[Pages H6079-H6083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

COUNTERING IRAN IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE ACT OF 2012

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 3783

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Countering Iran in the
Western Hemisphere Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States has vital political, economic, and
security interests in the Western Hemisphere.
(2) Iran is pursuing cooperation with Latin American
countries by signing economic and security agreements in
order to create a network of diplomatic and economic
relationships to lessen the blow of international sanctions
and oppose Western attempts to constrict its ambitions.
(3) According to the Department of State, Hezbollah, with
Iran as its state sponsor, is considered the ``most
technically capable terrorist group in the world'' with
``thousands of supporters, several thousand members, and a
few hundred terrorist operatives,'' and officials from the
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force
have been working in concert with Hezbollah for many years.
(4) The IRGC's Qods Force has a long history of supporting
Hezbollah's military, paramilitary, and terrorist activities,
providing it with guidance, funding, weapons, intelligence,
and logistical support, and in 2007, the Department of the
Treasury placed sanctions on the IRGC and its Qods Force for
their support of terrorism and proliferation activities.
(5) The IRGC's Qods Force stations operatives in foreign
embassies, charities, and religious and cultural institutions
to foster relationships, often building on existing
socioeconomic ties with the well established Shia Diaspora,
and recent years have witnessed an increased presence in
Latin America.
(6) According to the Department of Defense, the IRGC and
its Qods Force played a significant role in some of the
deadliest terrorist attacks of the past two decades,
including the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center
in Buenos Aires, by generally directing or supporting the
groups that actually executed the attacks.
(7) Reports of Iranian intelligence agents being implicated
in Hezbollah-linked activities since the early 1990s suggest
direct Iranian government support of Hezbollah activities in
the Tri-Border Area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, and
in the past decade, Iran has dramatically increased its
diplomatic missions to Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua,
Ecuador, Argentina, and Brazil. Iran has built 17 cultural
centers in Latin America, and it currently maintains 11
embassies, up from 6 in 2005.
(8) Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies with a presence in
Latin America have raised revenues through illicit
activities, including drug and arms trafficking,
counterfeiting, money laundering, forging travel documents,
pirating software and music, and providing haven and
assistance to other terrorists transiting the region.
(9) Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela
expressed their intention to assist Iran in evading sanctions
by signing a statement supporting Iran's nuclear activities
and announcing at a 2010 joint press conference in Tehran
their determination to ``continue and expand their economic
ties to Iran'' with confidence that ``Iran can give a
crushing response to the threats and sanctions imposed by the
West and imperialism''.
(10) The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration concluded in
2008 that almost one-half of the foreign terrorist
organizations in the world are linked to narcotics trade and
trafficking, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
(11) In October 2011, the United States charged two men,
Manssor Arbabsiar, a United States citizen holding both
Iranian and United States passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an
Iran-based member of Iran's IRGC Qods Force, with conspiracy
to murder a foreign official using explosives in an act of
terrorism. Arbabsiar traveled to Mexico with the express
intent to hire ``someone in the narcotics business'' to carry
out the assassination of the Saudi Arabian Ambassador in the
United States. While in the end, he only engaged a U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency informant posing as an associate of a drug
trafficking cartel, Arbabsiar believed that he was working
with a member of a Mexican drug trafficking organization and
sought to send money to this individual in installments and
not in a single transfer.
(12) In February 2011, actions by the Department of the
Treasury effectively shut down the Lebanese Canadian Bank.
Subsequent actions by the United States Government in
connection with the investigation into Lebanese Canadian Bank
resulted in the indictment in December 2011 of Ayman Joumaa,
an individual of Lebanese nationality, with citizenship in
Lebanon and Colombia, and with ties to Hezbollah, for
trafficking cocaine to the Los Zetas drug trafficking
organization in Mexico City for sale in the United States and
for laundering the proceeds.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It shall be the policy of the United States to use a
comprehensive government-wide strategy to counter Iran's
growing hostile presence and activity in the Western
Hemisphere by working together with United States allies and
partners in the region to mutually deter threats to United
States interests by the Government of Iran, the Iranian
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC's Qods
Force, and Hezbollah.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Western hemisphere.--The term ``Western Hemisphere''
means the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South
America, and Central America.
(2) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant
congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate.

SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT OF A STRATEGY TO ADDRESS IRAN'S GROWING
HOSTILE PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
conduct an assessment of the threats posed to the United
States by Iran's growing presence and activity in the Western
Hemisphere and submit to the relevant congressional
committees the results of the assessment and a strategy to
address Iran's growing hostile presence and activity in the
Western Hemisphere.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy described in
subsection (a) should include--
(1) a description of the presence, activities, and
operations of Iran, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC), its Qods Force, Hezbollah, and other terrorist
organizations linked to Iran that may be present in the
Western Hemisphere, including information about their
leaders, objectives, and areas of influence and information
on their financial networks, trafficking activities, and safe
havens;
(2) a description of the terrain, population, ports,
foreign firms, airports, borders, media outlets, financial
centers, foreign embassies, charities, religious and cultural
centers, and income-generating activities in the Western
Hemisphere utilized by Iran, the IRGC, its Qods Force,
Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations linked to Iran
that may be present in the Western Hemisphere;
(3) a description of the relationship of Iran, the IRGC,
its Qods Force, and Hezbollah with transnational criminal
organizations linked to Iran and other terrorist
organizations in

[[Page H6080]]

the Western Hemisphere, including information on financial
networks and trafficking activities;
(4) a description of the relationship of Iran, the IRGC,
its Qods Force, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations
linked to Iran that may be present in the Western Hemisphere
with the governments in the Western Hemisphere, including
military-to-military relations and diplomatic, economic, and
security partnerships and agreements;
(5) a description of the Federal law enforcement
capabilities, military forces, State and local government
institutions, and other critical elements, such as
nongovernmental organizations, in the Western Hemisphere that
may organize to counter the threat posed by Iran, the IRGC,
its Qods Force, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations
linked to Iran that may be present in the Western Hemisphere;
(6) a description of activity by Iran, the IRGC, its Qods
Force, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations linked to
Iran that may be present at the United States borders with
Mexico and Canada and at other international borders within
the Western Hemisphere, including operations related to drug,
human, and arms trafficking, human support networks,
financial support, narco-tunneling, and technological
advancements that incorporates--
(A) with respect to the United States borders, in
coordination with the Governments of Mexico and Canada and
the Secretary of Homeland Security, a plan to address
resources, technology, and infrastructure to create a secure
United States border and strengthen the ability of the United
States and its allies to prevent operatives from Iran, the
IRGC, its Qods Force, Hezbollah, or any other terrorist
organization from entering the United States; and
(B) within Latin American countries, a multiagency action
plan, in coordination with United States allies and partners
in the region, that includes the development of strong rule-
of-law institutions to provide security in such countries and
a counterterrorism and counter-radicalization plan to isolate
Iran, the IRGC, its Qods Force, Hezbollah, and other
terrorist organizations linked to Iran that may be present in
the Western Hemisphere from their sources of financial
support and counter their facilitation of terrorist activity;
and
(7) a plan--
(A) to address any efforts by foreign persons, entities,
and governments in the region to assist Iran in evading
United States and international sanctions;
(B) to protect United States interests and assets in the
Western Hemisphere, including embassies, consulates,
businesses, energy pipelines, and cultural organizations,
including threats to United States allies;
(C) to support United States efforts to designate persons
and entities in the Western Hemisphere for proliferation
activities and terrorist activities relating to Iran,
including affiliates of the IRGC, its Qods Force, and
Hezbollah, under applicable law including the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act; and
(D) to address the vital national security interests of the
United States in ensuring energy supplies from the Western
Hemisphere that are free from the influence of any foreign
government that would attempt to manipulate or disrupt global
energy markets.
(c) Development.--In developing the strategy under this
section, the Secretary of State shall consult with the heads
of all appropriate United States departments and agencies,
including the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National
Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the
United States Trade Representative.
(d) Form.--The strategy under this section shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex if necessary.

SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State
should keep the relevant congressional committees continually
informed on the hostile actions of Iran in the Western
Hemisphere.

SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the rights
or protections enjoyed by United States citizens under the
United States Constitution or other Federal law, or to create
additional authorities for the Federal Government that are
contrary to the United States Constitution and United States
law.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.

