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House Vote on Iran Is No Endorsement of "Zero Enrichment" Redline
The pro-peace community won an important battle this week as opposition to H.Res.568 and its Senate companion forced the bills’ sponsors to address dangerous ambiguities in the legislation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jamal Abdi
Phone: 202-386-6408
Email: [email protected]
NIAC Policy Director Jamal Abdi issued the following statement in response
to House passage of H.Res.568, a resolution concerning Iranian nuclear weapons
capability:
The pro-peace community won an important battle
this week as opposition to H.Res.568 and its Senate companion forced the bills’
sponsors to address dangerous ambiguities in the legislation. The
resolution rules out containing a “nuclear weapons capable”
Iran, a term the resolution does not define but that many interpreted as ruling
out uranium enrichment — the “red line” for war that opponents of diplomacy
have pressured the United States government to adopt.
Although the resolution received strong support in
the House today, this only came after the lead Democratic sponsor, Rep.
Howard Berman (D-CA) went on the record to
clarify there is no authorization for war and made clear that the
Congress was not opposing a diplomatic solution that would potentially allow
for Iranian enrichment of uranium for strictly civilian purposes.
Instead, Rep. Berman made clear that Iran would not have a “nuclear weapons
capability” unless it masters fissile material production, builds and tests a
warhead, develops a delivery vehicle, kicks out international inspectors, and
shuts off the cameras of international nuclear inspectors. Rep. Berman
further backed his statement with testimony from
the Director of National Intelligence.
Although Congress adopted the language of
hardliners by endorsing Iranian nuclear weapons “capability” as the
U.S. redline, the statement on the floor rejected the “zero enrichment”
ultimatum endorsed by the former Bush Administration, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, and Congressional hawks. Instead, the definition
provided on the floor moves the House closer to the Obama Administration’s
inspections-based approach. President Obama has avoided the “capability” red
line, instead stating that the U.S. would not allow Iran to actually build or
acquire a nuclear weapon.
A group of 12
Senators have strongly backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s insistence that no diplomatic agreement allow for Iranian
enrichment, but the House debate on the resolution makes clear that this is not
the unified position of supporters of the measure. The Senate has still failed to address the ambiguities
in the term “nuclear weapons capability.”
In addition, after being questioned about their
resolution on the Senate floor, the lead sponsors of the Senate companion
resolution, S.Res.380, made clear that their resolution does not constitute
authorization for war. They further stated their belief that President
would have to return to the Congress for any such authorization.
Read more at National Iranian American Council
Source:
