[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 63 (Friday, May 7, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING CONCERN OF CONGRESS OVER IRAN'S DEVELOPMENT OF MEANS TO 
                        RPODUCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2004

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
resolution. I commend the Chairman and Ranking Member for bringing this 
important discussion to the Floor of the House.
  We are living in a dangerous and difficult time. It is absolutely 
essential that we continuously scan our world-through our intelligence 
agencies, through cooperation with our allies, and with the United 
Nations-to find threats to the American people and to the values that 
we hold dear. As the intelligence data rolls in, we need to have an 
honest and robust debate about how to deal with emerging threats.
  We must prioritize the dangers that face us, make difficult decisions 
about what are the most imminent threats, and focus on them. Without 
focus and resolve on truly pressing issues, we can undermine our own 
positions and the safety of the American people and our allies.
  Obviously, the focus of this nation has been turned to Iraq. That was 
the issue that the President chose to focus on; that is where we are 
losing men and women in combat; that is where we are spending hundreds 
of billions of dollars in taxpayer money. However, now we are realizing 
that perhaps Iran has been, and continues to be, a much more imminent 
and ominous threat to our well-being.
  As we as a nation make decisions about how to deal with that threat, 
this time we should have an open and honest dialogue here in Congress. 
That is why I believe this resolution is important.
  For over a decade, the United States has been trying to alert the 
world to Iran's efforts to covertly develop nuclear weapons. For many 
years, Iran has deceived the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 
and the world about the true purpose of its supposedly peaceful nuclear 
energy program.
  Iranian leaders, through the international nuclear black-market, 
acquired equipment and facilities to produce nuclear-weapons-grade 
uranium. As a result of IAEA inspections over the past fifteen months, 
we now know that Iran has acquired designs for sophisticated uranium 
enrichment equipment and has been hiding it for years. Iran has even 
experimented with material that could be used to initiate a nuclear 
detonation.
  Because Iran used the same supplier network that provided Libya with 
the blueprint for a nuclear warhead, we must assume that Iran may also 
have an operable nuclear bomb design.
  Recent limited cooperation with weapons inspectors, and diplomatic 
efforts, cannot overshadow the fact that Iran remains a real and 
unpredictable threat that we must face. This is now at crisis level. 
Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. We must keep the 
pressure on Iran, as the international community did with Libya, to 
push Iran off this most dangerous path.
  We must reach out to our friends and allies in the EU and elsewhere, 
and lead them to take strong action. America cannot bring about change 
in Iran on our own, especially with our soldiers spread thin in Iraq 
and Afghanistan already. It will take a truly global effort to bring 
about a peaceful resolution to this difficult situation.
  Mr. Chairman, this resolution sets a new standard for states to have 
access to technology for peaceful nuclear purposes. It declares that 
Iran, through its repeated and flagrant violations of its international 
obligations, has forfeited the right to be trusted with technology that 
can be misused to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. This is 
tough medicine, denying Iran a valuable source of energy--but it is 
necessary, to protect Ourselves and the region. Perhaps peaceful use of 
nuclear power can be a carrot that encourages the Iranian leadership to 
be a more trustworthy member of the international community.
  Mr. Chairman, this is truly a critical time in the history of the 
Middle East. Tensions of the past are now combining with technology of 
the future. Poor diplomacy over the past years has further fanned the 
growing flame. We need to find a way to put this fire out. I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution, to send a message to Iran and 
the world that this Congress is ready to make bold and strong moves to 
enforce the Non-Proliferation Treaty and international law.

                          ____________________