General Leave

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to insert extraneous material into the Record on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support today of H.R. 3783, the
Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012, a bill
introduced by my good friend, Mr. Duncan, an esteemed member of our
Foreign Affairs Committee. I would like to thank him for his hard work
on the issues addressed in this important bill.
In February, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled
``Ahmadinejad's Tour of Tyrants and Iran's Agenda in the Western
Hemisphere'' in order to examine the threat to U.S. national security
posed by Iran and Iranian-sponsored activities in the Western
Hemisphere. One month later, this bipartisan measure was unanimously
adopted by our Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, as we have witnessed in the last few weeks, the violence
perpetrated by extremists in the Middle East against our embassies and
our consulates undermines our foreign policy objectives, and we must
prevent these vicious attacks from occurring in our region.
Let us not forget that 18 years ago, Iranian so-called diplomats
readily partnered with Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist
organization, to carry out a deadly attack against the AMIA Jewish
Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Iran has only increased
its subversive action since then, and over the past decade the regime
has increased diplomatic and economic ties between Iran and the radical
regimes in Latin America.
Iran's Ahmadinejad made two trips to Latin America this year to visit
his fellow tyrants: the Castro brothers in Cuba, Ortega in Nicaragua,
Correa in Ecuador, Chavez in Venezuela, and Morales in Bolivia.
In an attempt to promote its extremist propaganda, the Iranian regime
recently launched a Spanish television network to reach a larger
international audience centered in the Western Hemisphere. More
embassies and cultural centers have opened in Bolivia, Ecuador,
Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay, in addition to its existing
diplomatic missions in Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela.
According to a U.S. intelligence analyst, these diplomatic missions
are simply fronts for Iran to carry out its nefarious activities in the
region and a potential platform to increase the presence of the Qods
Force operatives, a designated foreign terrorist organization and an
arm of the Revolutionary Guard of Iran.

{time} 1450

According to media reports, Hezbollah, which is Iran's proxy, has
established a training base in Nicaragua. It is also concerning that
the Ortega regime in Nicaragua does not require any visas for Iranian
officials to enter the country, which can then become the gateway to
enter the United States through our southern border. Ten days ago,
there were news reports stating that several alleged Hezbollah members
were arrested in Mexico. Iran has worked tirelessly to promote its
extremist ideologies and support efforts to undermine the democratic
governments throughout the region.
H.R. 3783 requires the Secretary of State to outline a U.S.
Government-wide strategy to fight the aggressive actions of Iran and
its proxies such as Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere toward a
comprehensive policy stance that will protect U.S. security interests.
This legislation calls for the administration to develop a plan to
secure the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico and to prevent
operatives from entering the United States. It also calls for a plan to
isolate Iran and its proxies from their sources of financial support,
and it addresses efforts by foreign persons, entities, and governments
in the region that may be assisting Iran in evading sanctions.
Lastly, it develops a plan to protect U.S. interests and assets in
our Western Hemisphere, including embassies, consulates, businesses,
and cultural organizations. We must ensure that the United States is
actively monitoring this threat and that it takes appropriate steps to
counter the Iranian regime's agenda in our hemisphere. I strongly
support the passage of this legislation.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H6081]]

