[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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