To return to the new Peace Now website click here.

APN Legislative Round-Up - July 18, 2008

I. Bills and Resolutions; II. Notification of Defense Deals with Israel; III. CUFI in DC; IV. Yes, Another Iran Sanctions Bill; V. State Department Responds to Price-LaHood Letter; VI. Sen. Kucinich Eulogies a true Peace-Maker

...for the week ending July 18, 2008

I.   Bills and Resolutions
II.  Notification of Defense Deals with Israel
III.  CUFI in DC
IV. Yes, Another Iran Sanctions Bill
V.  State Department Responds to Price-LaHood Letter
VI. Rep. Kucinich Eulogizes a true Peace-Maker

==========================
I. BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
==========================

(IRAN) S. XXX: Not yet introduced (by Sen. Dodd, D-CT) but marked up and approved by the Senate Banking Committee on 7/17/08, the "Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2008." See Section IV, below, for details.

(IRAN) S. Res. 612: Introduced 7/14/08 by Sen. Biden (D-DE) and two cosponsors, "A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that President George W. Bush, President Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation, and other participants in the 2008 Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan should work together to foster a more constructive relationship, and that the Government of the Russian Federation should eschew behaviors that are inconsistent with the Group's objectives of protecting global security, economic stability, and democracy." Passed by the Senate 7/14/08 by Unanimous Consent. The resolution includes a "whereas" clause stating: "Whereas the Russian Federation has evidenced the capacity and willingness to cooperate with the United States and other nations in the interest of global security in certain areas pertaining to arms control and weapons proliferation, notably through its participation in the Six-Party Talks regarding North Korea and its support of the incentives package offered by leading countries to Iran if that country would suspend its uranium enrichment program.." It also contains a "resolved" clause that reads, "the Government of the United States and the Government of the Russian Federation, working within the International Atomic Energy Agency and United Nations Security Council, should renew demands for Iran to cease its nuclear enrichment activities and fully disclose any prior weapons-related work."

(HEZBOLLAH/IRAN) H. Con. Res. 385: Introduced 6/26/08 by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and having 30 cosponsors, "Condemning the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July 1994, and for other purposes." Passed by the House 7/15/08 under suspension of the rules, by voice vote. Note: This is a perennial piece of legislation, passed in some form in almost every Congress since 1994 (the year the AMIA attack took place). Indeed, a different version of the resolution was already passed once in the 110th Congress (H. Con. Res. 188, passed 7/10/07). The current version includes sharp criticism of Saudi Arabia for failing to arrest senior Iranian officials (including Rafsanjani) visiting Saudi Arabia, in accordance with INTERPOL warrants. It also adds a strong new finding related to Iran, alleging that "according to new reports [no source given] published in June 2008, intelligence agencies in the United States and Canada have warned of significant evidence that Hezbollah, with the support of the Government of Iran, plans to launch a major attack against 'Jewish targets' outside the Middle East, and that possible targeted areas include Canada and Latin America."

(IRAN) HR 5959: Introduced 5/5/08 by Rep. Reyes (D-TX) and no cosponsors, "To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes." Passed by the House 7/16/08 by voice vote.

An Iran-related amendment to HR 5959, H. Amdt. 1113, was offered on the floor by Rep. Holt (D-NJ). The amendment states: "Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall issue a memorandum to holders of the National Intelligence Estimate entitled 'Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities' regarding any intelligence on the nuclear program of Iran that has been gathered or emerged since the publication of such National Intelligence Estimate in October, 2007." The amendment was agreed to by a voice vote. Rep. Hoekstra (R-MI) offered an amendment (H. Amdt. 1114) to bar the use of funds to prohibit or discourage the use of the phrases "jihadist," "jihad," "Islamo-fascism," "caliphate," "Islamist," or "Islamic terrorist" within the Intelligence Community or the Federal Government. The amendment passed by a vote of 249-180. Finally, an amendment offered by Rep. Lee (D-CA) -- to require that no funds authorized by this bill may be used to support or maintain a covert action intended to undermine or overthrow a government of a member nation of the United Nations -- was ruled out of order by the Rules Committee.

