(Video above: Rep. Bradley Byrne delivers the remarks below on the floor of the U.S. House)
Iran is no friend to the United States or our allies. Iran remains the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Iran has continued to develop Intercontinental Ballistic Missile technology, the only legitimate purpose of such technology is to deliver a nuclear payload.
Don’t just take my word for it. Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency recently wrote in his statement for the record to the House Armed Services Committee that “The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to threaten US strategic interests in the Middle East. Iran’s actions and policies are designed to further its goal of becoming the dominant regional power, as well as to enhance its strategic depth. Tehran views the United States as its most capable adversary and has fashioned its military strategy and doctrine accordingly.
In terms of nuclear capabilities, General Stewart goes on to say “We continue to assess that Iran’s goal is to develop capabilities that would allow it to build missile-deliverable nuclear weapons, should a decision be made to do so. The regime faces no insurmountable technical barriers to producing a nuclear weapon, making Iran’s political will the central issue.
One Arab official recently told the Wall Street Journal: “We prefer a collapse of the diplomatic process to a bad deal.
Since they started in 2009, the negotiations with Iran have been marked by missed deadline after missed deadline. It seems like each time details of the deal are leaked to the press the United States is giving up more, whether it be the number of centrifuges or the length of the deal.
Just last week Secretary of State John Kerry came before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and pleaded for more time and understanding as the State Department continues to hold talks about Iran’s nuclear program. He asked us to sit silently while the details are negotiated in secret. He urged us to just trust him and his team.
It’s becoming increasingly hard to trust an administration that continually fails at these kinds of negotiations. Look at the Bergdahl deal when we gave away five high-level al-Qaeda officials. Look at the recent talks with Cuba in which the United States received very little while we released Cuban spies and pledged to open trade relations. And we can’t forget about President Obama telling Russian President Demitry Medvedev that he will have “more flexibility” to deal with nuclear issues after the 2012 presidential elections – flexibility to deal with Vladimir Putin.
Far too often they give away the bank and we get very little in return.
Tomorrow, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come to this Chamber to share his perspective on the threats posed by a nuclear Iran.
Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have complained that the speech is somehow out of line or for political purposes only. They have pledged to boycott the event, and the Vice President has refused to attend.
I remain greatly disturbed by the way the Obama administration has treated Israel, our greatest and most important ally in the Middle East.
I suspect the real reason the Obama administration is so opposed to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech is because they are afraid of what he is going to say. They know he will speak the truth and that his statements will stand in direct contrast to what is being said by Secretary of State Kerry. Prime Minister Netanyahu won’t hide the real issues. These nuclear talks threaten not only Israel but also the Middle East and the entire world.
Last summer I traveled to the Middle East with the Armed Services Committee. During that trip, we met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and he really impressed me. He has a clear vision and message about his country’s defensive needs. And he is very determined to meet those needs.
Israel is our strongest and most consistent ally in the region. We should listen to what they have to say.
Bradley Byrne represents Alabama’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives
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