Netanyahu brings his Iran nuclear fight to Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramps up his mission to foil an emerging White House-backed nuclear deal with Iran with a speech on March 2 to the powerful pro-Israel AIPAC lobby.
      
Netanyahu has infuriated the White House and Democratic lawmakers by accepting an invitation by President Barack Obama's Republican foes to speak on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
      
Also addressing the 16,000 AIPAC delegates are Washington's United Nations envoy Samantha Power and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who last week slammed Netanyahu's move to speak before a joint session of the US Congress without the blessing of the administration.
      
A member of Netanyahu's entourage told journalists travelling with him on Sunday that there was no intention to offend Obama.
      
"We are trying to explain to the Americans what is causing us concern," he said on condition of anonymity.
      
"We know a great deal about the emerging agreement... In our view, it is a bad agreement."       

The official would not indicate the source of the "excellent information" Israelis have about the deal between the Islamic republic and the so-called P5+1 group that would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.        

But he said Netanyahu would elaborate in his congressional address.
      
In return for Tehran's agreement, the West would ease punishing sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, which Iran insists is purely civilian.
      
Israel worries that Iran and world powers will likely clinch a deal that eases sanctions without applying sufficiently stringent safeguards.
                      
Netanyahu's trip comes just four weeks before a March 31 target for a framework deal...