In addition, HR 5959 includes a section entitled "Semiannual Reports on Nuclear Programs of Iran, Syria, and North Korea." This section states that "Not less frequently than every 180 days, the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees a report on the intentions and capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, with regard to the nuclear programs of each such country." It specifies that each report shall include: "(1) an assessment of nuclear weapons programs of each such country; (2) an evaluation, consistent with existing reporting standards and practices, of the sources upon which the intelligence used to prepare the assessment.is based, including the number of such sources and an assessment of the reliability of each such source; (3) a summary of any intelligence related to any such program gathered or developed since the previous report was submitted under subsection (a), including intelligence collected from both open and clandestine sources for each such country; and (4) a discussion of any dissents, caveats, gaps in knowledge, or other information that would reduce confidence in the assessment ...". The section also states that "The Director of National Intelligence may submit a National Intelligence Estimate on the intentions and capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in lieu of a report required by subsection (a) for that country."

==============================================
II. NOTIFICATION OF DEFENSE DEALS WITH ISRAEL
==============================================

Under the requirements of the Arms Export Control Act, Congress must be notified in advance of certain proposed weapons and services agreements with foreign countries, including Israel. This week, Congress was notified of two such proposed deals:

1) The Army informed Congress of its intention to authorize $1.3 billion in fuel sales to Israel.

Description and Ouantitv or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase: 28,000,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline, 186,000,000 gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel, and 54,000,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

Justification: The Government of Israel has requested a possible sale of 28,000,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline, 186,000,000 gallons of JP-8 aviation fuel, and 54,000,000 gallons of diesel fuel. The estimated cost is $1.3 billion. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. The proposed sale of the JP-8 aviation fuel will enable capability of its aircraft inventory. The unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel will be used for ground forces' vehicles and other equipment used in keeping peace and security in the region. Israel will have no difficulty absorbing this additional fuel into its armed forces. The proposed sale of these three types of fuel will not affect the basic military balance in the region.There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

2) The Navy informed Congress of its intention to authorize a $1.9 billion deal to sell Israel 4 Littoral Combat Ships.

Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase: up to 4 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS-I variant): Hull, and all mechanical and electrical functions. Each ship will be equipped with: 2 MK-41 Vertical Launch Systems, 8 cells for each system; 1 Close-In-Weapon System, Block 1 A, 1 Enhanced HARPOON Launching System with launchers; 2 MK-32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes; Communications and Sensors; Link 16; COMBATSS-21 with SPY-IF(V) and MK-99 Fire Control System; or Ship Self-Defense System. Also includes design and integration services, hardware and software, spare and repair parts, test and tool sets, personnel training and equipment, publications, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, and other related elements of logistics support.

Justification: .Israel's strategic position makes it vital to the United States' interests throughout the Middle East. It is the policy of the United States to promote Middle East peace, support Israel's commitment to peace with other regional Arab countries, enhance regional stability and promote Israeli readiness and self-sufficiency. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and read self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives. The Israeli Navy will have no difficulty integrating the capabilities of these ships into its Naval forces. The proposed sale will not affect the basic military balance in the region.There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

=============
III. CUFI IN DC
=============

Christians United for Israel, led by Pastor John Hagee, will be in Washington July 20-23 for their third annual Washington-Israel summit. Hagee was recently in the news with the revelation of a particularly controversial sermon (in which he implied that Hitler was sent by God to fulfill God's will by motivating Jews to move to Israel). The news led presidential candidate John McCain (R-AZ), who had previously sought and gained Hagee's endorsement, to publicly renounce it. (The video containing the audio and written text of the sermon has been removed from youtube due to copyright claims by a third party; reporting on the story is widely available online).

At least three members of Congress will participate in the conference: Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY), Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), and Senator Joe Leiberman (I-CT). In addition, former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) will also participate. Other participants/speakers include:

- Gary Bauer, President of American Values - Nir Barkat, a Jerusalem city council member - Patrick Clawson, Deputy Director for Research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy - Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Director of Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center - Frank Gaffney, Founder and President of the Center for Security Policy - Dan Gillerman., Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations - Adam Hasner, Florida State Representative - Charles Jacobs, Founder & President of the David Project Center for Jewish Leadership - William Kristol, Editor of the Weekly Standard - Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder and President of the Israel Project - Rami Levi, Israel's Ministry of Tourism's Special Emissary to the Evangelical Communities - Clifford May, President of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies - Dr. Walid Phares, Director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' Future of Terrorism Project - Daniel Pipes, Director of the Middle East Forum - Dennis Prager, Nationally syndicated radio host and author  - Roz Rothstein, International Director of StandWithUs - Roger Robinson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Conflict Securities Advisory Group, Inc. - Larry Weinberg, Executive Vice President of Israel 21c - Andr‚ L. Williams, Esq., City of Miami Garden's City Councilman - There will also be a private concert by country singer Randy Travis