I rise in strong support of H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran in the
Western Hemisphere Act of 2012.
I would like to thank the sponsor of this legislation, Mr. Duncan,
and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen,
for their leadership on this issue.
This bill makes available $1 million of Andean counternarcotics
funding for the State Department to generate an assessment of the
challenge posed to our country by Iran's presence and hostile activity
in the Western Hemisphere, as well as a strategy to address whatever
threats we may face from the Iranian regime.
Tehran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, its continued
support for international terrorism, and its abuse of basic human
rights require the United States to maintain extreme vigilance in
monitoring and countering its threats around the world. Though our goal
has not yet been realized, thanks to the leadership of Congress and the
Obama administration, more pressure has been placed on the Iranian
regime than ever before. While Iran's behavior poses a clear and
obvious danger to its own people, its neighbors, and to our ally
Israel, its presence closer to our shores also deserves watchful
attention.
The Foreign Affairs Committee has heard significant testimony on this
issue from both the administration and private sources. In my capacity
of first as chairman and now as ranking member of the Western
Hemisphere Subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I think there
is ample evidence that Iran is up to no good in the Western Hemisphere.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly and defiantly
signaled to the U.S. in his six trips to our hemisphere that he is
trolling for friends. Although it seems what Iran actually places on
the table of the countries he visits is a stack of unmet promises, it
is important that the U.S. Government remain vigilant and dig much
deeper into the nature and effectiveness of these Iranian regime
actions.
None of this occurs in a vacuum. Iran was complicit in the horrific
bombings of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and of the AMIA Jewish
Community Center, also in Buenos Aires, which I have visited on
numerous occasions. This happened in the first half of the 1990s, so it
can easily be said that the first terrorist attacks on Latin American
soil happened with Iran in control. We also have evidence of Iran's
increasing willingness to conduct an attack on U.S. soil, such as the
discovery this year of a twisted Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi
Ambassador here in Washington.
We must be alert to any Iranian attempts to circumvent sanctions and
stand against efforts to curry favor with our neighbors to loosen those
sanctions. We should continue to monitor intelligence links and watch
the Iranian diplomatic corps, given its historical involvement in
nefarious acts. We should keep a close eye on financial transactions;
the chaotic nexus of drug money and terrorism in this region, in
particular, deserves serious notice.
Finally, it is important to express that my support for this
legislation is not in any way an indication that the Obama
administration has not taken this issue seriously. The President has
himself stated that his administration will continue to monitor Iran's
activities in the Western Hemisphere closely, and I have personally
engaged enough administration officials to be persuaded that they
understand the gravity of the situation and are giving it the attention
it deserves.
Still, we must be particularly vigilant toward the relationship
between Iran and Venezuela, given the opacity of the ties between the
regimes governing each country and the anti-American bombast of their
leaders. However, there are some positive notes in our region. I would
like to extend my appreciation to Brazil, the largest democracy in the
hemisphere outside of the United States, which, under President
Rousseff, has significantly cooled its relationship with Iran and has
cast important votes in the U.N. Human Rights Council critical of the
Iranian regime.
Today's polarization and bluster in Washington on so many issues can
have the effect of making it difficult to separate fact from fiction.
We cannot let that happen here. The stakes are too high. So, with this
legislation, we provide both a strong signal to the administration to
continue to monitor this situation closely as well as the resources to
look across U.S. agency efforts and enforcement capabilities to make
sure they are in lockstep.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan), a member of our House
Committee on Foreign Affairs as well as a member of the Homeland
Security and Natural Resources Committees. More importantly, he is the
author of this bill today.
Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, for your
leadership on this very important issue.
I want to pause to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins)
for his leadership on the other side of the aisle.
Last week, Congress took a rare break from our work here and from
partisanship. We came together to remember those who died on 9/11 and
during the war on terrorism. We stood together on the Capitol steps,
and we pledged that we would never forget the heartbreaking events of
that fateful day. One of the ways we can honor the memory of those who
lost their lives is to be prepared so that our country will never again
experience such a tragedy.
Mr. Speaker, that's why I'm standing before you today, thanking you
and the Members of the body for putting partisanship aside and for
working together to keep our families and our communities safe from new
and emerging threats to our Nation.
We are all aware of the Iranian nuclear threat in the Middle East and
globally, but there is another potential threat from Iran and its
proxies that is closer to home. That threat is an emerging Iranian-
backed terror network here in the Western Hemisphere. What we already
know is very alarming.
We know about last October's foiled Iranian plot to assassinate the
Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S. here on American soil.
We know that Iran has vastly expanded its diplomatic and economic
footprint in Latin America. For example, we know about the Department
of Defense's 2012 Annual Report on Iran that stated:

During the past three decades, Iran has methodically
cultivated a network of sponsored terrorist surrogates
capable of targeting U.S. and Israeli interests.

Just this month, the Brazilian journal Veja and others reported on a
police seizure in Bolivia of 2 tons of minerals believed initially to
contain uranium but more likely tantalum, which is the mineral that is
in demand for, among other things, nuclear reactors and missile parts.
We know that 2 weeks ago an Israeli news organization revealed that
Iran has established a Hezbollah terrorist training base in northern
Nicaragua with operatives ``being trained at the base to attack Israeli
and U.S. targets in the event of a raid on Iranian nuclear
installations.''

