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Munich, Germany -In an address to the Munich Conference on Security Policy Saturday Evening, Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) urged NATO to take action against the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Lieberman also called on the U.S. and EU to play an active role in preventing Iran from building a nuclear arsenal.
"If we fail to do more to prevent genocide against millions of vulnerable and isolated people, we are turning our backs on the fundamental humanitarian values of our societies, and forgetting the lessons of our history," Lieberman said. "Darfur is a place where meaningful NATO assistance can be important, effective, and life saving."
Lieberman called on NATO to do more in Darfur to equip, train, and supplement the 7,000 person African Union (AU) force trying to restore order there. He also urged NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over part of Darfur to stop aggression from the air by Sudanese forces.
Speaking of Iran, Lieberman warned that the stability and well being of both the EU and the U.S. are threatened by Iran's program to develop nuclear weapons. Lieberman pointed to recent comments by Iran's President Ahmadinejad, who asked an audience to realize a "world without the America" and recommended "wiping Israel off the map."
"Iran will test us all," Lieberman said. "If we ignore the threat it poses, or cover it with endless and hopeless negotiations, we will regret it. Given the recent agreement among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that Iran will be 'reported' to that body, I urge our respective governments to pursue vigorous measures under UN auspices to induce Tehran to abandon its aspiration for a nuclear arsenal."
Lieberman offered his remarks during a panel discussion on NATO's Role in Preventing Genocide in Darfur and Nuclear Weapons Development in Iran. He argued that NATO action on Darfur and Iran is consistent with The Alliance's Strategic Concept of April 1999 that stated that NATO "has committed itself to essential new activities in the interest of a wider stability."
As they have in the past several years, Lieberman and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) are leading a delegation of Senators and House members to the 42nd annual conference, the premier discussion forum on issues of international security that brings together political officials from more than 40 countries, military officials, and business leaders.
Read text of Lieberman's remarks, as prepared for delivery.
Listen to Senator Lieberman's remarks at the conference
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