U.S. Senate Votes 97-0, Passing Lieberman's Iran Amendment
US Senate warns Iran on Iraq attacks
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...9-1702,00.html
(Gold9472: This amendment.)
July 12, 2007
THE US Senate has unanimously backed a measure censuring Iran for what it said was complicity in the killing of US soldiers in Iraq, intending to send a stern warning to Tehran.
The chamber voted 97-0 in favor of the bill, making it one of the few areas of Iraq policy where all Democrats and all Republicans are in agreement, in a turbulent period of political recriminations over the war.
"Today's unanimous vote sends a strong, clear message from the entire Senate to the Iranians that we know what they are doing in Iraq, and they must stop,'' said Senator Joseph Lieberman, who framed the legislation.
"This is a warning to the Iranians that whatever differences divide us politically here in Washington, we stand united against these outrageous attacks.''
The amendment laid out what it said was evidence about proxy attacks by Iranian forces on US soldiers in Iraq and called for a regular US government report to Congress on Tehran's role in the war-torn nation.
"The threat posed by Iran to our soldiers, to our allies, and to our national security is a truth that cannot be wished or waved away. Congress today began the process of confronting it,'' Mr Lieberman said.
The measure passed just over a week after the US military accused Iranian special forces of using Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militiamen to train Iraqi extremists and of planning an attack that killed five US soldiers this year.
Iran dismissed the US accusations as "ridiculous''.
Tehran and Washington have not had official diplomatic ties for decades, except for some low level contacts.
US commanders have long accused Iran of supplying explosively-formed penetrators - sophisticated bombs that launch a fist-size chunk of molten metal capable of slicing through armored vehicles - to armed groups in Iraq.
Hundreds of US troops have fallen victim to the weapons since May 2004, when they first appeared on the Iraqi battlefield, and Hezbollah used them to deadly effect in its conflict last year with Israel in southern Lebanon.
Follow the bouncing logic of Empire
America illegally invades a country that did nothing to America. America labels opposition to the ensuing occupation "insurgents". America threatens foreign governments that support "insurgents".
This is the circular reasoning of Empire. If you resist Empire, you are a "terrorist" subject to the war crimes of Empire. If you are complicit with Empire, you are ensuring your own demise. You can't win. Chaos is inevitable. Chaos is good for (war) business.
