U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate this week to praise the economic sanctions against Iran just signed into law by President Obama. In his remarks, Senator Cardin highlighted the threat a nuclear Iran would pose to the United States, Israel and the world.
Video of Senator Cardin’s floor statement can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6tONGHH-hQ
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“I rise today to express my deep concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and to applaud new and tougher U.S sanctions recently passed by Congress.
“With both the sanctions imposed in U.N. Resolution 1929 and the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act becoming law, we are finally poised to inflict real damage to Iran’s nuclear program. That’s only true if we have strict enforcement both of the U.N. Resolution Sanctions and the sanctions imposed under the legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President.
“While Iran still clings to the myth that its recent Turkish-Brazilian compromise proposal is an antidote to the global and U.S. sanctions,
we must not waste time pretending this is a sign they are halting their nuclear program.
Under this proposal, Iran would ship only half of its low enriched uranium out of the country for further enrichment while continuing to violate a multitude of U.N. Security Council Resolutions. The international community cannot afford to be fooled by Tehran into slowing the implementation of the sanctions and this is precisely why we should step up pressure on the regime.
“Make no mistake: Iran wants to become a world nuclear power, with the ability to threaten Israel, the United States and the global community.
“Containing a nuclear Iran would be virtually impossible and this growing threat looms large in all international diplomacy. If they acquired this capability, it would be an unequivocal “game changer” in the Middle East and, indeed, throughout the world. An undeniable threat to Israel and the United States, a nuclear Iran cannot become a reality. We therefore must do all in our power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
“I am heartened to see the Administration embrace both tough global, but more importantly, stringent Congressional sanctions. The enactment of powerful and effective economic sanctions against Iran – and the foreign companies that do business with Tehran – will go a long way in further isolating this rogue nation.”