[House Hearing, 112 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
TO PROVIDE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY
TO COUNTER IRAN'S GROWING PRESENCE AND
HOSTILE ACTIVITY IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM, NONPROLIFERATION, AND TRADE
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H.R. 3783
__________
MARCH 1, 2012
__________
Serial No. 112-122
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
or
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
______
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
DAN BURTON, Indiana GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
ELTON GALLEGLY, California ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American
DANA ROHRABACHER, California Samoa
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California BRAD SHERMAN, California
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
RON PAUL, Texas GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
MIKE PENCE, Indiana RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri
JOE WILSON, South Carolina ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
CONNIE MACK, Florida GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas DENNIS CARDOZA, California
TED POE, Texas BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky
GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio ALLYSON SCHWARTZ, Pennsylvania
BILL JOHNSON, Ohio CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut
DAVID RIVERA, Florida FREDERICA WILSON, Florida
MIKE KELLY, Pennsylvania KAREN BASS, California
TIM GRIFFIN, Arkansas WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina
ANN MARIE BUERKLE, New York
RENEE ELLMERS, North Carolina
ROBERT TURNER, New York
Yleem D.S. Poblete, Staff Director
Richard J. Kessler, Democratic Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
TED POE, Texas BRAD SHERMAN, California
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
BILL JOHNSON, Ohio GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
TIM GRIFFIN, Arkansas BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
ANN MARIE BUERKLE, New York ALLYSON SCHWARTZ, Pennsylvania
RENEE ELLMERS, North Carolina
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
MARKUP OF
H.R. 3783, To provide for a comprehensive strategy to counter
Iran's growing presence and hostile activity in the Western
Hemisphere, and for other purposes............................. 2
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3783 offered by
the Honorable Jeff Duncan, a Representative in Congress from
the State of South Carolina.................................. 11
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
The Honorable Jeff Duncan: Prepared statement.................... 25
APPENDIX
Markup notice.................................................... 36
Markup minutes................................................... 37
TO PROVIDE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO COUNTER IRAN'S GROWING
PRESENCE AND HOSTILE ACTIVITY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
----------
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Terrorism,
Nonproliferation, and Trade,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 o'clock
a.m., in room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edward
R. Royce (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. Royce. The subcommittee will come to order. Pursuant to
notice, we meet today to mark up H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran
in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012. Without objection, the
amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr. Duncan,
which incorporates changes from both sides of the aisle and was
provided to your offices earlier this week and posted on the
committee Web site, will be considered base text for purposes
of this markup.
The clerk will report the base text.
Mr. Strupp. Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R.
3783 offered by Mr. Duncan of South Carolina.
Mr. Royce. Without objection, the text is considered read
and is open for amendment at any point. And before proceeding
to the ranking member and any other members seeking
recognition, I recognize myself for a brief statement on the
measure before us.
[The information referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mr. Royce. In recent years Iran has developed close ties
with several leaders in the Western Hemisphere who share its
violent anti-Americanism. And most recently Iranian President
Ahmadinejad undertook his sixth visit to the hemisphere,
undertaking what some in the press quipped a ``tyrant's tour''
of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Ecuador.
The growing Iranian role in the Western Hemisphere has been
the subject of several committee hearings and classified
briefings. Many members are concerned, however, that the
administration has not adequately examined or sought to counter
Iran's growing and hostile diplomatic and intelligence presence
in our hemisphere.
Let's be clear. The Iranian threat isn't just thousands of
miles away. It is close to home. Back in the 1990s, Iran was
behind the bombings in Argentina. More recently, Hezbollah
operatives have penetrated our borders. The Iranian attempt to
assassinate the Saudi Ambassador on U.S. soil using a Mexican
drug cartel is the latest demonstration of this threat.
Indeed, recently testifying before Congress, the Director
of National Intelligence stated that Iranian officials--I'll
give his quote here--``have changed their calculus and are now
willing to conduct an attack in the United States.'' The DNI
went on to say that the Iranians are ``trying to penetrate and
engage in this hemisphere.''
