[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IRANIAN WEAPONS AND IRAQ RESOLUTIONS

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Senator Bond.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Virginia, truly a 
Virginia gentlemen and a good friend and a leader. I am most grateful.
  I join with my colleague from Idaho in saying Senator Lieberman's 
statement is one of a true statesman, one we all ought to take to 
heart. I commend it and I will make that required reading for anybody 
who asks about this issue.
  Three quick points. I was asked yesterday by the media why the 
drumbeat on Iran. Simple answer: Iran is providing the EFPs, the 
explosively formed penetrators that are killing more and more 
Americans. We have tried, by diplomatic pressure, to get Iran to stop. 
Now we have even caught a leader of the Quds Force, the Iranian elite 
special forces unit, that reports directly to the ayatollah. They are 
there. The Iranians' special forces are there.
  Some say, well, maybe the top leaders don't know. But how many folks 
believe your special forces are going to go someplace, have the devices 
that only Iran can make, and the top leaders not know anything about 
it? That is why the drumbeat on Iran. We ought to take out the Iranian 
fighters and stop the weapons coming in.
  Secondly, on this resolution, it not only downgrades General Petraeus 
and says that although we confirmed you unanimously, we don't believe 
in your mission, but it also says to our allies, the neighboring 
countries that have been brought in on this new strategy--a new 
strategy that General Petraeus is implementing--that they shouldn't 
bother to come in and help us stop the deterioration in Iraq, which 
could lead to chaos and a takeover, and it also says to the enemy we 
are not going to be there.
  I am taking an intel trip and will not be here for the vote. I am 
strongly opposed to cloture on this. So by being absent, I will deny 
those seeking the 60 votes my vote, and I strongly urge my colleagues 
who are here to vote no.

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