Franks: Obama Cowering on the Sidelines as Iran Develops Nuclear Weapons

Franks: Obama Cowering on the Sidelines as Iran Develops Nuclear Weapons

August 27, 2010 - Following yesterday's statement by Olli Heinonen, the former chief of United Nations nuclear inspections, that Iran now has enough nuclear material for one or two nuclear weapons, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) released the following statement:

"The astonishing fact that Iran has been allowed to progress unimpeded to this point demonstrates that President Obama has been an abject failure in even his most fundamental responsibility of protecting the American people.

"It has been obvious for literally years that Iran has every intention of developing a nuclear weapons capability. Indeed, it has been five years since I stood on the floor of the House of Representatives and called for Iran to be referred to the United Nations Security Council. Still, with every new step the Iranian regime has taken toward completing their nuclear weapons program, the Obama Administration has, without fail, cowered on the sidelines, often refusing to enforce even the most rudimentary sanctions, much less sanctions with actual teeth.

"Truly, there is no excuse for having allowed the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism to advance this far in its pursuit of nuclear weapons, just one of which could forever change the face of the world as we know it.

"If Iran successfully builds nuclear weapons -- and they are very rapidly hurtling toward that goal -- there is no reason to believe those same weapons will not end up in the hands of terrorist organizations, even as so many other Iranian weapons have in the past. Radical
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad even concedes the technology would not remain exclusive to Iran, saying 'Iran is ready to transfer nuclear know-how to other Islamic nations due to their need.'

"We would be well served to recall that just this month, Iran also announced the construction of ten new uranium enrichment facilities. While Iran already has enough nuclear material to build up to two nuclear weapons, these new enrichment facilities, if allowed to proceed, will permit them to drastically quicken that pace, leading to enough fuel for an entire industrial base for nuclear weapons.

"I pray President Obama wakes up and finally leads on this issue, for should the apathy and recklessness that have marked his entire Presidency continue, Mr. Obama will go down in history as the President who stood by as the shadow of nuclear terrorism descended upon the world."

Congressman Franks is serving his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, Military Readiness Subcommittee, Committee on the Judiciary, Constitution Subcommittee, and is Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.