Besides a potential platform to conduct terrorist attacks,
some experts see other sources of motivation for closer Iranian
links to the hemisphere. Many believe that the countries Iran
is courting in the Western Hemisphere can help them circumvent
sanctions.
Testifying before Congress recently, one former U.S.
official noted,
``The dangerous activities of Iran and Hezbollah so
near our borders demand a whole of government strategy
beginning with an interagency review to understand and
assess the transnational multifaceted nature of this
problem [and] to mobilize friendly governments to
respond.''
This bill, H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran in the Western
Hemisphere Act of 2012, authored by our colleagues Mr. Duncan
of South Carolina and Mr. Higgins of New York, two members of
the subcommittee, requires such a review and strategy and
basically would kick the bureaucracy into gear. With 60 co-
sponsors, including myself, it deserves support. And I urge its
passage.
I remind the members of the committee that we will very
soon have the last votes of this day on the floor. So brevity
is appreciated. And, without objection, all members can submit
their full statements for the record.
I now recognize from the other side the member from Rhode
Island for any remarks he may have before I turn to the
legislation's author.
Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I, too, am concerned, I think, as most Americans, about the
growing influence of Iran in the Western Hemisphere. And I
think this is an issue which the President and the
administration are taking very seriously and remain fully
engaged in as they monitor these events and confront the
growing threat of Iran around the world.
And I think this legislation, of course, begins with an
assessment by the Secretary of this threat, which I think is an
important step. And I support the legislation and thank you for
the opportunity to make some opening comments.
Mr. Royce. I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island.
Are there any other members who wish to strike the last
word and speak on this measure?
Mr. Duncan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I move to strike the last word and ask that my statement be
submitted in its entirety into the record.
Mr. Royce. That was brief. I think we are going to hold the
vote open for a few minutes for our ranking member. I am going
to allow Mr. Duncan, the author of the measure, then, to go
ahead with the statement that he has submitted for the record
if you want to elaborate on that at this moment.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Duncan follows:]
Prepared Statement of the Honorable Jeff Duncan, a Representative in
Congress from the State of South Carolina
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
__________
Mr. Duncan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Sherman and Mr. Cicilline from
Rhode Island, I want to start by thanking you and your staff for the
assistance on this legislation. I appreciate the bipartisan cooperation
on the bill today. We have 63 members who have co-sponsored it.
And, as you all know, this bill offers us an opportunity to work
together with our allies and partners in the Western Hemisphere to
identify the mutual threats to our interests and act together to
protect those interests. And, just of note, I met with an Ambassador to
Mexico to further that conversation to make sure that we all understand
that this is our neighborhood and that we're working for mutual
protection of our interest.
And today one of the most subversive threats facing the U.S. and
our neighbors comes from Iran's hostile activity and strategy influence
in our hemisphere. The United States' vital political, economic, and
security interest in the Western Hemisphere and Iran's penetration into
the region represents a threat to the U.S. as well as the rest of the
hemisphere.
Today Iran has nearly doubled its number of Embassies in the region
from 6 to 11. And President Ahmadinejad has also recently completed his
sixth visit to the region. While Iran as a sovereign country does have
the right to engage in public diplomacy, when its actions are hostile
to American interests and incite anti-American views among our
neighbors and would seek to use as influence to evade U.S. and
international sanctions, we need to take notice. And we need to respond
accordingly.
Today the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Corps elite Qods force
stations operatives in foreign Embassies, charities, religious, and
cultural institutions to build relationships with local population.
As the chairman mentioned, Hezbollah, considered by the U.S. State
Department as the most technically capable terrorist group in the
world, tends to use sales that contain a recruitment entity,
fundraising entity, and operational entity. While Hezbollah sales may
focus primarily only on fundraising, in all cases, each Hezbollah
operative has an operational mandate. In Mexico, we have seen evidence
of Hezbollah's activity, the full Iranian plot just of this last June
revealed by the administration publicly in October, as a prime example.
