Category: Issues

Preventing a Nuclear Iran

A nuclear-armed Iran is an existential danger to the world, especially to America and its allies.  The radical nature of its religious-political leadership, driven by a messianic ideology and backed by the largest number of ballistic missiles in the volatile Middle East, makes a nuclear Iran far more likely to use a nuclear weapon than the Soviet Union ever was.

It already uses its financial resources and conventional weapons to be the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. Through its proxy armies of Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon and Syria, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, insurgents in Afghanistan, and terrorists in Asia, Europe and the Americas, the Iranian regime attacks Americans, Israelis and citizens of countries around the world.

Iran currently can produce a nuclear weapon in under 6 months, and the current interim agreement does not eliminate this hazard. An Iranian nuclear weapons capability would be devastating to the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia and many other allies. There is no plausible non-military explanation for Iran’s enrichment and stockpiling of such large amounts of uranium.

You can view NORPAC’s Mission 2015 Talking Points on Iran here.

Iran Sanctions Legislation

House & Senate:
Assuming enactment of Corker-Cardin, when exercising Congress’ review of any final nuclear deal with Iran, will you commit to approving a deal only if it meets the goal of “cut[ting] off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon” ?

Further, we respectfully request that you evaluate whether this goal of a final agreement has been met by applying the criteria previously articulated by Congress and the Administration for that purpose.  A partial list of those criteria can be found immediately below.  A fuller list is in item 12 below (and is described in greater detail in the Scorecard).

1. The deal must provide for ‘anytime, anywhere’ inspections regime.
2. The deal must lift sanctions only in phases, as and when Iran demonstrates compliance with the agreement.
3. One of those areas of compliance that must be demonstrated is full disclosure of PMD (possible military dimensions of past nuclear-related work by Iran)
4. The deal must severely limit nuclear-related research & development.
5. The deal must provide for shipping enriched uranium out of Iran.
6. The deal must contain effective ‘snapback’ mechanisms to ensure that any Iranian violations would be swiftly responded to and would be thus sufficient to deter Iran from violating the agreement in the first place.
7. The deal must tie ‘sunset’ provisions tied to changes in Iranian behavior.

Informational Articles

Seven Problems with John Kerry’s Iranian Nuclear Clock

Iran Builds Active Front From Mediterranean To Golan, With Direct Iranian Presence On Israel’s Border, To Deter Israel And Promote Ideology Of Eliminating Zionist Regime

Saudi prince criticizes Iran deal

9 questions about Iran’s nuclear program you were too embarrassed to ask

Fact Sheet: Iran’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs

10 Things You Need to Know About Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program

A Simple Guide to the Nuclear Negotiations With Iran

Comparing a Likely Iran Deal vs What The Administration Said Was Needed

Six Conditions for a Final Deal with Iran

Hezbollah’s Threat to the U.S. and Israel

From the bombing of the United States Embassy and the Marine barracks in Beirut in the 1980s, to the attacks against the Israeli embassy and the AMIA (Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) Jewish community center in Argentina in the 1990s, to the targeting of Israeli tourists by its operatives in Bulgaria, Cyprus and (twelve days ago) Thailand, Hezbollah’s fingerprints are on terror attacks and attempted attacks across the globe.

The international community has responded. The State Department designated Hezbollah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization when the label was established under the U.S. Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Last year, the European Union designated the so-called military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. That same year, the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council pronounced Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Designations such as these authorize restrictions on funding as well as facilitate arrests and transnational counter-terrorism cooperation.

However, in addition to receiving funds for terrorist operations from Iran and Syria, Hezbollah amasses assets through a variety of illicit channels, including money laundering, drug smuggling, and trading of conflict diamonds. Hezbollah’s activities warrant its consideration as both a foreign narcotics trafficker and a transnational criminal organization.

Hezbollah International Financial Prevention Act
House (H.R. 4411):
Will you co-sponsor the Hezbollah International Financial Prevention Act which targets Hezbollah’s drug trafficking and public relations arm?

Senate (S. 2329):
Will you co-sponsor the Hezbollah International Financial Prevention Act which targets Hezbollah’s drug trafficking and public relations arm?