U.S. officials: We're ready to take action against Iran
At Senate hearing, American lawmakers express skepticism that Iran would negotiate in good faith.
By The Associated Press Tags: Iran US Israel news Iran nuclearAdministration officials told impatient lawmakers Tuesday that they are ready to take swift and substantial action against Iran if it disregards current diplomatic efforts to stop its alleged nuclear weapons program.
At a Senate Banking Committee hearing, lawmakers expressed skepticism that Iran would negotiate in good faith. They said they would not wait long before acting on legislation to impose tough new sanctions on the Tehran government.
Banking Committee Chairman Sen. Christopher Dodd, a Democrat, said he planned to move forward this month on a proposal to extend restrictions on financial transactions, impose new sanctions on oil and gas pipelines and tankers, restrict exports of certain refined petroleum products to Iran and impose a broad ban on imports from Iran.
He said the world, and particularly the Iranian government, "must know that the United States won't wait long to act and Congress wants action: The fear here collectively is that the Iranian government is taking us to the cleaners on this issue."
Administration officials at the hearing stressed that sanctions against Iran are most effective if imposed by a united international coalition.
Undersecretary of the Treasury Stuart Levey told the panel: The less united we are in applying pressure, the greater the risk our measures will not have the impact we seek.
Last week, the United States and five allies held talks with Iran in Geneva where Iranian officials agreed to open its newly disclosed nuclear plant to United Nations inspectors and take other steps to show it is not trying to develop nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Barack Obama said the talks were a constructive beginning, while adding that his administration was working with Congress on new actions targeting Iran's energy, financial and telecommunications sectors in the event Iran did not live up to its promises.
James Steinberg, deputy secretary of state, told the hearing that the administration was realistic about prospects for engaging with the Iranian government. But he said the current dual-track strategy of diplomatic talks with the threat of punitive action was helping develop a strong consensus within the international community if the talks falter.
He said it would be clear by the end of this month whether Iran is serious about meeting two specific commitments: providing access to the newly revealed nuclear facility and shipping low enriched uranium out of the country.
"Our patience is not unlimited," he added.
Levey said that "with targeted sanctions backed by a broad coalition of governments, we can at the very least demonstrate to the Iranian government that there are serious costs to any continued refusal to cooperate with the international community."
International concerns about Iran's nuclear work grew Tuesday with an Iranian newspaper report that the country plans to install a more advanced type of centrifuge at its newly revealed uranium enrichment site near the holy city of Qom
Iran insists its enrichment work is only meant for use in generating power, but Washington and its allies are suspicions of Tehran's intentions and fear its mastery of the technology will give them a pathway to weapons development.
"Despite years of diplomatic efforts, Iran has continued to choose a collision course with the free world," said Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican. Brownbeck and Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, are promoting a bill that would allow state and local governments and universities to divest their assets from any company that invests $20 million or more in Iran's energy sector.
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I make 'holocaust' history one of my preoccupations too. But, unfortunately, Haaretz does not publish much of what I write on that topic. Get your licks in while you can. I was especially surprised that they let your Jabotinsky quote go through. The editors don't much care for quotes from famous zionists. They're too revealing.
"they can for one voice their opinion without being tortured and sent to jail." Are you sure about that, Captain? Is that what you read in the newspapers? Have you been to Iran and seen the torturing and jailing there up close? BTW, How about some other free countries, like Germany, Austria, Romania and Australia. These "free" countries send people to jail all the time for expressing opinions. Ever heard of Ernst Zundel, Germar Rudolf, David Irving, Dr. Fredrick Toben? Ask them.
What country is created on land stolen from it's murdered victims? What country has nukes and refuses to even sign the NPT? What country has attacked it's neighbors? What country has spied on and attacked the hand that feeds it? What country is a criminal and should not exist? No, I am not a Moslem and I am as American as can possibly be. We are beginning to awaken.