{time} 1500

And we know that just last week, press reports revealed that three
suspected Hezbollah members were arrested just south of our border in
Mexico.
None of this should come as a surprise. Iran has publicly stated that
increasing their presence and ties to Latin America is one of their top
foreign policy objectives; however, we must have the capabilities to
defend ourselves from potential Iranian attacks here on the homeland.
We must be able to clearly identify this emerging threat and develop
strategies which include working with our neighbors here in this
hemisphere to prevent Iran from being a danger to our country here at
home.
Mr. Speaker, that's why this bill, H.R. 3783, establishes a strong
U.S. posture, policy, and relationship with Latin American countries.
It protects U.S. interests and assets in the Western Hemisphere, such
as embassies, consulates, energy pipelines, and cultural organizations,
including threats to U.S. allies. It addresses the vital national
security interests of the United States by ensuring that energy
supplies from the Western Hemisphere are

[[Page H6082]]

free from the influence of any foreign government that would attempt to
manipulate or disrupt global energy markets.
This bill requires a secure U.S. border with the U.S. working in
coordination with the governments of Mexico and Canada to prevent
Iranian operatives from entering the United States. This bill counters
the efforts by foreign persons, entities, and governments in the region
which may assist Iran in evading U.S. and international sanctions.
Mr. Speaker and Madam Chairwoman, I urge that Members of this body
come together and vote for this very important issue, H.R. 3783.
Last week marked the 11th anniversary of al Qaeda's attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Al Qaeda, responsible for the
tragic deaths of nearly 3,000 people on 9/11, has long operated with
extensive ties to the Government of Iran. The 9/11 Commission
documented that al Qaeda operatives traveled to Iran to receive
training in explosives in the 1990s, that ``Iran facilitated the
transit of al Qaeda members into and out of Afghanistan before 9/11,
and that some of these were future 9/11 hijackers.'' This past
February, the Treasury Department designated the Iranian Ministry of
Intelligence and Security for its support of terrorist groups including
al Qaeda.
Today, the Iranian regime continues pursuing nuclear weapons against
U.S. and international sanctions. It warns of striking U.S. military
bases with its ballistic missiles in the event of an attack on Iran. It
bullies the global energy market with its threats to block the Strait
of Hormuz. Last October's foiled Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi
Ambassador to the U.S. revealed, as DNI Director Clapper stated, a
change in ``calculus'' and a willingness ``to conduct an attack in the
United States.'' This year alone, a string of assassination attempts by
Iran and Hezbollah in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Thailand, Georgia, and
Kenya have only intensified this drumbeat.
Add to these dangers a growing Iranian presence in the Western
Hemisphere and we have a serious security threat that demands a U.S.
response. Since 2005, Iran has increased its embassies from 6 to 11 and
built 17 cultural centers in Latin America. Iran's diplomacy has led to
soaring trade with Latin American countries. Brazil increased its
exports to Iran seven-fold over the past decade to an annual level of
$2.12 billion. Iranian trade with Argentina and Ecuador has grown, and
economic contracts between Iran and Venezuela have exploded to more
than $20 billion in trade and cooperation agreements.
Iran has also boosted its military ties with Latin America. The
Defense Department assesses ``with high confidence that during the past
three decades Iran has methodically cultivated a network of sponsored
terrorist surrogates capable of targeting U.S. and Israeli interests.''
The U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute has labeled
this threat tied to the explosion of relationships between
transnational crime and criminalized states in Latin America an
``emerging tier-one national security priority.'' Two weeks ago, an
Israeli news organization published a story that ``Iran has established
a Hizbullah terrorist training base in northern Nicaragua'' with
operatives ``being trained at the base to attack Israeli and U.S.
targets in the event of a raid on Iranian nuclear installations.'' Last
week, press reports revealed that three suspected Hezbollah members
were arrested in Mexico.
None of this should come as any surprise to us. Iran has publicly
stated that ``the promotion of all-out cooperation with Latin American
countries is among the top priorities of the Islamic Republic's foreign
policy.'' A 2009 dossier by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs put it
bluntly: ``since Ahmadinejad's rise to power, Tehran has been promoting
an aggressive policy aimed at bolstering its ties with Latin American
countries with the declared goal of `bringing America to its knees.'
