Senators Daniel Coats and Charles Robb and General Charles Wald Warn Time is Running out for Negotiating with Iran

Nov. 18, 2009

Washington, D.C. - Former U.S. Senators Daniel Coats and Charles Robb and retired four-star General Charles Wald, all members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Security Initiative, argue that time is running out for negotiating with Iran on its nuclear capabilities. The three men will make that point and explore the unfolding situation between the U.S. and Iran when they headline a panel discussion at New York's famed 92nd Street Y on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 8:15 pm.

The policy discussion will focus on the BPC's September 2009 report, "Meeting the Challenge: Time is Running Out," authored by Coats, Robb and Wald. In the report they conclude that Iran will be able to produce a nuclear weapon by 2010. They emphasize that, despite U.S. and international policies, Iran's nuclear program continues to advance rapidly, and the U.S. and its allies need to establish stiffer sanctions, set a timeframe for negotiations, and be willing to walk away from the table if Iran shows no real signs of change. They also believe the Obama administration should elevate consideration of a military option -- such as a naval blockade or an air strike. For more information about the report, "Meeting the Challenge: Time is Running Out," please visit www.bipartisanpolicy.org.

WHO: Senators Daniel Coats and Charles Robb and General Charles Wald

WHAT: Discussion on U.S. Policy toward Iran

WHEN: Monday, November 23, 2009 at 8:15 pm

WHERE: 92nd Street Y -- 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York

This event is open to the public. Tickets are $27 and can be purchased at www.92Y.org or by calling 212-415-5500.

*Press Information: Members of the press interested in covering this event must contact Sarah Morton at smorton@92Y.org or call 212-415-5435 in advance.

About the Speakers:

Senator Daniel Coats (R-IN)
Senator Coats is senior counsel in King & Spaulding's Government Advocacy and Public Policy Practice Group. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, where he served on both the Senate Armed Services and the Senate Select Intelligence Committees. Subsequently, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. He is a former member of the Defense Policy Board, the Defense Panel on Globalization and Privatization and the Joint Forces Command Board of Visitors.

Senator Charles Robb (D- VA)
Senator Robb served as the Governor of Virginia and subsequently as a U.S. Senator from Virginia. In 2004, he was appointed by President George W. Bush as co-chairman of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. He also served on the Iraq Study Group, the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the Secretary of State's International Security Advisory Board and the FBI Director's Advisory Board.

General Chuck Wald (Ret.) USAF
General Wald is a director and senior advisor at Deloitte LLP. He was the deputy commander of U. S. European Command (USEUCOM) from 2002 to 2006. His prior assignment was air commander of U.S. Central Command, where he headed the allied air campaign in Afghanistan during 2001 - 2002.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:

In 2007, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell formed the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. The BPC acts as an incubator for policy efforts that engage top political figures, advocates, academics, and business leaders in the art of principled compromise. For more information, please visit our website: www.bipartisanpolicy.org.

About United Against Nuclear Iran:

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a section 501(c)(3) organization. UANI is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power, possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. For more information, please visit www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com.

About the 92nd Street Y:

Founded in 1874 by a group of visionary Jewish leaders, the 92nd Street Y has grown into a wide-ranging cultural, educational and community center serving people of all ages, races, faiths and backgrounds. The 92nd Street Y's mission is to enrich the lives of the over 300,000 people who visit in person each year, as well as those who visit virtually through the Y's satellite, television, radio and Internet broadcasts. For more information please visit www.92Y.org.

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Meeting the Challenge of a Nuclear Iran, National Security Initiative