US Senate Votes Against Iran 'Containment' Policy

by Yoni Hirsch and AP

Military parade in Tehran on Friday.

Photo credit: AP

The U.S. Senate on Saturday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution backing U.S. efforts to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Ninety senators voted for, with only a single vote against, the resolution, which says containment of a nuclear-capable Iran is not an option.

The nonbinding measure was introduced months ago by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), and endorses keeping economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran until it agrees to suspend its uranium enrichment program in compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, cooperates with international inspectors and reaches a permanent agreement that its program is for peaceful purposes.

The resolution also calls on U.S. President Barack Obama to declare once again that a nuclear Iran is not acceptable to the U.S.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who cast the only negative vote, had spoken out against the resolution as an excuse for the use of military force.

Despite the tough wording in the resolution, its initiators said the measure specifically stated that it should not be interpreted as an authorization for the use of military force or a declaration of war.

Although the resolution is not binding, its passing makes it clear that the U.S. is not likely to rely on a policy of containment over Iranian military nuclear aspirations. The declaration within the resolution was designed to head off any government attempt to formulate such a policy, despite the fact that Obama has already declared his opposition to a nuclear Iran on several occasions.

Sen. Graham said on Saturday he was pleased the Senate had approved the proposal and that a policy of containment would now be "almost impossible."

Graham said his worst fear was that Iran would share nuclear technology with terrorist organizations, and if this happened, the U.S. and its allies, including Israel, would be under constant threat.

The senator said that both Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had rejected a policy of containment for a nuclear Iran. He said he hoped that sanctions and diplomacy would work to stop the Iranians' nuclear drive.

According to Graham, even though sanctions are having an impact on the Iranian economy, they are not forcing the regime to halt its nuclear program. The senator said time was running out and that the Senate vote sent a strong message to Iran.

Passage of the resolution in the Senate comes at a time when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing Washington to spell out what would provoke a U.S.-led military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Senate vote came just hours before Congress broke for its weeks-long recess.

Yoni Hirsch and AP

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=5864

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