The U.S. must have the capabilities to defend itself from a potential
Iranian attack on the homeland. We must have a strong posture in our
region and deepening relationships with our neighbors, so we can
protect U.S. interests and keep the Western Hemisphere free from
hostile agents of foreign influence. We must have secure borders to
prevent Iranian operatives from entering the U.S. It is unconscionable
that we should let Iran use Latin American countries as a base to
prepare for potential attacks against the U.S. homeland. Iran poses an
incalculable risk to the safety of the U.S. homeland. Our duty is to
ensure we provide for the defense of this country, and the American
people expect no less. I ask for your support of this legislation.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 4 minutes to my friend and
colleague from the great State of New York, who is the lead Democratic
sponsor of this bill, Mr. Higgins.
Mr. HIGGINS. First, I want to thank Jeff Duncan for his leadership
and friendship on this issue and for his hard work on this. It's a very
important bill that obviously enjoys bipartisan support.
I rise in support of H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran in the Western
Hemisphere Act. This important legislation is of particular interest to
western New York, and it addresses a pressing national security concern
for the United States.
Mr. Speaker, Hezbollah, otherwise known as the ``party of God'' in
Arabic, is a militant Shia organization committed to violent jihad. It
is based in Lebanon, but serves as a proxy for Iran, Syria, and
Venezuela. During hearings in the House Committee on Homeland Security,
we heard expert testimony linking Hezbollah to criminal activity
throughout the Western Hemisphere. We learned that there are roughly 80
Hezbollah operatives in the 15-nation region of Latin America and that
it is involved in the South American drug trade and radicalization
efforts in Mexico.
We also learned that Hezbollah has an active presence in four cities
in Canada and 15 cities in the United States. I questioned the
witnesses about Hezbollah's activity in North America. I asked, If
Hezbollah is not targeting the United States, what are they doing here?
The response was that these activities were not significant because
they were largely limited to fundraising. Mr. Speaker, I don't see the
distinction between terrorist activity and fundraising for terrorist
activity. If Hezbollah and, by proxy, Iran are using safe havens in and
around the United States, we must have a strategy to address it.
As I said, this is of particular concern to western New York because
one of the communities in which Hezbollah has a presence is Toronto,
which is 90 miles north of Buffalo. The Buffalo-Niagara region is
within 500 miles of 55 percent of the United States population and 62
percent of the Canadian population. Our Peace Bridge is the busiest
border crossing between the United States and Canada. Our Niagara Power
Project is the largest energy producer in New York State, and the
Department of Homeland Security, citing budgetary constraints, just
dropped our preparedness funding. You can understand if we don't feel
comfortable with Hezbollah 90 miles away for those who live in Buffalo.
Mr. Speaker, this bill would address the threat Hezbollah poses to
communities like mine. It requires the State Department to conduct a
thorough assessment of the threats we face and to develop a strategy in
coordination with our allies and partners in the region to address
Hezbollah's growing presence and activity in the Western Hemisphere.
Again, I want to thank my colleague, Jeff Duncan, for his work on
this issue and his leadership on this issue. I also want to thank
Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Berman for their support.
I urge passage of this bill.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Turner), a member on the House Committee
on Foreign Affairs, Veterans' Affairs, and Homeland Security Committee.
Mr. TURNER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South
Carolina for introducing this resolution.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran in
the Western Hemisphere Act.
Last week's events in the Middle East and Africa are a stark reminder
of how fragile peace can be. Iran's leaders have not been afraid to let
the world know they will attack the United States and our allies, even
going so far as to claim that they will wipe Israel off the face of the
Earth.
Iran is emerging as a threat much closer to our shores in South
America. Earlier this year, Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
embarked on a trip that Chairman Ros-Lehtinen accurately characterized
as a ``tour of tyrants.'' He traveled throughout South America, where
he met with Venezuela's President Chavez and attended the presidential
inauguration of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua before going on to Cuba and
Ecuador.
Iran continues to deepen its relations with Latin America through its
ties to the international Islamic Shia group,

[[Page H6083]]

