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.
Roscoe Bartlett from W. MD? Has he gone senile on us? He used to be about the only decent conservative in the state of MD.
I pay no attention to that man. He is just too out there for me...I don’t like him at all.
Like several real conservatives, i.e. non nutjobs, did..
Or do you like Iran...
You're outed....apparently it takes two army to debate one Air Force......take your bla bla back to DU, I have more respect for MJ, at least he can debate.....nimrods
Aside of title what is the difference of function shown between the two?
Once again, quotes from my all-time favorite movie can be applied to politics! :-D
You make Paul look sane dude.
BTW where do you get the idea I’m army?
Matters not, there was no debate, just your rants...
I am coming off the macine and going to dinner...
See I have not eaten yet...
D’oh...
Outed? BWAAAAAHAAAAAAAAA! You're too wacko to recognize poking fun at you? That's worthy of two BWAAAAAHAAAAAAAAA's!
As for DU, that's also a BWAAAAAHAAAAAAAAA! My only exposure there (ever) is through the DUFunnies. And that's enough. But I'd say you're a candidate since they love Ron Paul so much. You'd fit right in.
Come to think about it, maybe you do...
You got it...
Careful, we've been outed....BWAAAAAAHAAAAAAA!
I’ve seen both movies multiple times. :)
18 months in the army.......all I need to no....Bwhahahahahahahaha,
I keep hearing a voice in my head...
Later, I’m drained...
Get it!
Ugh...
The problem is, when then CIA is successful, you never hear about it. You only hear about the few failures of the CIA. Valarie Plame is not a representative example of the CIA. The CIA is made up of thousands of people who you never hear of but work day and night to keep you safe.
That’s my rant for tonight.
Flake? As in Jeff Flake?
What is up with that? I thought he was a good guy!
No time in service for you....?
Hi! :-D
Even after some other country murdered Americans, took over our embassy, solicits terrorist acts, undermines American foreign policy, blows up people in 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. countries, and their leader comes here to directly insult us and our intelligence.
Yeah. I will feel really safe and wait until Ron Paul consults the Constitution and decides whether to deliver a "strong message" or befriend the guy.
We are where we are right now because Carter and Clinton did something parallel to that.
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