Published in Ha'aretz Daily in 1923. ".... Settlement can thus develop under the protection of a force that is not dependent on the local population, behind an IRON WALL which they will be powerless to break down. ....a voluntary agreement is just not possible. As long as the Arabs preserve a gleam of hope that they will succeed in getting rid of us, nothing in the world can cause them to relinquish this hope. Your "hero" Vladimir jabotskinsky.
"Strictly speaking, it is incorrect to call an anscient Israeli a "Jew" or to call a contemporary jew an "Israelite" or a "Hebrew"." This is an exact quote from the 1980 Jewish almanac, a book written by Jews for Jews and about Jews. Israeli Jews and most other Jews also currently have a hero named Vladimir Jabotinsky. Here is a quote from this creature: "As long as the Arabs preserve a gleam of hope that they will succeed in getting rid of us, nothing in the world can cause them to relinquish this hope, precisely because they are not a rubble but a living people. And a living people will be ready to yield on such fateful issues only when they give up all hope of getting rid of the Alien Settlers." I have researched the so called Jewish holocaust for seven years. Certainly there were bad things happened to Jews and many were placed in prison camps. Bad things happened to others also who were not Jews and they were placed in those same prisons. Gas chambers and 6 million is a lie.
"what makes USA and ISRAEL freer than Iran"?? would someone kindly tell hollingsworth that they can for one voice their opinion without being tortured and sent to jail.
But since Mahmoud is just a little punk, I'm not sure what to call it. What's it called when someone steps on a twig? Maybe we'll just whisper, "Snap, Crackle, Pop," if Punky doesn't take us seriously.
It only alleged, no one is even sure of anything every report says alleged, its all alleged, remember it was alleged that Iraq had WMDs, its was all alleged for our TV screens nothing more.
""Every one knows Iran doesn`t start wars. A little peace and quiet please."" "LOL. do you actually believe what you write ?" Why don't you prove Lou Medel wrong by making a list of all the wars Iran has started?.......................................... ......Still waiting. And please don't tell me arming Lebanon with the means to defend itself is "starting a war."
Sanctions will do nothing but hurt the US. Do you think the US has the ability to control 250,000 pissed off citizens which are about to revolt against the current administration because they have been taxed into high hell and don't have homes to live in?
and France, England and Germany. That's the "international community" which does not seem to include the other 100 countries
The problem is that there is not enough opposition to the current administration and listening to a Scott Ritter interview lately, he explains that 4 out of 5 Iranians still support the current president of Iran. The media blows up when the candidate they want to win doesn't, and they support Karzai in Afghanistan even though it's as much wrought with fraud. Want to take a wild guess why there is media bias?
All this just sounds like the lies we heard about Iraq. What hey should do is inspect Israels Weapon Cache - they are the offenders.As for America - it ued to be the land of the brave and the free. Now its the land of the ignorant- uneducated and gun toting idiots.. Busch's No Child Left Behind Program left a lot of children behind .. God help us all. Now the even fake the Polls. Truth is that the majority of Americand Do NOT want another war.
Because Itan would about to go nuclear and strike Israel as she has promised so many times
Well, of course the U.S. Congress is Israeli Occupied Territory. The better advice is divest of U.S. stocks, the American taxpayer and consumer has gone broke paying for war for Israel.
The hard reality that no one in Israel and the (Israeli owned) US Congress can seem to understand is, there is absolutely NOTHING the US or Israel can do to Iran that will not backfire and make life in Israel and the US very miserable. Money is fungible and can be routed from Iran through Dubai, China and Russia, none of which will the US be able to "punish." Keeping Iran from getting manufactured goods does not work because Iran just buys the raw materials and builds what they need (witness the Iran designed and built high performance centrifuges). Attacking Iran will just destroy Israel physically and the US economically. CHECKMATE! All meaningless bluster.
Or will it be those fine and famous Persian carpets this time (only to discover they are actually made in Vietnam or the Philippines)? Plenty of boys already hamstering refined gasoline on the wild spot market in Rotterdam for nicy nicy future profits to be made in Tehran, I suppose. Good luck America and do not forget Obama: A man's only true friend is his dog, even when it was a present for his daughters.