Hezbollah, a State Department-designated foreign terrorist
organization. According to the Congressional Research Center,
Hezbollah, along with Iran, has been linked to two bombings against
Jewish targets in Argentina--the 1972 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in
Buenos Aires that killed 30 people and the 1994 bombing of the
Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association in Buenos Aires that killed 85
people.
While increasing tensions between the United States, Israel, and
Iran, we cannot simply afford to ignore the threats that are looming in
South America. The Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of
2012 will ensure that threat assessments are conducted, that a
cooperative strategy is put in place between the United States and her
allies in the region, and our borders with Canada and Mexico are more
secure. These efforts will allow our country to better protect our
citizens and our interests both on our own soil and abroad.
As we have seen, the threat is real and American lives are at stake.
We cannot afford to ignore the potential threats to our national
security that may stem from this area of the world.
Mr. ENGEL. At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Kucinich).
Mr. KUCINICH. I condemn all the violence that has been talked about
here, and I also had the opportunity years ago to visit the synagogue
in Buenos Aires that was the subject of that attack, and I paid my
respects.
I want to say that as I've heard this debate, there are two things
that occur to me: number one, Congress has a right to ask for reports.
It's our constitutional obligation to find out what the administration
is doing. I support Congress' right to get information. But at the same
time, when the debate takes us in a direction to where suddenly we're
at odds with Latin America, it is an argument for Congress to take a
strong stand for diplomacy. I hope that as we get these reports, that
we're going to underscore the importance of diplomacy not only with
respect to Latin America, but also with respect to Iran. The American
people do not want another war, and we need diplomacy to take us in a
direction that makes war not likely.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, at this time we have no further
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. I also yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my strong
support to H.R. 3783, Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act,
which provides for a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's growing
presence and hostile activity in the Western Hemisphere. I would also
like to thank the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Jeff Duncan, for
introducing this legislation highlighting the very real threat of Iran
at America's front door.
If we have learned anything from the complete lack of progress in
negotiations to keep Iran from making a nuclear weapon, it is that Iran
is persistent in hostile action and insistent on establishing itself as
a counterweight to U.S. power and ideals.
Iran has engaged the U.S. through its Iran Revolutionary Guard Corp
(IGRC) in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of American men and service
women. Iran is buttressing the morally bankrupt Assad regime in Syria
as Syria massacres its own people. And Iran is attacking our friends
and allies through its proxies, like Hezbollah, which boasts and
arsenal of 60 to 70,000 rockets, many of which were supplied by Iran
and are aimed at Israeli neighborhoods.
Iran has earned its title as a state sponsor of terrorism. No target
is off limits, and simply being of Jewish descent is apparently
provocation enough. In 1994, Iran orchestrated one of the worst
terrorist attacks in the Western Hemisphere against the AMIA Jewish
Community Center in Buenos Aires, murdering 85 people and injuring 300
more. The peace of 200,000 Jewish individuals, many of whom fled to
Argentina during WWII, was shattered by this barbarous attack.
Media reports over the last few years have shown an alarming trend of
increased Iranian IGRC Qods force presence and activity in Latin
America. Iran's President Ahmadinejad, famous for his repeated denials
of the Holocaust and dedication to wiping Israel off the map, has made
visits to Latin America to cultivate alliances with Chavez, Ortega,
Morales, Castro, and Correa.
These leaders have stated their commitment to Iran's nuclear
activities and their faith that ``Iran can give a crushing response to
the threats and sanctions imposed by the West and imperialism.'' There
is no question that Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela
are helping Iran evade the sanctions intended to prevent Iran from
becoming a nuclear sponsor of state terrorism. The question is, what
are we doing about it?
If Iran succeeds in creating a nuclear weapon, it is all too
conceivable that these allies of Iran in the Western Hemisphere would
be willing to provide a local launch pad, as Cuba did during the Cold
War for Russian missiles aimed at the U.S.
Mr. Speaker, these threats are all too real and all too proximate.
With H.R. 3783, the Administration will be required to create a
coordinated, inter-agency plan to ensure that the United States is
working effectively to counter Iran's hostile aspirations in the
Western Hemisphere. I urge my colleagues to support this important and
timely legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3783, as amended
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide for a
comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's growing hostile presence and
activity in the Western Hemisphere, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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