TOP STORY.
AT PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU SAYS THAT HE HAS PILES
OF PROOF THAT IRAN HAS CONTINUED
THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
THEY SAY THEY HAVEN'T.
MICHAEL IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
HE SERVED AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN
TEL AVIV AND NOW HE'S AT THE
WASHINGTON INSTITUTE.
HI, MICHAEL.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, SHEP.
>> Shepard: HOW MUCH OF THIS IS
NEW, FIRST?
>> IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW MUCH OF IT
MIGHT BE NEW.
HE SAID THERE'S 100,000
DOCUMENTS.
OBVIOUSLY SOME TIME WOULD BE
REQUIRED IF IT'S NOT ALREADY
DONE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO SIFT
THROUGH THAT TO SEE WHAT WE
ALREADY DIDN'T KNOW.
A LOT OF IT LOOKS FAMILIAR.
THE IDEA THAT IRAN WAS NOT
EXACTLY FORTHCOMING ABOUT THEIR
NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM IN THE
PAST IS NOT NEW TO U.S. POLICY
MAKERS.
>> Shepard: AND YET THE UNITED
STATES PEOPLE SAY THAT THE
INTERNATIONAL INSPECTORS ARE
GETTING THEIR JOB DONE AND IRAN
IS COMPLYING WITH THE DEAL.
WHAT WOULD THE CONSEQUENCES BE
OF BACKING OUT OF THAT?
>> JUST ONE QUICK POINT ON THE
FIRST PART.
THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED BY THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS NOT
IRAN'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE DEAL,
BUT IT'S THE DEAL ITSELF.
IT'S NOT STRONG ENOUGH.
IRAN WASN'T REQUIRED TO REALLY
COME CLEAN ON THIS PAST NUCLEAR
WEAPONS WORKING TO ADMIT IT.
THAT'S STOPPED INSPECTORS FROM
ESTABLISHING A BASELINE FOR
THEIR INSPECTION ACTIVITIES.
IF THE U.S. PULLS OUT, IN A
SENSE WE'RE STARTING FROM
SCRATCH.
WE'LL TRY TO REVIVE THAT
ECONOMIC PRESSURE THROUGH
SANCTIONS WHICH EXISTED BEFORE
THE DEAL.
PRIVATE SECTOR FIRMS WILL HAVE
NO CHOICE TO COMPLY IF IT'S I
RAN AND THE UNITED STATES
MARKETS BUT WE'LL BE DOING IT
WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF OUR
PARTNERS THAT WILL BE UPSET
ABOUT IT.
>> Shepard: THOSE PARTNERS
INCLUDING UNITED KINGDOM AND
GERMANY WHO WERE JUST -- AND
FRANCE WHO WERE JUST HERE.
THEY SEEM INTENT OKAY, WE CAN
WORK ON OTHER THINGS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS DEAL STICK.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THE BASIC BARGAIN IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN DRIVING
AT, WE'LL STICK WITH THE DEAL,
WE'LL STAY IN THE JCPOA IF YOU
GUYS WORK WITH US TO NUMBER 1
CORRECT ITS FLAWS AND THAT'S
FLAWS LIKE SOME OF THOSE WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT TODAY AND ADDRESS
IRAN'S ACTIVITIES MORE BROADLY
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD BARGAIN IF
WE CAN GET IT.
IF WE CAN'T GET IT, IT RAISES
OTHER QUESTIONS.
WITHDRAWING AND THROWING ALL
THAT WORK OUT DOESN'T SEEM VERY
WISE.
>> THE DEMONSTRATION THAT PRIME
MINISTER NETANYAHU REMINDED ME
AGO.
IF TRUE, IF WHOEVER WAS GOT THE
DOCUMENTS AND THEY ARE WHAT THE
PRIME MINISTER SAYS WHAT THEY
ARE, ARE YOU IMPRESSED BY THAT?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY.
JUST THE INTELLIGENCE FEAT
ITSELF IS VERY IMPRESSIVE, THIS
IS A REAL COUP.
THE ISRAELIS DESERVE A LOT OF
COMMENDATION FOR THAT.
WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANYBODY
IN THIS TROVE, WHICH IS
SUBSTANTIALLY NEW AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY WHETHER IT SHOWS ANY
OF THIS WORK IS I DON'T KNOW
GOING, WHICH WOULD BE THE
SMOKING GUN IS REALLY THE KEY
QUESTION.
WE HAVE TO DIG INTO THAT AND
PROBABLY FOLLOW UP WITH
INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS AS
WELL.
>> Shepard: HOW CONCERNED ARE
YOU WITH TENSIONS AS RELATES TO
SYRIA, IRAN AND ISRAEL?
CONOR POWELL IS A LONG-TIME
WORKED THERE, SOUNDED FROM HIS
TONE LIKE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.
>> I CAN TELL YOU FROM WHAT I
UNDERSTAND, THE ISRAELIS ARE
WORRIED ABOUT IT AND WE SHOULD
ALL BE WORRIED ABOUT IT.
THE IRANIANS HAVE BEEN TRYING
HARD TO BEEF UP THEIR MILITARY
PRESENCE.
THE ISRAELIS SAID THAT'S NOT
TOLERABLE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE
ONE DAY THAT IRAN COULD HAVE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THEN YOU
HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH