[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 25, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 351--RESPONDING TO THE THREAT POSED BY IRAN'S NUCLEAR 
                                PROGRAM

  Mr. BAYH submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 351

       Whereas Iran is precipitating a grave nuclear crisis with 
     the international community that directly impacts the 
     national security of the United States and the efficacy of 
     the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Treaty 
     on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at 
     Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968, and entered into 
     force March 5, 1970 (commonly referred to as the ``Nuclear 
     Non-Proliferation Treaty'');
       Whereas the United States welcomes a diplomatic solution to 
     the nuclear crisis, but the Government of Iran continues to 
     reject a peaceful resolution to the matter;
       Whereas, although the Government of Iran agreed to suspend 
     uranium enrichment activities and to sign and ratify the 
     IAEA's Additional Protocol on expansive, intrusive no-notice 
     inspections in 2003, it has repeatedly failed to live up to 
     its obligations under this agreement;
       Whereas the Government of Iran broke IAEA seals on some 
     centrifuges in September 2004, converted uranium to a gas 
     needed for enrichment in May 2005, limited IAEA inspectors to 
     a few sites, and said it would restart uranium conversion 
     activities;
       Whereas the Board of Governors of the IAEA declared in 
     September 2005 that Iran was in non-compliance of its Nuclear 
     Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations;
       Whereas Iran announced on January 3, 2006, that it would 
     resume uranium ``research'' activities at Natanz and invited 
     IAEA to witness the breaking of IAEA seals at the facility;
       Whereas the Government of Iran has acknowledged deceiving 
     the IAEA for the past 18 years for not disclosing an uranium 
     enrichment facility in Natanz and a heavy water production 
     plant in Arak;
       Whereas the Government of Iran's human rights practices and 
     strict limits on democracy have been consistently criticized 
     by United Nations reports;
       Whereas the Department of State stated in its most recent 
     Country Reports on Human Rights Practices that Iran's already 
     poor human rights record ``worsened'' during the previous 
     year and deemed Iran a country ``of particular concern'' in 
     its most recent International Religious Freedom Report;
       Whereas the Government of Iran funds terror and 
     rejectionist groups in Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon, Iraq, 
     and Afghanistan and is providing material support to groups 
     directly involved in the killing of United States citizens;
       Whereas Iran has been designated by the United States as a 
     state sponsor of terrorism since 1984, and the Department of 
     State said in its most recent Country Reports on Terrorism 
     that Iran ``remained the most active state sponsor of 
     terrorism in 2004'';
       Whereas President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made 
     repeated anti-American and anti-semitic statements, including 
     denying the occurrence of the Holocaust and Israel's right to 
     exist, and called on people to imagine a world without the 
     United States;
       Whereas Iran's recent acquisition of new anti-ship 
     capabilities to block the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to 
     the Persian Gulf and the decision by the Government of Russia 
     to sell the Government of Iran $1,000,000,000 in weapons, 
     mostly for 29 antiaircraft missile systems, is most 
     regrettable and should dampen United States-Russian 
     relations;
       Whereas the behavior of the Government of Iran does not 
     reflect that country's rich history and the democratic 
     aspirations of most people in Iran;
       Whereas the people of the United States stand with the 
     people of Iran in support of democracy, the rule of law, 
     religious freedom, and regional and global stability;
       Whereas, although Iran is subject to a range of unilateral 
     sanctions and some third country and foreign entities 
     sanctions, these sanctions have not been fully implemented;
       Whereas Iran remains vulnerable to international sanctions, 
     especially with respect to financial services and foreign 
     investment in its petroleum sector and oil sales, few foreign 
     nations have joined the United States in attempting to 
     isolate the regime in Iran and compel compliance with Iran's 
     international obligations;
       Whereas, although Iran may be one of the world's largest 
     exporters of oil, it does not have the refining capacity to 
     make the gasoline necessary to make its economy run and 
     currently imports 40 percent of its refined gasoline from 
     abroad;
       Whereas more complete implementation of United States 
     sanctions laws and the adoption of additional statutes would 
     improve the chances of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear 
     crisis with Iran;
       Whereas President George W. Bush has for 4 years given too 
     little attention to the growing nuclear problem in Iran 
     beyond rhetorical sound bites and has carried out an Iran 
     policy consisting of loud denunciations followed by minimal 
     action and ultimate deference of managing the crisis to 
     Europe, a policy that has been riddled with contradiction and 
     inconsistency and damaging to United States national 
     security;
       Whereas, had President Bush effectively marshaled world 
     opinion in 2002 and not wasted valuable time, diverted 
     resources, and ignored the problem in Iran, the United States 
     would not be faced with the full extent of the current 
     nuclear crisis in Iran;
       Whereas action now is imperative and time is of the 
     essence; and
       Whereas the opportunity the United States has to avoid the 
     choice between military action and a nuclear Iran may be 
     measured only in months: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the United States should cut assistance to countries 
     whose companies are investing in Iran's energy sector, 
     including pipelines to export Iranian crude;
       (2) supplies of refined gasoline to Iran should be cut off;
       (3) there should be a worldwide, comprehensive ban on sales 
     of weapons to Iran, including from Russia and China;
       (4) the United Nations Security Council should impose an 
     intrusive IAEA-led weapons of mass destruction inspection 
     regime on Iran similar to that imposed on Iraq after the 1991 
     Persian Gulf war;
       (5) the United Nations Security Council should adopt 
     reductions in diplomatic exchanges with Iran, limit travel by 
     some Iranian officials, and limit or ban sports or cultural 
     exchanges with Iran;
       (6) the President should more faithfully implement the Iran 
     and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note) 
     (commonly known as ``ILSA''), and Congress should--
       (A) increase the requirements on the President to justify 
     waiving ILSA-related sanctions;
       (B) repeal the sunset provision of ILSA;
       (C) set a 90-day time limit for the President to determine 
     whether an investment constitutes a violation of ILSA; and
       (D) make exports to Iran of technology related to weapons 
     of mass destruction sanctionable under ILSA;
       (7) the United States should withdraw its support for 
     Iran's accession to the WTO until Iran meets weapons of mass 
     destruction, human rights, terrorism, and regional stability 
     standards; and
       (8) the United States must make the Government of Iran 
     understand that if its nuclear activity continues it will be 
     treated as a pariah state.

                          ____________________