[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1816-E1817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              AHMADINEJAD

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, some things do not need to be 
elaborated on. Rudy Giuliani, a great American, recently spoke at a 
rally in New York City where 20,000 people showed up to protest the 
dictator Ahmadinejad and his corrupt regime. Ahmadinejad was in town to 
spew more of his hateful deology. This time, he interlaced his anti-
Semitic rhetoric with conspiracy theories on 9/11. This man does not 
speak for the Iranian people, who only want freedom to live their lives 
without the shackles of a regime bent on preserving its power at all 
costs. The courageous opposition group MEK, who organized the rally, is 
fighting for this very freedom. The State Department has got them 
wrong--they are not a terrorist organization and should not be listed 
as one. Mayor Giuliani agreed with me and I'd like to submit his 
comments for the record.

       God bless you and thank you very much for being here. I 
     come here today for a very simple reason, to stand with you 
     in support of the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution 
     of the United States and also the basic rights guaranteed by 
     the preamble to the United Nations Charter. We need to remind 
     the United Nations of what it stands for. According to the 
     preamble of the United Nitions, it exists to reaffirm faith 
     in fundamental rights in the dignity and worth of the human 
     person, and in the equal rights of men and women and of 
     nations large and small.
       The people of Iran are as entitled as all of us to make a 
     claim on the nations of the United Nations to reaffirm these 
     goals for them; and that is what you are here to do.
       For too long the world has acquiesced in a regime in Iran 
     that through mass murder, violence and intimidation has 
     denied basic rights of your brothers and sisters and friends 
     and relatives and has been a consistent supporter of 
     terrorism and of terrorist organizations beyond its borders.
       All of you are here today to cry out for the world to stand 
     with you and your brothers and sisters who are oppressed by 
     the brutal regime in Iran.
       They desire freedom! I desire freedom! We all desire 
     freedom! No one can deny you your desire for freedom! I 
     believe that desire is placed in your heart and soul by the 
     Creator! It comes from above. Not from here, not from below, 
     but from above. It is a basic human desire that the people of 
     Iran are entitled to and it is a basic human desire that all 
     good people should support.
       And if this institution that stands behind us, the United 
     Nations, wants to reclaim its lofty goal of protecting human 
     rights; which is a goal that has alluded it for many many 
     years, then it must stand with you against the regime in 
     Iran, against the brutalization that goes on in Iran, and 
     against the supporting of terrorism.
       And it is time here in America to right a wrong that has 
     been done to you and your cause out of a misguided notion 
     that the violent and tyrannical regime of Iran could be 
     mollified. It is about time that we change the listing of the 
     People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran as a terrorist 
     organization.
       I've studied terrorism for much longer that I'd like to 
     admit. For over 35 years. I have investigated terrorism, and 
     I've seen firsthand, in my city, the devastation that 
     terrorism can bring about.
       This is not a terrorist organization. This is an 
     organization dedicated to achieving freedom and dignity for 
     its people.
       It is time for the rest of our Congress to join 823 
     members--Democrats and Republicans--who have supported House 
     Resolution 1431 which calls for the lifting of this unjust, 
     unfair and inaccurate designation. It has been lifted by the 
     British government; it has been lifted by the European Union; 
     it should be lifted by the United States Congress and 
     President Obama should support it as a defender of freedom.
       Just as this great country of America is described as the 
     last best hope for humanity, you and your cause are truly the 
     best hope for Iran.
       Your quest is as legitimate as solidarity was for Poland.
       And it took lovers of freedom and leaders of historical 
     consequence like Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pope 
     John Paul, to stand with Solidarity no matter the 
     consequences.
       Your goals are our goals, they are the goals of a decent 
     people; you want to guarantee equal rights for men and women; 
     you want to see freedom of religion and speech and press; 
     freedom of assembly in Iran, you want Iran that does not 
     threaten the existence of other nations; and you want an Iran 
     that is under no circustances a nuclear power.
       It is your members and associates who have consistently 
     drawn open the secret curtain that Iran tries to draw on its 
     plans to develop nuclear weapons.
       It is your members who have risked their lives and lost 
     their lives revealing the plans and steps of Ahmadinejad and 
     the regime to acquire nuclear weapons.
       Without your brave investigations and revelations, America 
     and the world would still be laboring under the inaccurate 
     information that was contained in the National Intelligence 
     Estimate of 2007 that said Iran had appeared to abandon its 
     plans to build nuclear weapons. Your members, your 
     associates, revealed that to be incorrect, inaccurate, and 
     dangerously wrong.
       If the history of the 20th century has taught us anything, 
     it is that we must confront tyrants, oppressors, bullies and 
     terrorists as early as possible.
       Acquiescence only leads to increasing loss of human life 
     and human liberty.
       For too long the world has stood still as the people of 
     Iran, particularly those of you desiring freedom, have been 
     oppressed, imprisoned and slaughtered by a regime that has no 
     right to exist.
       It's time to make common cause with you in your noble 
     quest.
       It is a risk that is worth taking.
       It is a cause that is worth the risk.
       If the forebears of this country didn't take the risk for 
     freedom, then this great nation would not exist.
       Your people, the people of Iran, are willing to fight for 
     freedom; you are willing to speak out against horrible 
     atrocities to human dignity. And when they do, this country, 
     America, should strongly stand with them, and speak out for 
     them.
       No more silence! Where is our Ronald Reagan when we need 
     him? Ronald Reagan

[[Page E1817]]

     would have stood with the people of Iran, strongly, bravely, 
     and forthrightly. When they sought to protest the 
     inaccuracies and illegitimacy of the elections in Iran, 
     Ronald Reagan would have America standing with them toe to 
     toe, body to body and person to person, as he did with 
     Solidarity. Where is our Ronald Reagan when we need him?
       One of the most monumental celebrations of freedom was on 
     Christmas Day, 1989 in Berlin.
       It was in the city of Berlin that severs years earlier 
     Ronald Reagan standing by the wall that then divided the free 
     from the oppressed and stood in front of that wall and he was 
     not afraid to stand up and said, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down 
     this wall.''
       Now, in our time, we need a Ronald Reagan to cry out to the 
     oppressors of your people to tear down the wall of tyranny, 
     tear down the wall of oppression, tear down the wall of 
     terrorism, and of slaughter.
       On that Christmas Day of 1989 in Berlin the wall had been 
     torn down because brave people like Ronald Reagan and many 
     others were willing to stand with protesters and the 
     oppressed in those communist countries. They weren't afraid 
     to speak out and they weren't afraid to confront. Leonard 
     Bernstein conducted a performance of Beethoven's ninth 
     symphony that day and he called it a ``celebration of human 
     freedom.'' I hope and I pray that you and I will go to Iran 
     together; I hope we can have a celebration of freedom for the 
     people of Iran because a celebration of freedom for Iran will 
     be the celebration of freedom for all of us.
       But that day is not going to come about by begging 
     Ahmadinejad to negotiate. It is not going to come about from 
     weakness. Bullies thrive from weakness. Tyrants are 
     encouraged by weakness. They know only one thing: Strength. 
     They must be confronted with America's strength, not 
     America's weakness. America, the world, all of us must make 
     it plain that under no set of circumstances will Ahmadinejad 
     be allowed to have nuclear weapons. That is not negotiable. 
     No discussion. No argument. No debate.
       No! No! No, to nuclear weapons!
       And instead, I say Yes to freedom, Yes to democracy, Yes to 
     a free press, Yes to freedom for women, Yes to human dignity 
     for Iran and for all of us.
       God bless you in your noble pursuit! I stand with you and 
     all freedom loving people stand with you. God bless you.

                          ____________________