[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     DEFENDING ISRAEL AGAINST IRAN

  (Mr. KIRK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, we all know there is a growing Iranian 
threat, focused mostly on the people of Israel.
  Earlier this year, Jane Harman joined my bipartisan letter with 70 
Members of Congress calling for the U.S. to extend our full ballistic 
missile defenses to protect Israel.
  Last night, the United States announced that we would make this key 
commitment. Secretary Gates told Defense Minister Barak that the first 
step will happen soon. America's most powerful radar, the X-Band, will 
soon defend Israel.
  This is a historic step that sends a powerful message to Iran: A 
future attack on Israel will likely fail. Our two democracies are 
sticking together to ensure the safety of free peoples, even in the 
Middle East.
  Yesterday's decision by America's defenders makes deterrence, 
diplomacy, and peace a much more likely future for the people of 
Israel.

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