Lieberman: Iran Has ‘Gone Out of Its Way’ to Spite U.S. Since Deal — NSA Snooping on Congress ‘Wrong’

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) argued that since the Iran nuclear agreement “the Iranian regime has gone out of its way to put its finger in America’s eye” on Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.”

Lieberman said that Iran running rocket tests near U.S. ships is “another piece of an argument that says that the administration’s faith, if you will, hope, that signing a nuclear deal with Iran would loosen up Iran, would make Iran more moderate, was not based on fact. In fact, since the agreement, the Iranian regime has gone out of its way to put its finger in America’s eye.”

He added, “There has to be pressure now on the administration to make sure that Iran keeps the word that it gave in this agreement. As bad as the agreement is, Iran made some promises, but they’re not keeping them. The whole investigation that the International Atomic Energy Agency did, on whether they had potential military developments of their program. We’ve settled for an incomplete investigation. The Iranian testing of nuclear missiles, of ballistic missiles, contrary to UN resolution, we’re kind of turning our eyes away from that. If we do that, the Iranians are just going to do what I feared all along they would do, which is to cheat. And they will get the 100 or $150 billion that they’ll use to strengthen themselves and their terrorist proxies.”

Lieberman also commented on reports that the NSA spied on members of Congress while snooping on Israel.

“This is wrong, and it will have adverse consequences on our relationship with good allies, not only Israel, but appears that we’re still eavesdropping on some conversations with the Germans and French, for two,” he said. “It also will have adverse consequences on our relationship with Congress. I believe Congress will want to investigate this. I think they should investigate it. And you know what bothers me most of all? It will have adverse consequences on the NSA, which has been brought into what I describe as a political battle over legislation in the US Congress, when really, what it ought to be focusing on 100%, is protecting the american people from radical Islamist terrorists.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett