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Senate: Nuclear containment is not an option with Iran

February 16, 2012

A bipartisan slate of senators announced this afternoon they would reject "any United States policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran."

Drawing a clear line in the sand, the senators – among them Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) – demanded that President Obama reject "any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat," according to a new Senate resolution set to be unveiled later today.

The resolution "warns that time is limited to prevent the Iranian government from acquiring a nuclear weapon" and demands that the hostile regime immediately suspend all uranium enrichment activities.

Most noteworthy, perhaps, is the resolution’s thorough accounting of the Iranian regime’s hostile behavior. It details, for example, Iran’s connections to terror groups and its various efforts to harm U.S. interests across the Middle East.

"Iran has provided weapons, training, funding, and direction to terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shiite militias in Iraq that are responsible for the murders of hundreds of American forces and innocent civilians," the resolution declares.

It states unequivocally that Iran and nuclear weapons are simply anathema.

"If Iran were successful in acquiring a nuclear weapon capability, it would likely spur other countries in the region to consider developing their own nuclear weapons capabilities," it reads.

Earlier in the week, opponents of tough action towards Iran appeared almost gleeful over reports that lawmakers were having trouble attracting Democrats to the resolution.

However, the resolution has already attracted a handful of high-profile Democrats, among them, Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), among several others.

Published under: Iran , Middle East