighting Islamic State -- Wall Street Journal

Presidential Correspondence With Ayatollah Stresses Shared U.S.-Iranian Interests in Combating Insurgents, Urges Progress on Nuclear Talks

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Barack Obama secretly wrote Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the middle of last month and described a shared interest in fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, according to people briefed on the correspondence.

The letter appeared aimed both at buttressing the campaign against Islamic State and nudging Iran’s religious leader closer to a nuclear deal.

Mr. Obama stressed to Mr. Khamenei that any cooperation on Islamic State was largely contingent on Iran reaching a comprehensive agreement with global powers on the future of Tehran’s nuclear program by a Nov. 24 diplomatic deadline, the same people say.

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More News On Reports That President Obama Wrote Secret A Letter To Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei About Fighting The Islamic State And Reaching A Nuclear Deal

Report: Obama Sent Secret Letter to Ayatollah Khamenei -- Time
Obama asked Iran for help against ISIS in secret letter -- The Hill
Obama sent secret letter to Ayatollah Khamenei on Islamic State -- Washington Times
Obama sent secret letter to Iran supreme leader to join up against IS -- Times of Israel
Obama reportedly sent secret letter to Iran's Khamenei regarding IS -- i24 News
Obama Coordinating With Iran In Islamic State Fight, Growing Evidence Suggests -- Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Huffington Post
Report: Obama secretly wrote to Iranian supreme leader Khamenei last month about fighting ISIS, nuclear deal -- Allah Pundit, Hot Air

Update: The White House responds to these reports .... White House says Iran policy unchanged; declines comment on letter (Reuters)

Obama's 'Spiritual Adviser' Will Be Briefing The President On His Recent Trip To Iran

The Rev. Joel Hunter of Longwood's Northland, a Church Distributed, is greeted by President Barack Obama at the White House after the evangelical Christian pastor was appointed to the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. (COURTESY OF THE HUNTER FAMILY / April 2, 2009). Photo from Wounded Times

Obama's 'Spiritual Adviser' Visited Iran, Will Brief President on Trip -- Weekly Standard

A man described as President Obama's "spiritual adviser," Pastor Joel Hunter, recently visited Iran for a week to discuss "religious tolerance" in the famously oppressive country. Now Hunter will, according to a news report, brief President Obama on his trip there.

"Joel Hunter, a spiritual adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama, recently spent about a week discussing religious tolerance with officials in Iran, a country often singled out by rights groups for its intolerance toward its religious minorities. Hunter, a senior pastor of Northland Church in Florida who led a delegation of U.S. religious leaders to the Islamic republic, says he was invited by Iranian religious leaders and scholars to attend a conference," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported over the weekend.

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Update: 'We Have Something In Common' -- Obama's Spiritual Adviser On Iran Trip -- Radio Free Europe

My Comment: There is a lot to criticize about how the Iranian theocracy runs Iran .... but their religious views are an important part of their life. As to Rev. Joel Hunter's trip to Iran .... the Iranians know who he is and it would not surprise me is they are communicating some of their messages/communiques through him to the White House.

The U.S. Diplomat Behind The U.S. - Iran Secret Talks

U.S. State Department's point man on Iran, Bill Burns, leaves a meeting of international senior officials on Iran in a hotel in Wiesbaden, February 4, 2009. Credit: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

The Invisible Man: Bill Burns And The Secret Iran Talks -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The night before a round of high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran, U.S. President Barack Obama told his chief of staff he had "absolute confidence we have the right team on the field."

Obama was not referring to his public negotiating team, led by senior State Department official Wendy Sherman, nor even to his secretary of state, John Kerry, who was soon to sweep in from Tel Aviv to join the early November discussions in Geneva.

Rather, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough recalled, Obama was talking about a secret group led by Bill Burns, Kerry's discreet, disciplined and self-effacing deputy.

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My Comment: Bill Burns is clearly a career diplomat .... and while he may be playing an important intermediary role, it is the U.S. President who is clearly directing these talks.

Secret U.S. - Iranian Negotiations Have Been Ongoing Since July 2012

Ex-Clinton Aide Secretly Met With Iranian Officials In Summer 2012 -- The Hill

Vice President Biden’s national security adviser met with Iranian officials as far back as the summer of 2012, a new report reveals.

Jake Sullivan secretly traveled to Oman in July 2012 to meet with Iranian officials, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. This would mark one of the earliest in-person meetings the U.S. held with Iran in recent years.

Sullivan joined the State Department in 2009 and served under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as deputy chief of staff for policy.

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Update: Former State Department Adviser Jake Sullivan Reemerges As Iran Policy Player -- AP

My Comment: I am amazed that the White House was able to keep these talks secret for this long.

Has The U.S. Been Conducting Secret Negotiations With Iran For The Past Year?