Medel - ""Every one knows Iran doesn`t start wars. A little peace and quiet please."" Alan "LOL. do you actually believe what you write ?" Medel writes whatever Farakhan, Jackson & Wright tell him to!
sheep! The Iranians have been attacked by the US using Sadam as their proxy not to mention their coup in the 50's when they reinstalled the shah if anyone should be LOL it should be those of us who are informed but when we see the propagandic pablum people like you regurgitate it makes one feeling like crying at how propaganda has infected the herd......PEACE Ever?
To all people who are absolutely certain that Iran can't wait to bomb Israel...... Israel has loads of Nukes, and they know it, and like in the Cold War, when both sides have.. Besides that, a nuclear war would destroy all of us, and they know that as well. Why are people not thinking?? OK, the war-mongers want people to believe that we HAVE to attack Iran otherwise, it will attack us with a nuclear bomb, but that is ridiculous. But then again... I guess we have to keep fueling the economy and the military, so we will have to go to war, and do the dirty job for you, as usual.
Israel has the obligation to permit Inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities if it wants Iran to do the same.Otherwise it will be Double Standards!
"I have a suggestion congress-- support opposition groups in Iran" - David G We have spent tens of millions supporting Kurds in the West and Sunni's in Sistan and Baluchistan. They have been fighting hot insurrections. We eventually had to stop supporting the PKK after they kept attacking Turkey. The Jundallah in the SE have been very active and we (and Saudi) are still supporting and arming them.
The hardliners will only benefit from a US/Israel attack that will of course result in the death of hundreds of thousands of children. Don't do it. Support the opposition instead!
"Despite years of diplomatic efforts, Iran has continued to choose a collision course with the free world," said Sen. Sam Brownback,.." Since I honestly don't know what the "free world" is. Israel and the U.S. are obviously, in the mind of Brownback, countries in the "free world." Iran is not. So, what makes the U.S. and Israel freer than Iran? Hmmm!
Does anyone think that a few less banking deals will make Tehran do anything but laugh? Even a military assault is not much of a threat as it would only delay the Iranian nuke program and be a good excuse to rally national support for the ruling regime. The radical clerics do not fear bombs, they fear protesters swaying public opinion and pushing for their ousting. The West should actively give moral and material support to these groups so they can organize better and get their message out. For those who say Iran will accuse the west of interfering, So what? They have been saying that when it is not true, we might as well do it anyways.
""Every one knows Iran doesn`t start wars. A little peace and quiet please."" LOL. do you actually believe what you write ?
Threatening is a good thing, especially when you have no good way to follow up on it. Throws the Israelis off.
But the deal is working and iran shall get out unscathed by attempts to drail the 5+1 agreement the new site will produce LEU trasfered to russia and then back to iran at 20%
If that's what it takes to prevent Israel from starting another war, then PLEASE, somebody give Tehran a few nukes. Every one knows Iran doesn't start wars. A little peace and quiet please. Salaam/Shalom
He said it would be clear by the end of this month whether Iran is serious about For how many years we hear that lie.? Its like waiting Bin Laden to became Mother Therese. Is clear and not easy to know what to do.All the alternatives are tricky [and the Iranians know this very well
Since in current negociations the US has given up the precondition of Iran to stop enriching & Russia is supposed to sell Iran uranium enriched at 19.75%, the Ayatollahs will be able to devote their centrifuge machines (known or hidden)to the secret production of high grade uranium from stockpile or from North Korea supplies if not from Venezuela in the future. Instead of only one internal production facility they are going to get a boost from a second one line outside their country.
"Administration officials told impatient lawmakers Tuesday that they are ready to take swift and substantial action against Iran if it disregards current diplomatic efforts to stop its alleged nuclear weapons program." I.e., Administration officials told Congress they didn't have the stomach to take on the Zionist lobby and will, what the hell, fight another war on their behalf, Americans be damend.
talk, talk, talk, while the mullahs put the finishing touchs on their nuclear weapons program.