Iran nuclear talks resume in Switzerland day after missing deadline

Talks between Iran and six world powers on the future of Tehran's nuclear program resumed in Switzerland Wednesday after missing a deadline to produce the framework of a permanent agreement.
Secretary of State John Kerry, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Lausanne early Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Their French, Russian, and Chinese counterparts had all left overnight, leaving their deputies in charge. It was not immediately clear what effect their departures would have on negotiations.
Tuesday's talks had stretched into Wednesday morning local time before negotiators broke up, promising to meet a few hours later. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said earlier Tuesday that that enough progress had been made over six days of intense bartering to warrant an extension of the self-imposed deadline, though she noted "there are several difficult issues still remaining."
The deadline to agree on the outline of a permanent deal had already been extended twice before Tuesday, and it was not clear what would happen if an agreement was not reached by the end of Wednesday. The deadline for all the details of a comprehensive agreement to be settled is the end of June.
As the talks broke up late Tuesday, Zarif said that solutions to many of the problems had been found and that documents attesting to that would soon be drafted. That sentiment was echoed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was quoted by Russia's TASS news agency as saying that "all key aspects" of a potential deal had been agreed upon.

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• Iran backs away from uranium concession ahead of deadline

Other officials were more skeptical. Asked how high the chances of success were, Steinmeier said: "I cannot say." And Hammond said Iran might still not be ready to accept what is on the table.
"I'm optimistic that we will make further progress this morning but it does mean the Iranians being willing to meet us where there are still issues to deal with," Hammond told British reporters. "Fingers crossed and we'll hope to get there during the course of the day."
The uncertain direction of negotiations could soon trigger renewed pressure from Congress on the Obama administration.
Congressional lawmakers had agreed to hold off on pursuing new sanctions legislation while negotiations were underway in advance of the initial March 31 deadline.
But according to reports, the talks may only result in a general statement that pushes off the hard decisions until June.
And patience may be wearing thin on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., the lead Republican sponsor of the legislation imposing new sanctions on Iran if talks fail, on Tuesday renewed his call for the bill.
"Rather than rush headfirst into a disastrously bad deal, the administration should work with Congress to shift the burden of accepting a good deal onto Iran," Kirk said in a statement to FoxNews.com.
"The president could do that by signing into law the Kirk-Menendez legislation, which would empower the president to impose new sanctions if Iran fails to meet the major June 30th deadline or if Iran is not complying with the interim deal."
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., had co-sponsored the legislation, and along with other Democrats agreed to put the effort on hold while talks played out. If he and other Democrats join Kirk in pressing anew for the sanctions bill, the Obama administration has warned it could create turbulence for the talks themselves.
But supporters of the legislation argue it would only apply more -- and needed -- pressure on Iran to negotiate in good faith.
Prior to Tuesday's extension announcement, the Associated Press reported that, the sides were preparing to issue only a general statement agreeing to continue talks in a new phase aimed at reaching a final agreement to control Iran's nuclear ambitions by the end of June.
After intense negotiations, obstacles remained on uranium enrichment, where stockpiles of enriched uranium should be stored, limits on Iran's nuclear research and development and the timing and scope of sanctions relief among other issues.
The joint statement would have been accompanied by additional documents that outline more detailed understandings, allowing the sides to claim enough progress has been made thus far to merit a new round, the officials told the AP.
The softening of the language from a framework "agreement" to a framework "understanding" appeared due in part to opposition to a two-stage agreement from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Earlier this year, he demanded only one deal that nails down specifics and does not permit the other side to "make things difficult" by giving it wiggle room on interpretations.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with his Iranian counterpart Zarif since Thursday in an intense effort to reach a political understanding on the issue.
Kerry and others at the table said the sides have made some progress, with Iran considering demands for further cuts to its uranium enrichment program but pushing back on how long it must limit technology it could use to make atomic arms. In addition to sticking points on research and development, differences remain on the timing and scope of sanctions removal.

Defense rests in 1st phase of Boston Marathon bombing trial

BOSTON –  Lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzkokhar Tsarnaev rested their case in his federal death penalty trial Tuesday after presenting a brief case aimed at showing his late older brother was the mastermind of the 2013 terror attack.
The defense admitted during opening statements that Tsarnaev participated in the bombings. But Tsarnaev's lawyer said he was a troubled 19-year-old who had fallen under the influence of his radicalized brother, Tamerlan, 26.
Closing arguments will be held April 6.
The defense has made it clear from the beginning of the trial that its strategy is not to win an acquittal for Tsarnaev but to save him from the death penalty.
If the jury convicts Tsarnaev — an event that seems a foregone conclusion because of his admitted guilt — the same jury will be asked to decide whether he should be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.
During its brief case, the defense called a cell site analyst who showed that Tsarnaev was at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth when Tamerlan purchased components of the two bombs used in the 2013 attack, including pressure cookers and BBs.
Tsarnaev's lawyer told jurors that it was Tamerlan who shot and killed MIT police Officer Sean Collier three days after the bombings. Tamerlan died after a gun battle with police hours after Collier's slaying.
Prosecutors called more than 90 witnesses over 15 days of testimony, including bombing survivors who described losing limbs in the attack. Three people were killed and more than 260 were wounded when two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.
Jurors saw gruesome autopsy photos of the three killed: 8-year-old Martin Richard, a Boston boy who had gone to the marathon with his family that day; 23-year-old Lingzi Lu, a graduate student from China who was studying at Boston University; and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager.

