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Week Ending November 9, 2007

H.RES.435 Expressing concern relating to the threatening behavior of the Iranian regime and its leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the activities of terrorist organizations sponsored by that regime in Latin America.

<< Click flag for map and country data, Iran

Relying on US State Department conclusions about Iran and so drawing the picture that the country is the ‘most active state sponsor of terrorism’ and a ‘jurisdiction of primary concern’ in regards to international narcotics control strategy, the preamble raises concerns that the relationship between Iran and Venezuela and Iran’s intention to reopen embassies in various South American countries and it’s pledge of $2 billion to South American countries to liberate them from the US imperialist yoke, and other matters will lead to Iran’s involvement in a jihad aimed at America.

More resolution below…

Sponsor:  Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL-22^nd)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote November 5, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

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Whereas the Department of State has said that Iran is the `most active state sponsor of terrorism';

Whereas the Department of State 2007 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report moved Iran to a `Jurisdiction of Primary Concern';

Whereas in February 2006, the chairman of the Iranian legislative body announced plans to assist Venezuela with its nuclear program;

Whereas in February 2006, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria were the only 3 member nations of the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to vote against referring Iran to the United Nations Security Council for its nuclear program;

Whereas in January 2007, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, made his second visit to Central and South America in 5 months to meet with Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, to visit Daniel Ortega, president of Nicaragua, and to attend the inauguration of Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador;

Whereas in February 2007, Mr. Ahmadinejad hosted Iran's first day-long conference on Latin America and the conference was attended by parliamentarians from Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, Uruguay, Italy, and the Russian Federation;

Whereas at the Iranian conference on Latin America, Iran announced that it would reopen embassies in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Uruguay and send a representative to Bolivia;

Whereas routine civilian airline flights have been established from Tehran, Iran directly into Caracas, Venezuela, and the Government of Venezuela has been found to be indiscriminate in the issuance of Venezuelan passports and other identifying documents that could help terrorists and other criminal elements enter the United States with these documents;

Whereas Mr. Ahmadinejad and Mr. Chavez have announced plans for a $2,000,000,000 shared fund to invest in projects in countries seeking to `liberate themselves from the U.S. imperialist yoke';

Whereas Iran's proxy terrorist group, Hizbollah, executed the deadliest terrorist attack against Americans abroad since World War II, the 1983 suicide bombing of a United States Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 241 American servicemen;

Whereas Iran and Hizbollah were involved in the two deadliest terrorist attacks in Argentina: the March 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the July 1994 attack against the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA);

Whereas the Government of Argentina is currently seeking legal action against the perpetrators of the 1994 AMIA terrorist attack, and INTERPOL has issued arrest warrants for several former Iranian officials and a Hizbollah leader in connection with the attack;

Whereas the 2006 State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism stated that Venezuela is `not fully cooperating' with United States antiterrorism efforts;

Whereas the relationship of the Government of Venezuela with its Jewish community is at its `worst in 40 years', according to Venezuela's chief rabbi, with increasing instances of graffiti on local synagogues, and more frequent anti-Semitic cartoons and statements in the media, none of which the Government of Venezuela denounced;

Whereas on October 23, 2006, the police in Caracas, Venezuela found two explosive devices near the United States Embassy, one of which was in a box that contained brochures referencing Hizbollah;

Whereas in October 2006, Teodoro Darnott, leader of an organization in Venezuela that calls itself `Hizbollah Latin America,' announced that 2007 would be the beginning of the `Jihad in America';

Whereas according to a Naval War College report, Hizbollah raises an estimated $10,000,000 each year in the tri-border region of South America where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina meet;

Whereas in 2004, the United States Southern Command, which is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America, estimated that Islamist terrorist groups raise between $300,000,000 and $500,000,000 each year in the tri-border region, in northern Chile, in Maicao, Colombia, on Margarita Island in Venezuela, in Panama's Colon Free Trade Zone, and in other areas;

Whereas in March 2007, Brazilian officials arrested 31 people for illegally issuing passports over the past 14 years, and press reports indicate that some of these passports may have been provided to members of terrorist organizations, including members of Hizbollah;

Whereas Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and the United States have formed the 3+1 Group, which has focused on the financing of terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, and border security, as well as the exchange of information, with the purpose of preventing terrorism and transnational crimes;

Whereas in November 2006, Brazil established a new Regional Intelligence Center in the tri-border region, dedicated to coordinating intelligence activities of the police forces of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, and invited Argentina and Paraguay to send official representatives to the center; and

Whereas in March 2007, the Organization of American States' Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) reaffirmed, `terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whatever its origin or motivation, has no justification whatsoever, affects the full enjoyment and exercise of human rights, and constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security, democratic institutions, and the values enshrined in the OAS Charter, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and other regional and international instruments': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) expresses concern over the emerging national security implications of the relationships between the leaders of Iran and regimes in the Western Hemisphere like Venezuela;

(2) expresses its continued support for the people of Iran and Venezuela as they strive for freedom, respect for human rights and civil liberties, democratic self-governance, and the establishment of the rule of law;

(3) supports the existing counterterrorism efforts of Latin American countries, including the successful counterterrorism efforts of the 3+1 Group (consisting of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and the United States);

(4) emphasizes the importance of eliminating Hizbollah's financial network in the tri-border region of South America where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina meet and throughout the Western Hemisphere;

(5) calls on the United States government to work with governments in the Western Hemisphere to pursue an antiterrorism campaign based on cooperation and constant vigilance;

(6) urges the United States Government to work bilaterally and multilaterally with countries in the Western Hemisphere to create antiterrorism legislation that would give governmental authorities new tools to take action against terrorist networks; and

(7) recommends that the President of the United States create more mechanisms for joint counterterrorism operations and intraregional information sharing among supportive countries in the Western Hemisphere, especially in light of Iran's increased involvement in the region.

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