Photo: Valerie Jarrett, an adviser to US President Barack Obama (photo credit: public domain via Wikipedia)

‘Geneva Talks A Facade, US-Iran Worked Secretly On Deal For Past Year’ -- Times of Israel

White House denies report Obama team has been negotiating terms with Tehran, didn’t fully coordinate with Israel

The Geneva negotiations between the so-called P5+1 powers and Iran are a mere “facade,” because the terms of a deal on Iran’s nuclear program have been negotiated in talks between a top adviser to President Barack Obama and a leading Iranian nuclear official that have continued in secret for more than a year, Israeli television reported Sunday.

Despite ostensible full coordination between the US and Israel over strategies for thwarting Iran’s nuclear weapons drive, the administration did not keep Israel fully informed on those talks, Channel 10 news reported, but Jerusalem nonetheless has a pretty clear picture of what has been going on in the secret channel.

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Update: White House: ‘Absolutely no truth’ to Valerie Jarrett-Iran talks report -- Voices

My Comment: I have doubts on this story .... Valerie Jarrett's focus is on politics .... not doing diplomacy with Iran

U.S. Started To Secretly Lift Iranian Sanctions Months Ago

Exclusive: Obama’s Secret Iran Détente -- Eli Lake and Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

Long before a nuclear deal was in reach, the U.S. was quietly lifting some of the financial pressure on Iran, a Daily Beast investigation reveals. How the sanctions were softened.

The Obama administration began softening sanctions on Iran after the election of Iran’s new president in June, months before the current round of nuclear talks in Geneva or the historic phone call between the two leaders in September.

While those negotiations now appear on the verge of a breakthrough the key condition for Iran—relief from crippling sanctions—began quietly and modestly five months ago.

A review of Treasury Department notices reveals that the U.S. government has all but stopped the financial blacklisting of entities and people that help Iran evade international sanctions since the election of its president, Hassan Rouhani, in June.

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Update: Obama has ‘head handed to him’ in secret Iran sanction deal amid nuclear talks -- Washington Times

My Comment: No discussion. No debate. No publicity. No wonder the Israelis, Saudis, and others are angry at the White House .... their security and the implications of an Iranian nuclear deal is being discussed (and implemented) without their participation.

Obama Offered To Reestablish Full Ties With Iran

Obama Offered To Reestablish Full Ties With Iran, Israeli Paper Reports -- Times of Israel

Israel was told about and opposed president’s diplomatic incentives package, initiated soon after he took office, and Iran rebuffed it, according to Maariv.

Soon after he took office, President Barack Obama began a process ultimately designed to reestablish full US diplomatic relations with Iran, including a reopening of embassies, an Israeli daily reported Sunday. The initiative, part of a wider shift in America’s diplomatic orientation, aimed at reaching understandings with Tehran over suspending its nuclear program, Maariv claimed, citing “two Western diplomats very close to the administration.”

The initiative led to at least two US-Iran meetings, the report said. Israel was made aware of the contacts, and opposed them.

But Iran rebuffed the “diplomatic hand” offered by the White House, Maariv reported. The Islamist regime “opposed any sign of normalization with the US, and refused to grant a ‘prize’ to the Americans,” according to an anonymous Israeli source quoted by the paper.

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My Comment: This is old news .... it has been known for a long time that President Obama has sent 'letters' to the Iranian leadership offering negotiations over a number of key issues .... the latest being this one. But the Iranians .... for their own reasons that no one outside the Iranian leadership circle is privy to .... have always refused.

Are There Secret U.S. - Iran Nuclear Talks?

U.S. Officials Say Iran Has Agreed to Nuclear Talks -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran have agreed in principle for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to Obama administration officials, setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran.

Iranian officials have insisted that the talks wait until after the presidential election, a senior administration official said, telling their American counterparts that they want to know with whom they would be negotiating.

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More News On Rumors Of U.S. - Iranian Nuclear Talks

Report: U.S., Iran ponder one-on-one nuclear talks -- USA Today
Signals From Iran Indicate Willingness To Talk -- NPR
U.S., Europe Foresee New Iran Talks -- Wall Street Journal
Iran open to nuclear talks after U.S. election, diplomats say -- L..A Times
US Lawmakers Clash on Iran Talks -- Voice of America
U.S. and Iran Deny Plan for Nuclear Talks -- New York Times
Iran, like U.S., denies plan for one-on-one nuclear talks -- Reuters
Obama’s Iran non-deal -- Jennifer Rubin, New York Times

My Comment: This is the best explanation that I have read so far on why this story on "secret U.S. - Iran nuclear talks" is being passed around.

Did President Obama Seek Secret Talks With Iran?