On July 23rd, CUFI Conference-goers will come to Capitol Hill for meetings in the House and Senate. For the full summit schedule, see:

http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_washington_summit#itineary

=================================
IV. YES, ANOTHER IRAN SANCTIONS BILL
=================================

On 7/17/08 the Senate Banking Committee marked up yet another Iran sanctions bill, this one offered by Committee Chairman Dodd (D-CT) and Ranking member Shelby (R-AL). The bill appears to represent an attempt to craft a bipartisan Iran sanctions bill that could actually be passed in the Senate. The inclusion in previous sanctions legislation (most notably S. 970 and S. 3227) of sanctions that would impact U.S. relations with European allies, in particular Russia, created serious opposition within the Senate. This latest bill skirts this problem. For detailed analysis of the bill, see: http://irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com/2008/07/least-of-all-sanctions-legislation.html.

APN opposed S. 970 on the grounds that U.S. policy must not be confined to sanctions and saber-rattling. This position applies equally to S. 3227 and the new Dodd-Shelby bill. Our position (as reported in the 4/13/07 edition of the Round-Up) stated:

"Americans for Peace Now (APN) views with grave concern Iran's continued determination to expand its nuclear program to the point where it could produce and deliver nuclear weapons. In this regard, APN supports the imposition of targeted U.S. economic sanctions against Iran, but believes strongly that such sanctions should be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes both carrots and sticks. Experience in the region demonstrates that sanctions alone are not likely to do the job; what is necessary for an effective policy is to combine sanctions with diplomacy, as the Iraq Study Group recommended. APN is a Jewish, Zionist organization committed to achieving peace and security for Israel, and supporting the Israeli Peace Now movement...

"Unfortunately, S. 970 does not embody this kind of comprehensive strategy. Rather, it represents a perpetuation and escalation of the existing "sticks-only" policy. If enacted into law, it would impose broader sanctions -- employing bigger, blunter sticks -- that would target not only Iran but all those members of the international community who do not share the U.S. sanctions-only approach. Not only would such a policy likely fail to sway Iran, but it would likely complicate and seriously strain relations with those very nations whose cooperation the U.S. needs in order to craft a comprehensive policy toward Iran policy that can deliver success (e.g., the Europeans, Russia, Japan).

"APN believes that the national security interests of both Israel and the U.S. are best served by the U.S. adopting a constructive, proactive approach in dealing with Iran. We therefore urge Congress to reject the dangerous and discredited approach to Iran embodied in S. 970, and instead support a policy of limited, constructive engagement. Together with the Europeans and other relevant parties, the U.S. should be working urgently to develop a basket of meaningful diplomatic and economic carrots and sticks sufficient to persuade Iran to halt further development of its nuclear program."

Also see: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=cqmidday-000002920017

CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE July 17, 2008 - 12:53 p.m. Senate Panel Approves New Iran Sanctions Measure

The Senate Banking Committee approved a new Iran sanctions bill Thursday, seeking to punish companies that maintain business dealings with Tehran. The 19-2 vote for toughened sanctions came as a senior State Department official heads to Geneva for nuclear talks with Tehran this weekend.

Unlike a bill the Senate Finance Committee approved June 18, the draft Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee measure would not block a proposed nuclear deal with Russia over Moscow's nuclear and weapons aid to Iran. It would, however, impose sanctions on independent foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies that do business with Tehran.

Both bills face opposition from the State Department and some key members of Congress. They say the United States needs Moscow's help in further isolating the Iranian regime, which they accuse of developing nuclear weapons.

After the markup, Banking Chairman Christopher J. Dodd , D-Conn., said efforts are under way to find a compromise between his approach, the Finance bill and the views of Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. , D-Del. The plan would be to attach any compromise to the defense authorization bill when it comes to the Senate floor. Biden opposes blocking the Russian nuclear deal. U.S. allies in Europe, who have stepped up their own sanctions in recent weeks, see the sanctions as an extraterritorial application of U.S. law.

