U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) makes sanctions an explicit threat after this morning’s revelations, and U.S. Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, says it strengthens his determination to push through the latest sanctions Act.
Pelosi:
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today concerning revelations that Iran has built a covert facility for uranium enrichment:
“Iran’s effort to conceal a major nuclear facility sends a clear signal that the regime has not worked in good faith to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons in the Middle East and around the world.
“One of the strongest pillars of America’s national security is non-proliferation, and I commend President Obama for standing with fellow leaders to condemn this development and call on Iran to cooperate in our pursuit of a world free of weapons of mass destruction.
“An Iran with nuclear weapons is simply unacceptable. It is a threat to the region, to the United States, and to our allies across the globe. Iran must take the necessary steps to demonstrate its willingness to live as a peaceful partner in the international community. And we must use the tools at our disposal – from diplomacy to sanctions – to stop Iran’s march toward nuclear capability.”
Berman:
Washington, DC – Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement concerning the news today of Iran’s second uranium enrichment facility:
“The news that Iran has been secretly constructing a second uranium enrichment plant is deeply disturbing and casts a heavy shadow over the negotiations scheduled for next week. Iran’s intention to build nuclear weaponry and its efforts to disguise that intention could not be clearer now — and we have no idea what other aspects of its nuclear bomb project it may be working on in secret. There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Iran has been lying to the international community for years about its allegedly peaceful nuclear intentions. Today’s news reinforces my determination to bring the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act before the Foreign Affairs Committee for consideration next month.”
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