[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 41 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2915-S2916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RAISING THE CASE OF ROBERT LEVINSON

  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Con. Res. 4 
and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) calling on the 
     President and the allies of the United States to raise the 
     case of Robert Levinson with officials of the Government of 
     Iran at every level and opportunity, and urging officials of 
     the Government of Iran to fulfill their promises of 
     assistance to the family of Robert Levinson and to share 
     information on the investigation into the disappearance of 
     Robert Levinson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, exactly two years ago today, 
Bob Levinson went missing while on a business trip to Kish Island, 
Iran. Bob Levinson checked out of his hotel on March 9, 2007, and got 
in a taxi cab to head to the airport.
  But he never checked in for his flight. The authorities in Dubai and 
surrounding countries have verified that Mr. Levinson never arrived on 
any flight from Iran or passed through passport control.
  I would like to recognize that Bob Levinson's wife Christine Levinson 
is in the Senate today with her sister Suzi Halpin.
  Many of my fellow Senators and their staffs have met with Christine 
and cosponsored the resolution we are aiming to pass today. She is a 
tireless advocate of her husband's case and I thank her and her sister 
for coming to Washington on this sad, but important day.
  So what happened to Bob Levinson? We still do not know, although a 
man named David Belfield, an American fugitive from justice residing in 
Iran, and one of the last people to see Bob Levinson on Kish Island 
before his disappearance, has claimed that the Government of Iran 
imprisoned Mr. Levinson.
  Mr. Belfield himself was detained by Iranian security services after 
meeting Bob Levinson at the hotel on March 8, 2007, the night before 
Mr. Levinson vanished.
  The Iranians claim they do not know what happened to Bob Levinson, 
but I believe they are not being completely forthcoming. They promised 
in December 2007 that they would share the results of their 
investigation into Bob Levinson's case with his family. President 
Ahmadinejad stated in July 2008 that Iranian authorities would 
cooperate with the FBI. We are still waiting for the promised 
assistance.
  Meanwhile, Christine and the rest of the Levinson family pray every 
day for Bob's return. The past 2 years have been incredibly hard on the 
family.
  In the intervening time, Bob Levinson has missed graduations and 
report cards and sports events. He has missed the first steps of his 
grandson Ryan, and the birth of his granddaughter Grace Olivia.
  I want to recognize the great personal courage Christine has shown in 
travelling to Iran in December 2007 to seek answers from the Iranians 
on what happened to her husband.
  She has steadfastly pursued this case for 2 years now, giving press 
interviews to publicize Bob's plight and seek leads on the case, 
engaging the Iranian Mission to the U.N., talking to Swiss diplomats, 
speaking at rallies, making trips to Washington to meet with Members of 
Congress and officials at the White House, the State Department and the 
FBI.
  At the same time, she also had to juggle all her other duties as a 
mother of seven and grandmother of two. I do

[[Page S2916]]

want to salute Mrs. Levinson, as well as her family and friends who 
have supported her during these trying times.
  So what is the next step? What can we do now?
  President Obama has called for a renewed diplomatic effort on Iran. 
Our new U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice has stated that the new 
administration will engage in ``direct diplomacy'' with the Iranians. 
Secretary Clinton said Tehran would be invited to an Afghanistan 
neighbors conference in the Netherlands at the end of the month.
  We obviously have serious disagreements with Tehran on a number of 
issues, including its nuclear program, its despicable policy towards 
Israel, and its support for the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
  But the U.S. and Iran have common interests as well. Peace in Iraq, 
as well as in Afghanistan, is in the interests of both Tehran and 
Washington. We can jointly confront the scourge caused by the narcotics 
drug trade.
  Cooperation on the case of Bob Levinson a humanitarian issue in my 
mind--must be a top issue if any future improvement in relations is to 
occur. It is but one small step we can take toward working together on 
this range of issues of mutual concern.
  During her confirmation hearing in January, I asked Secretary of 
State Hillary Clinton about Bob Levinson's case. She stated that ``it 
would be an extraordinary opportunity for the government of Iran to 
make such a gesture to permit contact, to release him, to make it clear 
that there is a new attitude in Iran, as we believe there will be with 
the Obama administration toward engagement, carefully constructed, and 
with very clear outcomes attempted.''
  We do not have direct diplomatic relations with Iran and our 
relations with Iran are difficult, to say the least. But I again call 
on the government of Iran to work with the U.S. and our allies to 
ensure Bob Levinson's return to this country and allow the Levinsons to 
return to a normal life.
  Those points are included in S. Con. Res. 4 which I introduced on 
February 3. I hope that we will be able to pass this resolution by this 
evening. I want to thank Senator Voinovich, as well as 16 other 
Senators, for joining me as cosponsors of this resolution.
  We cannot and we will not forget Bob Levinson or his family.
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be 
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any 
statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                             S. Con. Res. 4

       Whereas United States citizen Robert Levinson is a retired 
     agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a resident of 
     Florida, the husband of Christine Levinson, and father of 
     their 7 children;
       Whereas Robert Levinson traveled from Dubai to Kish Island, 
     Iran, on March 8, 2007;
       Whereas, after traveling to Kish Island and checking into 
     the Hotel Maryam, he disappeared on March 9, 2007;
       Whereas neither his family nor the United States Government 
     has received further information on his fate or whereabouts;
       Whereas March 9, 2009, marks the second anniversary of the 
     disappearance of Robert Levinson;
       Whereas the Government of Switzerland, which has served as 
     Protecting Power for the United States in the Islamic 
     Republic of Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations 
     between the United States Government and the Government of 
     Iran since 1980, has continuously pressed the Government of 
     Iran on the case of Robert Levinson and lent vital assistance 
     and support to the Levinson family during their December 2007 
     visit to Iran;
       Whereas officials of the Government of Iran promised their 
     continued assistance to the relatives of Robert Levinson 
     during the visit of the family to the Islamic Republic of 
     Iran in December 2007; and
       Whereas the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 
     Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated during an interview with NBC News 
     broadcast on July 28, 2008, that officials of the Government 
     of Iran were willing to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation in the search for Robert Levinson: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) commends the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran and the 
     Government of Switzerland for the ongoing assistance to the 
     United States Government and to the family of Robert 
     Levinson, particularly during the visit by Christine Levinson 
     and other relatives to Iran in December 2007;
       (2) expresses appreciation for efforts by Iranian officials 
     to ensure the safety of the family of Robert Levinson during 
     their December 2007 visit to Iran, as well as for the promise 
     of continued assistance;
       (3) urges the Government of Iran, as a humanitarian 
     gesture, to intensify its cooperation on the case of Robert 
     Levinson with the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran and to 
     share the results of its investigation into the disappearance 
     of Robert Levinson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
       (4) urges the President and the allies of the United States 
     to engage with officials of the Government of Iran to raise 
     the case of Robert Levinson at every opportunity, 
     notwithstanding other serious disagreements the United States 
     Government has had with the Government of Iran on a broad 
     array of issues, including human rights, the nuclear program 
     of Iran, the Middle East peace process, regional stability, 
     and international terrorism; and
       (5) expresses sympathy to the family of Robert Levinson 
     during this trying period.

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