| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Representatives Demand Study on Consequences of War with Iran
The House of Representatives approved an amendment to the Intelligence Authorization Act by Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) aimed at highlighting the potential consequences of a war with Iran.
Washington, DC – This
afternoon the House of Representatives approved by voice vote an amendment to the Intelligence
Authorization Act by Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and
Barbara Lee (D-CA) aimed at highlighting the potential consequences of a war
with Iran.
The amendment
requires that the Director of National Intelligence submit a report containing
an assessment of the consequences of a military strike to congressional
intelligence committees within 60 days in the event of a strike against Iran.
In
the words of Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who spoke in support of the amendment
on the House floor, the measure “will help slow down the rush towards war” with
Iran by ensuring that the “broad impact[s] of a potential attack” are
considered.
The
addition of the Conyers-Ellison-Lee amendment to the intelligence demonstrates
a push back from some members of Congress against pro-war voices, who have been
vocal in recent weeks in decrying Iran’s enrichment of uranium as potentially
requiring of military action. While
hawkish voices still dominate, a bipartisan amendment was similar offered by
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and added to the National
Defense Authorization Act explicitly stating the bill in no way authorized the use of
force against Iran. On the other hand, an amendment to the Defense bill by
Rep. Barbara Lee of California failed, which would’ve supported the use of more
robust diplomatic measures to resolve the nuclear impasse.
Before
the vote on the Intelligence Authorization, Rep. Conyers explained that the
intention of the amendment was to ensure that the costs of a military strike on
Iran, a possibility which is “openly [being] discussed as a policy option of
last resort”, would first be thoroughly analyzed.
Conyers said that
it is “critical that the expertise of our intelligence community be added” to
the discussion in the event that our nation is forced to grapple with the
prospect of imminent war. Before the vote, Rep. Conyers pointed out the strong opposition to a military strike voiced
by United States and Israeli military and intelligence officials in recent
months.
While
not opposing the amendment, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Harold Rogers (R-MI), voiced concern that the amendment doesn’t account for the
consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran. He expressed his view of the importance
of keeping military options on the table, and he defended potential military intervention
by reiterating the danger posed to Israel by an “arms race in the Middle East.”
The
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 subsequently passed the House and awaits further action in the Senate.
Read more at National Iranian American Council
Source:
This should be carried out by an independent group that cannot be bribed, threatened or blackmailed by the Zionists in the US and worldwide.