[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 26 (Thursday, February 16, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 380--TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTING THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN FROM ACQUIRING NUCLEAR 
                           WEAPONS CAPABILITY

  Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Casey, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Brown of Ohio, 
Mr. Cardin, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Coats, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. 
Cornyn, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Heller, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. 
Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. McCain, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Menendez, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Portman, 
Mr. Pryor, Mr. Risch, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Wyden, 
Ms. Snowe, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. Sessions) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 380

       Whereas since at least the late 1980s, the Government of 
     the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in a sustained and 
     well-documented pattern of illicit and deceptive activities 
     to acquire nuclear capability;
       Whereas the United Nations Security Council has adopted 
     multiple resolutions since 2006 demanding the full and 
     sustained suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and 
     reprocessing activities by the Iranian Government and its 
     full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency 
     (IAEA) on all outstanding issues related to its nuclear 
     activities, particularly those concerning the possible 
     military dimensions of its nuclear program;
       Whereas on November 8, 2011, the IAEA issued an extensive 
     report that--
       (1) documents ``serious concerns regarding possible 
     military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme'';
       (2) states that ``Iran has carried out activities relevant 
     to the development of a nuclear device''; and
       (3) states that the efforts described in paragraphs (1) and 
     (2) may be ongoing;
       Whereas as of November 2008, Iran had produced, according 
     to the IAEA--
       (1) approximately 630 kilograms of uranium-235 enriched to 
     3.5 percent; and
       (2) no uranium-235 enriched to 20 percent;
       Whereas as of November 2011, Iran had produced, according 
     to the IAEA--
       (1) nearly 5,000 kilograms of uranium-235 enriched to 3.5 
     percent; and
       (2) 79.7 kilograms of uranium-235 enriched to 20 percent;
       Whereas on January 9, 2011, IAEA inspectors confirmed that 
     the Iranian government had begun enrichment activities at the 
     Fordow site, including possibly enrichment of uranium-235 to 
     20 percent;
       Whereas if Iran were successful in acquiring a nuclear 
     weapon capability, it would likely spur other countries in 
     the region to consider developing their own nuclear weapons 
     capabilities;
       Whereas on December 6, 2011, Prince Turki al-Faisal of 
     Saudi Arabia stated that if international efforts to prevent 
     Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons fail, ``we must, as a 
     duty to our country and people, look into all options we are 
     given, including obtaining these weapons ourselves'';
       Whereas top Iranian leaders have repeatedly threatened the 
     existence of the State of Israel, pledging to ``wipe Israel 
     off the map'';
       Whereas the Department of State--
       (1) has designated Iran as a ``State Sponsor of Terrorism'' 
     since 1984; and
       (2) has characterized Iran as the ``most active state 
     sponsor of terrorism'';
       Whereas Iran has provided weapons, training, funding, and 
     direction to terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, 
     and Shiite militias in Iraq that are responsible for the 
     murders of hundreds of American forces and innocent 
     civilians;
       Whereas on July 28, 2011, the Department of the Treasury 
     charged that the Government of Iran had forged a ``secret 
     deal'' with al Qaeda to facilitate the movement of al Qaeda 
     fighters and funding through Iranian territory;
       Whereas in October 2011, senior leaders of Iran's Islamic 
     Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force were implicated 
     in a terrorist plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's Ambassador 
     to the United States on United States soil;
       Whereas on December 26, 2011, the United Nations General 
     Assembly passed a resolution denouncing the serious human 
     rights abuses occurring in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 
     including torture, cruel and degrading treatment in 
     detention, the targeting of human rights defenders, violence 
     against women, and ``the systematic and serious restrictions 
     on freedom of peaceful assembly'' as well as severe 
     restrictions on the rights to ``freedom of thought, 
     conscience, religion or belief'';
       Whereas President Obama, through the P5+1 process, has made 
     repeated efforts to engage the Iranian Government in dialogue 
     about Iran's nuclear program and its international 
     commitments under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
       Whereas on March 31, 2010, President Obama stated that the 
     ``consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran are unacceptable'';
       Whereas in his State of the Union Address on January 24, 
     2012, President Obama stated: ``Let there be no doubt: 
     America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear 
     weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve 
     that goal'';
       Whereas Secretary of Defense Panetta stated, in December 
     2011, that it was unacceptable for Iran to acquire nuclear 
     weapons, reaffirmed that all options were on the table to 
     thwart Iran's nuclear weapons efforts, and vowed that if the 
     United States gets ``intelligence that they are proceeding 
     with developing a nuclear weapon then we will take whatever 
     steps necessary to stop it'';
       Whereas the Defense Department's January 2012 Strategic 
     Guidance stated that U.S. defense efforts in the Middle East 
     would be aimed ``to prevent Iran's development of a nuclear 
     weapons capability and counter its destabilizing policies'';
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) affirms that it is a vital national interest of the 
     United States to prevent the Government of the Islamic 
     Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability;
       (2) warns that time is limited to prevent the Iranian 
     government from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability;
       (3) urges continued and increasing economic and diplomatic 
     pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to secure an 
     agreement from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran 
     that includes--
       (A) the full and sustained suspension of all uranium 
     enrichment-related and reprocessing activities;
       (B) complete cooperation with the IAEA on all outstanding 
     questions related to Iran's nuclear activities, including--
       (i) the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty 
     Additional Protocol; and
       (ii) the verified end of Iran's ballistic missile programs; 
     and
       (C) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that 
     Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful;
       (4) expresses support for the universal rights and 
     democratic aspirations of the Iranian people;
       (5) strongly supports United States policy to prevent the 
     Iranian Government from acquiring nuclear weapons capability;
       (6) rejects any United States policy that would rely on 
     efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran; and
       (7) urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of 
     an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability and oppose any policy 
     that would rely on containment as an option in response to 
     the Iranian nuclear threat.

                          ____________________