[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSES FOR ISRAEL

  (Mr. KIRK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, hours ago Iran fired nine long-range missiles, 
including the improved Shahab-III that can hit the State of Israel. It 
is time for the United States to offer full ballistic missile defenses 
for Israel.
  Democracies are best when they stick together. We joined 10 years ago 
with the U.S. Army and Israeli military to build the medium-range Arrow 
missile defense system. While good, it offers Israel only a defense in 
the last minute. Three years ago we gave Israel ``Eyes in the Sky,'' 
early warning data that gave her warning time an increase from 1 minute 
to 11 minutes.
  Now, in the face of the rapidly growing Iranian threat, the G8 should 
think about sanctions, like a gasoline quarantine because Iran is 
totally dependent on half its gas from foreign tankers, most insured by 
Lloyds of London, and we can work with the British on that.
  But most importantly, we should follow the direction of 70 Democrats 
and Republicans in the Kirk-Harman letter to offer full ballistic 
missile defenses for Israel. Our defenses have five times the range of 
Israel's and can do the most to lower the rising tensions in the Middle 
East.

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