[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11664-S11665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING PROLIFERATION OF MISSILE TECHNOLOGY
FROM RUSSIA TO IRAN
Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, I am pleased that the committee has reported favorably
Senate Concurrent Resolution 48, expressing the sense of the Congress
regarding proliferation of missile technology from Russia to Iran.
The committee held a hearing on alleged Russian ballistic missile
proliferation activities with Iran on October 8, but the committee did
not hold a specific hearing on Senate Concurrent Resolution 48. The
resolution was placed on the agenda of the committee's business meeting
for October 9, 1997. During the business meeting several members of the
committee raised questions about the intent, scope, and implication of
the resolution. Desirous of maintaining consensus, I postponed
consideration of the resolution until the questions were answered.
Specifically, questions arose regarding paragraph (2) of section (1)
of the resolution. After consultation, the sponsors and co-sponsors of
Senate Concurrent Resolution 48 agreed with the committee that the
resolution does not raise, suggest, or recommend reassessment of those
programs which are in the national security interests of the United
States. Accordingly, in the committee's view this interpretation
removes from consideration, under this resolution, any ongoing programs
and projects currently being conducted by the United States which seek
to reduce the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, their materials and know-how, as well as associated means
of delivery. The resolution is also not intended to affect cooperative
space programs between the United States and Russia. Nor is the
resolution intended to affect humanitarian assistance or the programs
of the National Endowment for Democracy, which promote democracy and
market economic principles. Finally, the committee intends that the
responsibility for making the determination regarding the adequacy of
the Russian response under paragraph (2) lies with the President.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, over the past few weeks, a series of
increasingly troubling reports have been published in the press
indicating Iran has nearly completed development of two long-range
missiles that will allow it to strike targets as far away as central
Europe. According to these press reports, Russian missile assistance
has been the critical factor that has enabled Tehran's missile program
to make such rapid progress.
In order to halt this dangerous trade, Representative Harman and I
have introduced a bipartisan concurrent resolution expressing the sense
of the Congress that proliferation of such technology and missile
components by Russian governmental and nongovernmental entities must
stop. Our resolution calls on the President to use all the tools at his
disposal, including targeted sanctions, to end this proliferation
threat, if these activities do not cease.
I join with Representative Harman, in clarifying that this resolution
is not intended to affect the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program or
similar U.S. government projects and programs which seek to reduce the
threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their
materials, know-how, as well as associated means of delivery currently
being conducted. But we need to be clear that those individuals who
proliferate will be penalized with the tools the U.S. has available.
Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, would the Senator yield?
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I would be happy to yield to the Senator from
Indiana.
Mr. LUGAR. I thank the Senator. I think we both agree that the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their materials, known-
how, as well as associated means of delivery might very well be the
number one national security threat facing the United States.
As the Senator knows, when his resolution was raised at the Committee
on Foreign Relations business meeting on October 9, 1997, I was
concerned about the meaning of paragraph (2) of section (1). Paragraph
(2) of section (1) states that: ``if the Russian response in
inadequate'' to Presidential demands that the Russian Government take
concrete actions to stop governmental and nongovernmental entities from
providing ballistic missile technology and technical advice to Iran,
``the United States should impose sanctions on the responsible Russian
entities in accordance with Executive Order 12938 on the Proliferation
of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and reassess cooperative activities
with Russia.''
I was joined by several colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee
who were also unsure of the intent of the Senator's language as well as
the definition of the term ``cooperative activities''. As the Senator
knows, many of our colleagues in Congress and in the executive branch
believe that our ongoing cooperative efforts with Russia to dismantle,
eliminate, destroy, and convert weapons of mass destruction, their
materials, know-how, as well as associated means of delivery is vital
of the national security interests of the United States. In particular,
I am proud of the steps of our Department of Defense, Department of
Energy and other executive agencies have made in reducing the threats
to the United States from weapons and materials of mass destruction.
I thank the Senator for taking the time to contact me personally and
for
[[Page S11665]]
working with me to ensure that this resolution does not have the
unintended consequence of calling in question these critical national
security programs. I believe the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program,
the Department of Energy's Material Protection Control and Accounting
Program, and others have played and will continue to play a critical
role in serving the national security interests of the United States.
Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Arizona.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Indiana and I assure
him that I support the Committee's report language which removes from
consideration, under this resolution, any ongoing programs and projects
which seek to reduce the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, their materials, and know-how; as well as cooperative
space programs between the United States and Russia and the programs of
the National Endowment for Democracy which promote democracy and market
economic principles in Russia.
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