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Trump Pledges to Dismantle “Catastrophic Deal” with Iran | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) afternoon general session in Washington March 21, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts


Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) afternoon general session in Washington March 21, 2016.      REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) afternoon general session in Washington March 21, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Washington-The presidential race shifts west on Tuesday, with voters in both parties deciding in Arizona and Utah, and Idaho Democrats holding caucuses.

As voters chose between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Utah, Arizona and Idaho Tuesday night, Sanders was taking his campaign to California. He is expected to hold a rally in San Diego.

On the other hand, Donald Trump released a verbal attack at Iran on Monday during a speech to the United States’ largest pro-Israel lobbying group, trying to reassure voters who were hesitant over some of his previous remarks about the Jewish state.

“I came here to speak to you about where I stand on the future of American relations with our strategic ally, our unbreakable friendship, and our cultural brother, the only democracy in the Middle East, the State of Israel,” Trump told a crowd of 18,000 who packed the Verizon Center in Washington, for AIPAC’s convention.

“My number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran,” the New York billionaire said in a rare scripted speech. “I know deal-making, and let me tell you, this deal is catastrophic — for America, for Israel, and for the whole Middle East.”

Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The speech followed remarks on the campaign trail that sparked concerns of his commitment to Israel, including at a town-hall event in February when he said he’d be “neutral” between Israel and the Palestinians.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton also delivered a tough speech to AIPAC. She sought to distance herself somewhat from Obama when she said that she would “vigorously oppose” a unilateral solution put forth by the U.N. Security Council, an option that the President is said to be exploring.

In a common matter, and after being asked about the names of his foreign policy advisers, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has revealed the first members of his foreign policy team.

The advisers include academics and former military officers with expertise in the Middle East and energy issues.

Mr Trump told the Washington Post that he would name more advisers in the coming days.

Several of his advisers have served as experts for other Republican presidential candidates such as Mitt Romney and Ben Carson.

On Monday, Mr Trump named retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, a long-time energy industry consultant Carter Page, an oil and energy consultant George Papadopoulos, counterterrorism expert and adviser to the House of Representatives Walid Phares and retired Gen Joseph Schmitz.

Phares, a professor at National Defense University and adviser to the US House of Representatives on terrorism, is a Lebanese-born, who moved to USA in 1990. He previously advised 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was also a high-ranking official in a Christian militia tied to massacres during Lebanon’s civil war. He was a former professor at Florida Atlantic University and Miami University.

The team is led by Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama who has helped shape Mr Trump’s policies, most notably on immigration.