The Univision documentary that was released in December on the
Iranian threat, the established nexus between narcotrafficking and
terrorism and sophisticated narco towing discovered along the U.S.-
Mexico border provide credible evidence for a concern that possible
terrorist networks are engaging in our hemisphere and may be evidence
that Mexican drug trafficking organizations are tapping in to
Hezbollah's expertise in order to better transport drugs, people, and
who knows what into the United States of America.
We have also reason to suspect Iran has sought influence through
Hezbollah in Canada. Most recently the USDA and Treasury Department's
success in effectively shutting down the Lebanese Canadian Bank raises
question on Iran's actions in Canada because the Lebanese Canadian
Bank, formerly a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada, also had
offices in Montreal.
Today many experts believe that Hezbollah is better established in
North America and in the United States than any other terrorist
organization in the world. With the connection between drugs, money,
and terrorism, we have to wonder how many of these designated drug
trafficking organizations are working with Hezbollah and other Arab
networks here within the United States.
Now, Congress had authorized trillions of dollars for military
operations in the global war on terror in the last decade. Yet, Iran
has steadily been establishing a presence here in our own neighborhood,
from which it can exercise influence.
What are we doing about it? Overestimating the threat does not
serve the American people well, but underestimating the threat could
bring great harm to the American people, to our friends in the region,
and U.S. assets and to our allies here and abroad.
So I believe this bill is necessary as a first step to redoubling
our efforts to better understand the extent of the Iranian activity
here at home by establishing a strong U.S. relationship with our
neighbors. It requires an assessment of the threat and a strategy to
counter Iran's hostile actions that protects the U.S. interests and the
assets in the Western Hemisphere, addresses U.S. vital energy security
interests, and calls for a secure U.S. border to prevent Iranian
operatives from entering the United States.
Just last month, the Director of DNI, James Clapper, testified that
Iranian officials are ``more willing to conduct an attack in the United
States in response to real or perceived U.S. actions that threaten the
regime.''
We need to be prepared with a strategy to counter Iran's hostile
presence in our neighborhood. And I ask my colleagues to and I
encourage you to please support the bill.
And, with that, I yield back.
Mr. Royce. I thank the gentleman. Your point about every agent
having an operational mandate is a correct one. From our experience--
and I would just cite the example of Mahmoud Kourani, who successfully
infiltrated our country over our southern border in the State of
California. It was done through a process whereby he was put in the
trunk of a car, brought into this country, reached the midwest before
it was discovered that he and a host of fellow Iranian trained agents
were here, over 50 in total.
And here is what was interesting about the training. It wasn't
just, as you mentioned, in fundraising. It was also in weapons
training. It was also in explosives. It wasn't intelligence. It was the
full range of how to show terror.
And what is equally interesting to me is that his brother was
General Kourani. General Kourani was in charge of the bombardment
during the Israel-Hezbollah war. And I was up in Haifa in '06, when it
was coming under attack. And I saw the effectiveness of these Hezbollah
operatives as they were working, you know, these missiles that had been
given to them by Iranian and Syrian forces. And the thought that the
brother of that individual was able to go into a consulate in Beirut
and pay a $5,000 bribe, in this case to an official from Mexico in
order to get the phony documentation to go into Mexico and then would
link up with one of these cartels that move people through the border
in order to get through our southern border and the fact that we
wouldn't find him until--I think he was up in Detroit when he was
finally apprehended. Of course, he and these other individuals
subsequently were convicted, but it shows the necessity of having this
legislation. And I am going to turn to the gentleman of Ohio, Mr.
Johnson, for any remarks he might want to make.
Mr. Johnson. I thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I appreciate, first of all, my colleague from South Carolina for
offering H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act
of 2012.
