Representative Ike Skelton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Lara Battles or
Wednesday, February 1, 2006	Whitney Frost (202)225-2876

SKELTON STATEMENT ON U.S. POLICY TOWARD IRAN

Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO), the Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, addressed the U.S. House of Representatives today on U.S. policy concerning Iran. A copy of Congressman Skelton’s remarks is attached.

Remarks of Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO)
Special Order – U.S. House of Representatives

Thousands of Americans have lost their lives and billions of US dollars have been spent in the war in Iraq. This war has dangerously overstretched our military and preoccupied our country for almost 3 years now. And it still has no end in sight.

And after all this, what a tragedy and disaster it will be if the real winner of this war is not the Iraqi people, nor a more secure and democratic Middle East, but rather Iran- a country that supports terrorism and opposes most of what we stand for. Yet today, this possible scenario is exactly what we face.

Iran has used our preoccupation in Iraq to its advantage. While we have searched for non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq- Iran has pursued its own nuclear ambitions. Now, with its decision to resume uranium enrichment, Iran is dangerously closer to having the capability to produce nuclear weapons. And press reports today link Iran’s supposedly peaceful nuclear program to its military work on high explosives and missiles.

At the same time, Iran has deeply insinuated itself in Iraq. It has taken advantage of Iraq’s porous borders, and is supporting anti-American efforts there. Its goal is to promote a Shiite-dominated anti-American state that can strengthen Iran’s military, economic and political power in the region.

But even before its latest nuclear pursuits and involvement in Iraq- Iran’s actions have been seriously troubling. It has pursued dangerous chemical, biological and ballistic missile capabilities; supported terrorists; and undermined the Middle East peace process. And amidst all of this, Iran’s leaders have escalated their anti-Semitic rhetoric- threatening to wipe Israel off the map.

Yet, rather than handle Iran’s nuclear situation and involvement in Iraq early and decisively with a sophisticated policy that also addresses the broader problems posed by the country- this administration largely relied on the Europeans to sort things out.

As a result, the nuclear situation is now an international crisis. And we risk having a radical anti-American regime armed with nuclear weapons entrenched as the dominant power in the Middle East. We simply cannot let this happen. Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon. It must respect Iraq’s sovereignty. And it must become a constructive member of the international community.

While cooperation with our allies and strategic partners is critical, the US must take the lead here. The agreement brokered by Secretary Rice this week to report Iran to the UN Security Council is encouraging. But action by the Council is uncertain and may not resolve the nuclear crisis or much else. The administration must put forth the necessary plan. And Congress must do its part. Today, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on this matter and will do more.

There are no simple answers or easy solutions. But one thing is clear- the administration, with Congress, must be more engaged and must get this right. Other countries will be closely watching the situation. And there are serious implications for the security of our nation, stability in the Middle East, and the nonproliferation regime.

We must address the immediate nuclear crisis, but must also account for the complexity of the situation and broader longer-term issues involved. And we must consider all tools at our disposal. Yet, there are limits to what we can accomplish militarily. And sweeping sanctions could cause more harm than good. Still, there are many tools available that this administration has unfortunately failed to utilize effectively- or at all. Here are some of them.

We should actively support the IAEA’s efforts.
We should pursue more focused and vigorous diplomacy and encourage China, Russia and India to play key roles.
We should develop necessary human intelligence capabilities.
We should cultivate US support among the Iranian population- and substantially increase democracy promotion efforts that encourage the population to demand more moderate leadership.
Specifically, we should increase communication through tv, radio and the internet.
We should convey a coordinated US policy.
We should widely disseminate information about the regime’s repression and corruption.
We should provide effective assistance to Iranian dissidents and pro-democracy NGOs in the US.
We should increase cultural, academic and professional opportunities for Iran’s youth and women.
Additionally, we should consider “smart sanctions,” as well as incentives, that would target Iran’s leadership, avoid harming the Iranian population and have strong international support. For example, we should sanction overseas assets of corrupt leaders.
Also, we should encourage Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, which Iran uses to project power.
We should limit Iran’s ability to disrupt oil and gas supplies and increase energy prices. This includes reducing the vulnerability of Middle Eastern energy resources to Iranian- backed terrorist attacks, and decreasing US reliance on such resources.
And, the administration must improve its strategy in Iraq- to better secure borders and dissuade support for Iranian-backed Shiites.

We simply cannot allow Iran to emerge as the real winner in the war in Iraq. This must be a top bipartisan priority. I stand ready for this difficult yet critical task and ask my colleagues to join me.

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Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) serves as Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. For further information, please contact Lara Battles or Whitney Frost at (202)225-2876, or check Congressman Skelton's web site at http://www.house.gov/skelton.