Arkansas passes 'religious freedom' bill similar to new Indiana law, sparking more protests

Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday approved a religious-freedom bill similar to the one recently passed in Indiana that critics say creates the potential for businesses and others to legally discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.
The state’s Republican-led House gave final approval to the bill, which prohibits the state and local governments from infringing on a person's religious beliefs without a "compelling" interest.
The measure now goes to Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has said he will sign it into law.
Doug McMillon, the CEO of Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, issued a statement Tuesday pressing Hutchinson to "veto this legislation," and adding that the law would "undermine the spirit of inclusion" in the state.
"[It] does not reflect the values we proudly uphold," McMillon's statement read.
Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Pence signed a similar bill on Thursday, and 19 other states have comparable measures on the books.
Companies and lawmakers across the country denounced the Indiana law as discriminatory against gays, lesbians and others --and ordered that official business and travel there either be curtailed or stopped.
This week, hundreds of protesters filled the Arkansas Capitol urging Hutchinson to veto the bill, which is almost identical to the Indiana bill.
Both appear to state that a person could deny another person a service, based on a religious belief, and use that circumstance as a legal defense.
One frequently used example is a baker refusing a wedding cake order from a gay couple.
Pence and the leaders of the state’s Republican-led legislature have argued their bill does not legalize discrimination and is similar to a 1993 federal law signed by President Clinton and to legislation in 19 other states.
And it has been supported by such social conservatives and potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
However, the Indiana Republican lawmakers vowed Monday to clarify the law -- just before a front-page Indianapolis Star editorial with the giant headline “Fix This Now.”
Prior to the passage Tuesday of the Arkansas bill, the White House repeated its opposition to the Indiana law.
“This kind of public outcry … is indicative of how this piece of legislation flies in the face of values that people all across America strongly support,” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. “Governor Pence falsely tried to suggest the law is the same as the 1993 law. That is not true.”
Earnest also said the Indiana law was a “significant expansion” of law.

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VA hospital chief draws $179G salary despite missing 80 days over 1 year

DeWayne Hamlin, the top official of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Puerto Rico hospital, was absent from the hospital some 80 days in a one-year period, according to documents obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Hamlin was paid $179,700 despite being absent from the hospital approximately one in three business days last year, according to "delegation of authority" documents by which he temporarily transferred his job responsibilities to deputies.
In April 2014, for example, he was absent from the 10th to the 18th, then from the 24th to the 27th. He also submitted a delegation document saying he would be gone the 28th and 29th. For part of that time, he was traveling to Florida, where he previously lived. He was arrested by Florida police while sitting in his car at 2:00 a.m. on the 26th.
Police said that he smelled of alcohol, twice refused to take a breath test, and that they found oxycodone for which he did not have a prescription. He reportedly refused to say where he got the painkiller.

Rubio to announce whether he'll join 2016 race on April 13

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio confirmed Monday on Fox News that he will announce April 13 whether he will be a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.
“I will announce on April 13th what I’m going to do next in terms of running for president or the U.S. Senate,” Rubio said on Fox News’ “The Five.”
Rubio has said he would not run for both offices in 2016, while his team has been moving ahead as though it were putting together a White House bid, including donors who helped previous presidential nominees collect tens of millions of dollars.
But Rubio faces steep challenges to win the nomination, including from his one-time mentor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. He could face as many as 20 other rivals for the GOP nomination.
Rubio also told supporters to check the site www.MarcoRubio.com, which now reads, “Big announcement is coming! Will you be there?”
Rubio plans to sell a chance to win tickets to any campaign kickoff for $3.05, a nod to Miami's 305 area code. It would also a way for the nascent campaign to collect contact information from everyone who wants to be in the audience that day, including low-dollar donors.
A site for the announcement has not been finalized but Rubio's senior aides plan to visit the Miami area on Tuesday to scout options.
A first-generation immigrant whose parents fled Cuba, Rubio could make history as the nation's first Hispanic president. Rubio frames his pitch to voters as the embodiment of the American dream, a son of a maid and bartender who worked his way through law school and now sits in Congress.

Arab League to create joint military force

Leaders of the 22 countries that make up the Arab League are vowing to defeat Iranian-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen, and other countries, by creating a joint Arab military force that is setting the stage for potential Middle East clashes between U.S.-allied Arab nations and Tehran.
Members of the Arab League met in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to discuss the growing threat to the region’s Arab identity by what they called moves by "foreign" or "outside parties" who have stoked sectarian, ethnic or religious rivalries in Arab states.
The Arab League is made up of 22 independent Arab states -- including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

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March 28, 2015 - Egyptian Pres Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (ctr) Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby (left) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, preside over a meeting of Arab heads of state, in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt. El-Sissi endorsed a resolution creating an Arab military force, saying the Arab world was currently facing unprecedented threats.