Photo: US President Barack Obama

Did Obama Seek Secret Talks With Iran? White House On The Defensive After Claims President Sent Confidential Letter To The Ayatollah -- Daily Mail

* Obama 'demands talks' with Iran as it threatens to shut strategic Strait of Hormuz over West sanctions, says Iranian lawmaker
* U.S. military officials say country prepared for naval clash over waterway
* Russians warn West over sanctions against Iran that would 'hurt the people'

The White House has denied calling for direct talks with Iran in a 'secret letter' to the country's supreme leader.

A conservative Iranian lawmaker had claimed that Barack Obama was trying to open back-channel negotiations with the leadership of the Islamic Republic.

But yesterday a White House official said that Mr Obama had not sent a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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Update #1: Iranian Lawmaker: Obama Proposed Talks; US Denies -- ABC News/AP
Update #2: Obama Reportedly Calls For Iran Talks In Secret Letter -- Huffington Post

My Comment: My gut is telling me that an actual "secret letter" was not sent .... but instead some "unofficial communication" through a third party requesting talks was forwarded to the Iranian regime.

Did President Obama Proposed Secret Talks With Iran?

Iranian Lawmaker Says Obama Proposed Direct Talks In Letter -- FOX News/AP

TEHRAN, Iran – The White House had no immediate comment Wednesday on a claim from an Iranian lawmaker that President Obama called for direct talks with Iran in a secret letter to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader that also warned Tehran against closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has threatened to close the waterway, the route for about one-sixth of the global oil flow, because of new U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program.

Conservative lawmaker Ali Motahari revealed the content of the letter days after the Obama administration said it was warning Iran through public and private channels against any action that threatens the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf.

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My Comment: This is not the first time that President Obama has tried to open a dialogue with Iran. My prediction .... it will fail like the last time, but it will fail not because of President Obama, it will fail because of internal strife in Iran

Update: U.S. officials are denying Iranian claims of wanting secret talks.

Time Ripe For US-Iran Talks: Israel Intelligence Chief

An Iranian cleric attends an anti-Israeli ceremony in Tehran. Israel's military intelligence chief has said the time could be right for Washington to open a dialogue with Tehran as a means to halt Iran's nuclear drive. (AFP/File/Atta Kenare)

From Yahoo News/AFP:

JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's military intelligence chief has said the time could be right for Washington to open a dialogue with Tehran as a means to halt Iran's nuclear drive, media reported on Tuesday.

"Dialogue with Iran is not necessarily negative. It it fails, it will lead to the strengthening of sanctions," said the intelligence chief, General Amos Yadlin, quoted by Haaretz.

"Dialogue is not appeasement," he said.

Top Israeli officials have in the past warned against Washington engaging in any form of dialogue with the Islamic republic and insisted a military option should not be ruled out.

But the election of Barack Obama to the US presidency has set the stage to increase international pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear aspirations, Yadlin said.

"Iran will do anything not to be cornered in the position of Iraq or North Korea," he said at a lecture in honour of late military chief of staff Moshe Dayan.

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My Comment: This Israeli Intelligence chief is either very confident about the information that he has .... or he is dreaming. What do I think ..... Iran has publicly stated that it is a duty and a matter of national security to develop it's nuclear technologies .... and that's it.

I believe in what Iran is saying .... not what an Israeli chief hopes will be the result when Obama becomes President.

US And Iran Holding 'Secret' Talks On Nuclear Programme

From The Independent:

Iran and the United States have been engaged in secret "back channel" discussions for the past five years on Iran's nuclear programme and the broader relationship between the two sworn enemies, The Independent can reveal.

One of the participants, former senior US diplomat Thomas Pickering, explained that a group of former American diplomats and experts had been meeting with Iranian academics and policy advisers "in a lot of different places, although not in the US or Iran".

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My Comment: The Independent (from my point of view) does not have a good track record when it comes to Middle East issues. This article does not change my point of view. Unofficial meetings with retired diplomats talking in out of the way places .... this is not a serious discussion nor change in direction from the Iranian regime.

When I was in the Middle East last month, the overwhelming sentiment from (Arab) government officials to the man on the street was what will the mad mullahs in Tehran do next.
Their interference in Iraq, their support of Shiite terror groups, and their open hostility and contempt of the West .... this is their clear and stated policy. The mass majority of citizens in this part of the world know this .... the Independent Newspaper clearly has a different point of view.

Why is the Independent Newspaper pushing this story. I personally believe that there are two reasons why. (1) Some minor and junior people are talking to each other, but have no direct relationship or influence on the policy makers that count. (2) To give cover to former President Carter's meeting with Hamas.

In my own personal opinion, there is going to be no change in Iranian policy until after the American Presidential election. They are hoping for a Barak Obama / Democratic win, and are adopting a wait and see altitude on Obama's promise for opening talks with the Iranian regime if he is elected President.

Update: IAEA, Iran Meeting Abruptly Canceled -- Yahoo News