Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Reform and Modernization Act which I introduced, together with the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, my good friend from California (Mr. Sherman). I would also like to thank the ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from California, for his significant contributions to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, Iran, North Korea, and Syria are key elements in an expanding global proliferation network. North Korea has long been a willing merchant of death for anyone with cash and has played a crucial role in the development of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. But Iran is only one of many customers. In 2010, the U.N. Security Council released a report saying that North Korea continues to market and export its nuclear and ballistic technology. The most prominent example of North Korea's proliferation activities is its construction of the clandestine Syrian nuclear reactor that, thankfully, was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in the year 2007. Reports indicate that the reactor was based on a North Korean model capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons and that the project was financed by Iran. But Syria's nuclear ambitions are apparently even greater than suspected.…”