[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 89 (Friday, May 26, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7633-S7634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             RUSSIAN SALES OF SUBMARINES TO IRAN AND CHINA

 Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, the sale of Russian submarines to 
Iran and the People's Republic of China have the potential to 
significantly jeopardize regional stability and pose a grave threat to 
international trade. The United States must take a firm stand on this 
issue.
  Iran, which borders the Straits of Hormuz, has obtained two and is 
expected to take delivery of a third Russian Kilo class submarine. 
These submarines, particularly when armed with the wake-homing 
torpedoes that the Iranian's have tested, are optimized to cut off the 
passage of merchant shipping through the straits. Roughly 50 percent of 
the oil in international trade passes through these straits. Any 
interruption of this supply would result in an international energy 
crisis, and a sustained interruption would have dramatic economic 
consequences.
  We must ask ourselves, ``why are the Iranian's developing this 
capability?'' Could the answer be that they wish to close the straits? 
Clearly, it is not in our national interest to allow a country which 
sponsors international terrorism to do this, holding the world's oil 
supply and the key to the global economy hostage.
  The People's Republic of China is also buying modern Russian 
submarines. For what purpose? Their lawless efforts to seize control of 
the Spratley Islands already indicate an intent to control the South 
China Sea. Are these submarines intended to bolster this effort or are 
they intended to threaten our friends in Taiwan?
  As an island nation, Taiwan is desperately dependent on the free 
passage of shipping. If this were to be threatened or cut off, the 
Taiwanese economy would flounder. Would we, should we, allow this to 
happen? I think not. Taiwan is our sixth largest trading partner and, 
unlike the People's Republic of China, a democratic state.
  Since 1776 the United States has supported the freedom of navigation 
and must continue to do so. Twice in this century a country with a 
relatively small submarine force caused havoc with the merchant 
shipping of free nations. This can not happen again.
  The United States does not build submarines for foreign nations and 
neither should the Russians. We must increase our efforts to discourage 
the Russians from proliferating this, as well as other, dangerous 
technology and we must vigorously maintain our supremacy in 
antisubmarine warfare capabilities. Furthermore, we must make it 
absolutely clear to Iran and the People's Republic of China that the 
United [[Page S7634]] States can not, and will not, tolerate any action 
which impacts regional stability by threatening the merchant trade of 
peaceful nations.
  (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

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