Sens. Michael B. Enzi , R-Wyo., and Chuck Hagel , R-Neb., cast the only "no" votes against the new bill. "This bill does not in fact sanction Iran; it directly sanctions allies, friends and others," Hagel said. He argued that Congress should not undermine U.S. participation in multilateral talks with Iran in Geneva this weekend. "We are far wiser, Mr. Chairman, to pursue that path."

========================================================= V. STATE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO PRICE-LAHOOD LETTER
=========================================================

On June 20th the Department of State sent a letter to Rep. Price (D-NC), responding to the Price-LaHood letter sent to President Bush on May 14th (for details of that letter, see the 5/16/08 edition of the Round-Up, as well as previous editions). The response, signed by Jeffrey T. Bergner, the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, stated:

Dear Mr. Price:

Thank you for your letter of May 14 to President Bush expressing concern over the situation in southern Israel and Gaza. We have been asked to respond on the President's behalf.

We share your deep concerns regarding the escalating rocket attacks emanating from Gaza and the worsening humanitarian conditions there. Current conditions for Palestinians living in Gaza and for Israelis living outside Gaza are untenable. The success of ongoing Egyptian efforts to bring about a period of calm could provide an opportunity for both Israelis and Palestinians to return to a normal existence. At the end of the day, however, it is Hamas' behavior that is responsible for the current crisis, and any meaningful improvements on the ground will require Hamas to end its attacks against Israel.

Currently, we are working closely with the Egyptian Government to improve security along the border with Gaza. In mid-2008, Egypt will receive $23 million in U.S. FMF-funded training and equipment to help detect and destroy tunnels along the Gaza border. Since October 2005, when the Israeli Defense Forces withdrew from Gaza, Egyptian security forces have discovered more than 200 tunnels used for smuggling weapons and other contraband into Gaza. They deployed civilian security personnel to guard the border and interdict smuggling and have nearly completed a concrete border wall. We will continue to work with the Egyptian Government to secure the Gaza border.

The U.S. Government has stressed with all parties involved the importance of allowing humanitarian assistance to continue to flow as freely as possible into Gaza. The challenges in addressing the situation are great, however, given Hamas' de facto, yet illegitimate, control over Gaza. In order to make progress, the U.S. has encouraged Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt to work together to develop an approach that ensures Israeli security while allowing for increased movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza.

We hope you found this information helpful. Thank you for your strong support for our efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of further assistance.

===========================================
VI. REP. KUCINICH EULOGIZES A TRUE PEACE-MAKER
===========================================

On June 23rd longtime Americans for Peace Now Board Member and leading civil rights advocate Al Stern died after a battle with cancer. He was 81.

On July 14, Rep. Kucinich eulogized him in the Congressional Record, noting that Al was "a man who lived his life by the principal of Tikkun Olam, the healing of the world. He dedicated himself to the cause of free speech and to cultivating the seeds of Middle East peace and understanding in the Cleveland community." Kucinich observed that Al, "advocated for mutual understanding and a two state solution long before it was widely accepted. For twenty years he engaged with and educated the Cleveland community about the costs of the current conflict and the opportunities for peaceful solutions. His work took him all over the world, where he met with the people and leaders in Israel, Syria, Egypt and Gaza. He led by example through his own commitment to educating himself and reaching out to concerned members of the community..."

Commenting on Al's death, APN President and CEO Debra DeLee observed:

"Al has been a moral compass and an inspiration for all those who believe in peace and in progressive causes. His work for APN follows a life of activism in pursuit of peace and social justice. Few people have been as passionately and persistently active in progressive causes throughout their lives as Al Stern has. The story of his life with his wife, Mickey, is intertwined with the story of the peace and social justice movements in America. They marched with Martin Luther King. They were active with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). They turned their Cleveland living room into a hub for social change. Al and Mickey helped establish the Cleveland chapter of the Committee for Sane Nuclear Policy and were pillars of the anti Vietnam War movement. Al was a trail-blazer of the pro-Israel pro-peace movement. He was the national chair of the Shalom Network, active in the New Jewish Agenda and an indefatigable APN Board member. Al provided us with wisdom and guidance. His departure is a terrible loss for progressive American organizations and for progressive American causes. We will miss him terribly."


For more information, contact Lara Friedman, APN Director of Policy and Government Relations, at 202/728-1893, or at lfriedman@peacenow.org.