This is a very, very important piece of legislation. We have seen
increasing evidence. We have known it for a long time, but it is
becoming increasingly evident to the rest of the world, certainly to
the American people, of Iran's intentions to negatively impact the
freedoms and the liberties that we enjoy here in America.
And so I stand in full support of this piece of legislation. And I
again want to thank my colleague for introducing it.
Mr. Royce. I thank the gentleman from Ohio.
Hearing no further requests to speak, are there any amendments?
[No response.]
Mr. Royce. Hearing no further amendments, the question is on
agreeing to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All of those
in favor say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mr. Royce. All those opposed?
[No response.]
Mr. Royce. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. And the
amendment in the nature of a substitute is agreed to. Without
objection, the bill, as amended, will be reported favorably to the full
committee in the form of a single amendment in the nature of a
substitute. And the staff is directed to make any technical and
conforming amendments.
We are not going to adjourn because our ranking member I believe
wanted to say a few remarks, make a few brief remarks on this
legislation.
Mr. Sherman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This bill is so important that I felt my opportunity to pontificate
on it was less important than moving it as quickly as possible. As you
know, you wanted to schedule this hearing at a time when I couldn't be
here.
Mr. Royce. However, without objection----
Mr. Sherman. I made it in time to----
Mr. Royce. You did.
Mr. Sherman [continuing]. Thank you for your decision to schedule
the meeting at a time when you could move this bill.
Mr. Royce. If I could interrupt? Without objection, I would like to
move for a revote. And at the same time, I am going to yield to the
ranking member for his opening statement.
Mr. Sherman, we're fine. We've got over 10 minutes before the
clock.
Mr. Sherman. I thank the chairman for his indulgence.
I have long advocated the strongest possible sanctions on Iran due
to its terrorism. And perhaps the greatest example of the worldwide
ambitions of Iran took place in the early 1990s when they attacked the
Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the Jewish Cultural Center there as
well.
But just recently Iranian agents planned to kill a Saudi Ambassador
on U.S. soil. This demonstrates that Iran is not content to make
mischief in the old world. They have come to our hemisphere as well. I
believe the strongest possible sanctions and the maximum possible
diplomatic isolation of Iran--that's why I am glad that just yesterday
Ben Bernanke said that he would use his voice and vote to assert a
supervisorial role over the Swiss system to prevent Iranian banks from
conducting business with banks around the world providing he had a
clear indication from those concerned with national security that that
was indeed a good U.S. policy.
Then in this room just yesterday Secretary Clinton in response to
my question said, ``Yes, indeed, that would be a furtherance of U.S.
policy.''
And we need the strongest possible sanctions. Last year I
introduced the Stop Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program Act, much of which
has been included in legislation passed by the House through the Iran
Threat Reduction Act.
The legislation will hopefully be the subject of a conference once
the Senate passes its version. The Iran Threat Reduction Act includes
the toughest sanctions yet on the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps and
the Qods Force. And these are among the provisions I authored.
I am currently compiling provisions that didn't make it into ITRA
along with other provisions in a new package, which I will introduce
soon. And my goal is to keep introducing the strongest possible
sanctions bills against Iran until that government changes its
policies.
Since 2003, I have worked with Chairman Royce on this subcommittee,
where we have focused on so many issues of proliferation. And I am
perhaps more concerned about those impending votes than our chairman.
So I will put the rest of the statement in the record and thank him for
his decision to revote our action here.
Mr. Royce. Well, I thank the ranking member.
And, without objection, we will void the prior vote and consider
the question de novo. The question is on agreeing to the amendment in
the nature of a substitute. All of those in favor say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Mr. Royce. All those opposed, no?
[No response.]
Mr. Royce. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. And the
amendment in the nature of a substitute is agreed to. Without
objection, the bill, as amended, will be reported favorably to the full
committee in the form of a single amendment in the nature of a
substitute. And the staff is directed to make any technical and
conforming amendments.
That concludes our business. The subcommittee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:25 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
Material Submitted for the Hearing RecordNotice deg.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
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