[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM THREATENS THE WORLD

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                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my grave concerns over 
Iran's illicit nuclear program. In the midst of all the attention being 
paid to issues such as the economy and health care reform, we must not 
overlook the growing threat that Iran poses to the security of the 
United States and our allies in the Middle East. Every day, Iran is 
working to develop the capacity to produce a nuclear weapon, a point 
from which I fear there may be no return.
  The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has left no illusion of 
his desire to wipe Israel off the map. Through his emboldened and 
misguided leadership, Iran has exerted its hegemony throughout the 
Middle East with complete disregard for the truth and resolute 
intolerance.
  If Iran crosses the nuclear weapons threshold, I have no doubt that 
this will provoke a renewed race for nuclear arms in the Middle East. 
Radical political factions throughout the region will be empowered and 
moderates, who are working to develop a comprehensive peace agreement, 
will lose their much-needed support. Terrorist organizations such as 
Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Qaeda will be strengthened and emboldened to 
pursue a nuclear weapon of their own--which is our worst nightmare.
  Thanks to the Internet, we know that democracy and human rights in 
Iran are an illusion. Some Iranian leaders would argue with that 
assertion and also contend that their country has no interest in 
pursuing a nuclear weapons program. We cannot afford to rely on hollow 
assurances such as these.
  We need valid and thorough inspections immediately to verify exactly 
what Iran is doing with its nuclear program. The only way to deal with 
Iran's recalcitrant leaders is to leverage our political influence and 
force them to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, to 
conduct inspections. Unfortunately for the Iranian people, this means 
enacting the Iran Sanctions Act and the Iran Refined Petroleum Act, 
which would result in severe consequences for Iran and its people.
  There is no simple solution to Iran's threat. Measures we can take 
right now include enacting legislation and supporting policies that 
will force Iran's leaders to allow IAEA inspectors unfettered access to 
conduct nuclear weapons inspections. There is far too much at stake to 
rely on promises from the same Iranian leaders who openly profess their 
desire to wipe Israel off the map, deny allegations of human rights 
violations, and provoke violence around the world against those who 
embrace liberty and justice.

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