Much of the rhetoric was aimed at Iran, which has consolidated its hold in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and, most recently, Yemen. Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi blamed Iran for what he said was its intervention "in many nations," while speaking to reporters after the summit.
The weekend meetings resulted in a resolution declaring a newly unveiled joint Arab defense force that would be deployed at the request of any Arab nation facing a national security threat. The force -- comprised of some 40,000 elite troops, war planes, navy ships and weapons -- could also be used to combat terrorist groups like the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
"The Arab leaders have decided to agree on the principle of a joint Arab military force," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Sunday, describing the growing threats to the region as "unprecedented.”
The Arab League will work with military representatives of its members to organize the voluntary force, the BBC reported.  Analysts say establishing the force could take months and it’s unlikely that all 22 members of the Arab League will join.
Saudi Arabia is already leading a 10-nation coalition to carry out airstrikes against Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen, which pit Sunni Arab nations against Shiite Iran. The strikes are in support of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who was forced to flee after gains by the Houthi fighters. Saudi Arabia says the Houthis are backed by Iran, but the rebels deny receiving support from Tehran.
Pakistani officials said Monday that Pakistan will send troops to Saudi Arabia to join the coalition against the Yemeni rebels, Reuters reported.
The Saudi-led offensive against the Houthis would "continue until the militia withdraws and surrenders its weapons," Chief al-Arabi said.
"Yemen was on the brink of the abyss, requiring effective Arab and international moves after all means of reaching a peaceful resolution have been exhausted to end the Houthi coup and restore legitimacy," he added.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Sunday that the U.S.  is giving logistical and military support to the ongoing operation in Yemen to try to restore stability between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
“We obviously are interested in coordinating with GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries including militarily. This is something we're considering in light of the security challenges in the region,” Earnest said.
The Arab League agreement came as U.S. and other Western diplomats were pushing to meet a Tuesday deadline to reach a deal with Iran that would restrict its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Deadline day for Iran nuclear talks dawns with sides far apart on key issues

Diplomats tasked with crafting the framework of a permanent agreement on the status of Iran's nuclear program faced a long day and night of talks in Switzerland Wednesday, with no guaranteed of success.
Early Tuesday morning, top diplomats of four of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany met alone and then with Iran's foreign minister to try to bridge the remaining gaps.
"Long day ahead," Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a tweet announcing the early Tuesday morning start of the foreign ministers' meeting with Iranian officials.
The so-called P5+1 nations -- the U.S., Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China -- have until midnight local time (6 p.m. Eastern Time) to hammer out an understanding that would serve as the jumping-off point to conclude a final deal by the end of June. The negotiation deadline has already been extended twice since an interim agreement was reached in November 2013, and it was not immediately clear what failure to meet this deadline would do for the future of the talks.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Swiss town of Lausanne since Thursday in an intense effort to reach a political understanding on terms that would curb Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Kerry and others at the table said the sides have made some progress, with Iran considering demands for further cuts to its uranium enrichment program but pushing back on how long it must limit technology it could use to make atomic arms. In addition to sticking points on research and development, differences remain on the timing and scope of sanctions removal, officials told the Associated Press.
Adding another layer of complexity to the difficult negotiations, The Wall Street Journal, citing Western officials, reported late Monday that there are signs that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has not granted his negotiators the power to budge from their positions on certain critical issues.
In particular, the Journal reported that Khamenei has repeatedly insisted that U.N. sanctions be lifted immediately once any deal takes effect. By contrast, the U.S. and the other nations involved have proposed that sanctions would be lifted gradually and be tied to Iran living up to promises it has made in any agreement.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday that Iran's expectations from the talks are "very ambitious" and not yet acceptable to his country or the other five negotiating: the U.S., Britain, China, France and Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov left the talks on Monday and planned to return only if the prospects for a deal looked good.
Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told Iranian state television on Monday that the talks were not likely to reach any conclusion until "tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
The Obama administration says any deal will stretch the time Iran needs to make a nuclear weapon from the present two to three months to at least a year. But critics object that it would keep Tehran's nuclear technology intact.
Officials in Lausanne said the sides were advancing on limits to aspects of Iran's program to enrich uranium, which can be used to make the core of a nuclear warhead.
Tehran has said it is willing to address concerns about its stockpiles of enriched uranium, although it has denied that will involve shipping it out of the country, as some Western officials have said. One official said on Monday that Iran might deal with the issue by diluting its stocks to a level that would not be weapons grade.
Uranium enrichment has been the chief concern in over more than a decade of international attempts to cap Iran's nuclear programs. But Western officials say the main obstacles to a deal are no longer enrichment-related but instead the type and length of restrictions on Tehran's research and development of advanced centrifuges and the pace of sanctions-lifting.
Over the past weeks, Iran has moved from demanding that it be allowed to keep nearly 10,000 centrifuges enriching uranium, to agreeing to 6,000. The officials said Tehran now may be ready to accept even fewer.
Tehran says it wants to enrich only for energy, science, industry and medicine. But many countries fear Iran could use the technology to make weapons-grade uranium.