(Washington Times) Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Dan Burton (R-Ind.) and Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems hell-bent on enriching uranium and developing the other complex components and specialized parts necessary to deliver and detonate a nuclear weapon. Iran continues to conduct military exercises in the Persian Gulf to showcase the regime's ability to threaten a vital transit route for the region's petroleum exports. America's dangerous dependence on foreign oil means that Iran's hostile behavior poses a national security threat. And while the threat from Iran's conventional weapons is serious, the threat to this strategic waterway from a nuclear-armed Iran would be a thousand times worse. Regrettably, it is increasingly apparent that the president's "outstretched hand" to the Islamist regime in Iran has failed, while his continual scolding of Israel appears to have further emboldened Mr. Ahmadinejad's hostility toward this important regional ally. Effective sanctions must be imposed immediately, and the U.S. must demonstrate its unequivocal support for the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. We also must not foreclose the possibility of a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities or the option of overwhelming retaliatory force should Iran launch itself or supply terrorists with the resources to launch an attack on the U.S. or our allies. Iran should have no doubt about the full force of America's military strength and no question about our willingness to use it.
2010-04-30 09:09:01Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive