Posted on 09/25/2007 11:12:13 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress signaled its disapproval of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a vote Tuesday to tighten sanctions against his government and a call to designate his army a terrorist group.
The swift rebuke was a rare display of bipartisan cooperation in a Congress bitterly divided on the Iraq war. It reflected lawmakers' long-standing nervousness about Tehran's intentions in the region, particularly toward Israel—a sentiment fueled by the pro-Israeli lobby whose influence reaches across party lines in Congress.
"Iran faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick," said Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "It is my hope that they will take the carrot. But today, we are putting the stick in place."
The House passed, by a 397-16 vote, a proposal by Lantos, D-Calif., aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
Current law imposes sanctions against any foreign company that invests $20 million or more in Iran's energy industry, although the U.S. has waived or ignored sanction laws in exchange for European support on nonproliferation issues.
In the Senate, Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., proposed a nonbinding resolution urging the State Department to label Iran's military—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—a terrorist organization.
The Bush administration had already been planning to blacklist a unit within the Revolutionary Guard, subjecting part of the vast military operation to financial sanctions.
The legislative push came a day after Ahmadinejad defended Holocaust revisionists, questioned who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks and declared homosexuals didn't exist in Iran in a tense question-and- answer session at Columbia University.
The Iranian president planned to speak Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly.
Lantos' bill was expected to draw criticism from U.S. allies in Europe. During a visit to Washington last week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told lawmakers that France opposes any U.S. legislation that would target European countries operating in Iran. He argued that such sanctions could undermine cooperation on dealing with Iran.
It’s just too much fun to worry about collateral damage.
Paul shouldn’t be a registered Republican. He should be registered as a Libertarian. He is an opportunist career politician who is all lip service, and an apologist for radical Islamic fundamentalists.
Good to hear....it’s about time....they all make this move.
I agree!
He's a leader and is doing a fine job of tossing himself to the wind without any outside help.
Obviously RuPaul doesn’t want to upset his neo nazi base.
Those anti semite racist guttersnipes love the terrorist leader.
It was classic...
NO what is stupid beyond belief is wasting your time feverishly rationalizing your support for Paul, a man completely unfit for the office he NOW hold, just because he mouths some nice words to you about ONE issue.
The responses are great...
Of course cut and run voted against it. There is nobody more anti-American I can think of than this white flag waving coward.
Lindberg wasn't very proud when he was training our gallant flyer's how to get more range out of their P-38's during WWII in the Pacific and was asked via radio by a trainee in the formation if it wouldn't be beneficial to bring the gear up since Lindberg left his down. ; D
Sweet....will this finally put to rest Paul’s last remnants of support on FR?
Being wacky IS throwing oneself to the wind. And that's what I was referring to.
As for the GOP eating its own, I see nowhere where the GOP has marginalized him. He's still running a campaign, still accepted at the debates, and his poll numbers at times are better than some of the other hopefuls (I won't go into the reasons I believe are behind that).
But, when someone like Ron Paul is so far distanced from GOP policy as he is on the WOT, he distances himself from the party. Again, he's left the GOP; the GOP didn't leave him. The same holds true for those of us here at FR.
You seem to have a problem with placing blame. I don't.
For some that's all it takes sadly enough.
Sorry but it is just infantile to feverishly defend every stupid act Paul pulls JUST because he mouths slogans you like to hear on ONE issue.
Jerry Brown was a Republican???
I learn something new every day!
Ferric bump.
Sir, Dr. Paul has many opinions published online....it's no secret what his views are......he votes his views of the Constitution......he voted against any troops in Iraq.....it's no mystery, except to the ignorant.......take two minutes and go look up his votes.......also take two more minutes and look up how he votes pro-Constitution.......this bashing is just stupid, the man has a record much longer than the pro-mexican commie lantos....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1897450/posts?page=27#27
You are not worth his time, you have joined since 2004, you have an agenda and it is not conservative...
Sheesh, keep up will you...
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