TRANSCRIPT

Whip Hoyer on Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
February 16, 2006

THE DISTINGUISHED DEMOCRATIC WHIP, CONGRESSMAN HOYER. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND IS RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES. MR. HOYER: MR. SPEAKER, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, NOT JUST AMERICA, IS BEING CHALLENGED AGAIN BY A DANGEROUS, DECEPTIVE LAWBREAKER WHOM DEFIANT -- WHOSE DEFIANT PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS THREATENS AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY. NOW, THIS IS AN OBLIGATION THAT THE IRANIANS UNDERTOOK FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY. IT WAS NOT IMPOSED UPON THEM. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS GRAVE AND GATHERING DANGER COMMANDS THE COLLECTIVE ATTENTION, EFFORT, AND ACTION OF THE INTIRE -- ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THIS TIME, THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WHICH ARE COMMITTED TO PEACE, SECURITY, AND THE RULE OF LAW MUST EMBRACE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, NOT FLINCH FROM THEM, AS UNFORTUNATELY HAS BEEN TOO OFTEN THE CASE. THROUGH THIS RESOLUTION TODAY, THE HOUSE SPEAKS WITH ONE VOICE IN CONDEMNING IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS THE MANY BREACHES AND FAILURES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN TO COMPLY WITH ITS NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION OBLIGATIONS. IN THIS RESOLUTION WE CALL ON ALL RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS DESIGNED TO DENY IRAN THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND TO ENCOURAGE ITS PEOPLE TO GET THE GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE ITS DANGEROUS AND RECKLESS POLICIES. WE URGE THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO IRAN'S NONCOMPLIANCE WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS. LET NO ONE HARBOR ANY ILLUSIONS, THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN WHICH IS RECOGNIZED AS A STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM BELIEVES IT CAN EXPLOIT INTERNATIONAL IRRESOLUTION AND IT WILL PREY ON VASCILLATION. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST STAND AS ONE AGAINST THIS LAWBREAKER WHOSE RECORD LEAVES NO DOUBT OF ITS MOTIVATIONS. IRAN FAILED TO PROPERLY DISCLOSE THE EXISTING OF A FUEL ENRICHMENT PLANT AND FACILITY AT NATANES UNTIL BOTH WERE REVEALED BY OPPOSITION GROUPS. IT HAS FAILED TO MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER ITS SAFEGUARD AGREEMENT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY TO REPORT ALL NUCLEAR MATERIAL IT HAS IMPORTED. IT CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON URANIUM CONVERSION PROCESSES, BUT ONLY AFTER IT DENIED DOING SO. ON FEBRUARY 4 IN RESPONSE TO A 27-3 VOTE BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY BOARD TO REPORT IRAN TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL, IRAN ENDED VOLUNTARY COOPERATION WITH THE AGENCY AND ANNOUNCED IT WOULD START LARGE-SCALE ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES. MAY I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE. MR. LANTOS: PLEASED TO YIELD AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE. MR. HOYER: I SUGGEST TO US AND TO OUR INTERNATIONAL ALLIES THAT STANDING SILENT, STANDING BACK, STANDING WITHOUT ACTION IS NOT AN OPTION. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT AN IRAN ARMED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONSTITUTES A THREAT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. LET ME REMIND ALL OF US, THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS INDICATED THAT THEY WEREN'T A THREAT TO US. THERE ARE 250,000 AMERICANS AS WE DEBATE THIS RESOLUTION RIGHT NOW IN RANGE OF IRANIAN WEAPONS. IT IS NOT JUST THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHO ARE PUT AT RISK. IT IS THOSE OF US WHO ARE THERE. AND SECURITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS PUT AT RISK. OUR CONCERNS ARE ONLY HEIGHTENED BY THE INFLAMMATORY, IRRESPONSIBLE STATEMENTS OF THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT WHO HAS STATED HIS HOPE FOR AND I QUOTE, A WORLD WITHOUT AMERICA. A WORLD WITHOUT AMERICA. THAT IS THE -- 30 ADDITIONAL SECONDS. I THANK THE GENTLEMAN. A WORLD WITHOUT AMERICA. THAT IS THE NATION THAT STANDS ON THE DOORSTEP OF BECOMING A NUCLEAR POWER. HE HAS FURTHER STATED HIS DESIRE TO "WIPE ISRAEL OFF THE MAP." THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT STAND STILL FOR THAT. AND FOR A REGIME THAT HAS THAT OBJECTIVE TO HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL MAKE IT MORE DANGEROUS IN AN EXTRAORDINARY GEOMETRIC WAY, THE MIDDLE EAST. MR. SPEAKER, WHEN THE SECURITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS IRAN'S FLAGRANT AND DECEPTIVE ABUSE IN MARCH, I URGE IT TO ACT AS ONE. TODAY I URGE US TO ACT AS ONE IN SENDING A VERY CLEAR, VERY CLEAR UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE THIS WILL NOT STAND.