[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5737-S5738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FOREIGN AFFAIRS REFORM AND RESTRUCTURING ACT OF 1997

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.


                           Amendment No. 392

  (Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate on enforcement of the 
   Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 with respect to the 
             acquisition by Iran of C-802 cruise missiles)

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Utah [Mr. Bennett] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 392.

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following:

     SEC.   . SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ENFORCEMENT OF THE IRAN-IRAQ 
                   ARMS NON-PROFILERATION ACT OF 1992 WITH RESPECT 
                   TO THE ACQUISITION BY IRAN OF C-802 CRUISE 
                   MISSILES.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
       (1) The United States escort vessel U.S.S. STARK was struck 
     by a cruise missile, causing the death of 37 United States 
     sailors.
       (2) The China National Precision Machinery Import Export 
     Corporation is marketing the C-802 model cruise missile for 
     use against escort vessels such as the U.S.S. Stark.
       (3) The China National Precision Machinery Import Export 
     Corporation has delivered 60 C-802 cruise missiles to Iran 
     for use by vessels of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy.
       (4) Iran is acquiring land batteries to launch C-802 cruise 
     missiles which will provide its armed forces with a weapon of 
     greater range, reliability, accuracy, and mobility than 
     before.
       (5) Iran has acquired air launched C-802 cruise missiles 
     giving it a 360-degree attack capability.
       (6) 5,000 members of the United States Armed Forces are 
     stationed within range of the C-802 cruise missiles being 
     acquired by Iran.
       (7) The Department of State believes that ``[t]hese cruise 
     missiles pose new, direct threats to deployed United States 
     forces''.
       (8) The delivery of cruise missiles to Iran is a violation 
     of the Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 (50 
     U.S.C. 1701 note).
       (9) The Clinton Administration ``has concluded at present 
     that the known types [of C-802 cruise missiles] are not of a 
     destabilizing number and type''.
       (b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate to urge 
     the Clinton Administration to enforce the provisions of the 
     Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 with respect to 
     the acquisition by Iran of C-802 model cruise missiles.

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I spoke on this amendment this morning 
when the bill was under consideration. So I will not repeat most of my 
arguments at this point. It is stimulated by a report this morning from 
the Secretary of Defense, which indicates that the Chinese Precision 
Machinery Import-Export Corp. has exported multiple versions of the C-
802 missiles to Iran. I have notified the Senate in the past that this 
company has exported to Iran this particular missile for use first on 
ships, then for land-based operations, and today with Secretary Cohen's 
announcement we find that the missile will be made available to the 
Iranians--indeed, is available to the Iranians for use from the air. It 
can be fired either from an attacker or a helicopter.
  This is a reproduction from the Chinese promotional material that was 
used to sell this missile.
  One of the officers quoted in the briefing that the Secretary of 
Defense gave this morning said, with the addition of the air 
capability, the 15,000 American service men and women in the gulf now 
face a 360-degree threat from land, from sea, and from air.
  To demonstrate the power of the missile involved here, I remind the 
Senate that an Exocet missile 10 years ago struck the U.S.S. Stark and 
killed 37 American sailors. This missile is a more modern, more 
powerful, and more deadly version.
  Mr. President, I have been pressing the administration on this issue 
since the first of this year, having asked questions of Secretary 
Albright and submitting letters to Secretary Albright. All I have 
received is a comment from the State Department that they will 
``monitor'' the situation.
  Mr. President, that is simply not good enough. There are 15,000 
American service men and women within the range of these missiles in 
the Persian Gulf, and we need to stop this trade and stop it now. There 
is an ability to do this under what is called the Gore-McCain Act, 
which gives the President the opportunity to put sanctions on companies 
that violate the law and says you will not export this kind of weaponry 
to Iran.
  My amendment urges the administration to enforce the Gore-McCain Act 
and is nothing more complicated than that.
  With that, Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on my 
amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. SARBANES addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, has the Senator from Utah concluded his 
explanation of his amendment?
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I have, but I will remain for questions, 
if there are any. It is my understanding that the Senator from Alabama 
has a request for 5 minutes of morning business, for which I yield the 
floor so that he can make that request. But if the Senator from 
Maryland wishes to ask questions about my amendment, I will be happy to 
remain on the floor and respond.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, actually I was going to seek a 
unanimous-consent request in order to continue the work on the bill and 
offer another amendment.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I have no objection to that request. It 
is my understanding that the Senator from Alabama has a unanimous-
consent request.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator 
from Alabama be recognized for 5 minutes to speak as if in morning 
business, and that when the Senator from Alabama completes his 5 
minutes, I ask unanimous consent that the current amendment be set 
aside and that I be recognized to offer an amendment to the bill at 
that time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Alabama is recognized to speak as if in morning 
business for up to 5 minutes.

[[Page S5738]]

  Mr. SESSIONS. Thank you, Mr. President.
  I thank the Senators from Utah and Maryland for their hospitality.

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