Guest writer Scott Bates had it wrong in his Feb. 15 commentary, "Sen. Murphy's smart approach to Iranian nuclear negotiations." The bill proposed by Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and California Sen. Diane Feinstein - which Bates supports - would place the free world in jeopardy,

Sanctions did work. Sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table. But Murphy/Feinstein further enables Iran, which for the last year has taken advantage of the lack of U.S. leadership and continues to enrich uranium. Iran has stalled and continues to stall. And why not? The Murphy/Feinstein bill gives them unlimited time. It takes strength away from the coalition and placates the Europeans.

Even the threat of sanctions, let alone sanctions, would no longer be permissible. The strongest most effective negotiating chip we had as a coalition was sanctions.

The Iraq comparison is a canard and plays to the partisanship this bill represents. Kirk-Menendez is a bipartisan bill and will further the cause of controlling nuclear proliferation. Murphy/Feinstein promotes containment, not strength.

Their kind of diplomacy - diplomacy for its own sake - without results, is worthless. It is less than worthless, as it places the free world and the Arab world in grave danger.