2007.12.13: December 13, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: COS - Iran: Stamford Times: Shays says Don't be 'lulled' by Iran report

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Shays says Don't be 'lulled' by Iran report

Shays says Don't be 'lulled' by Iran report

Despite the U.S. intelligence finding that Iran suspended a nuclear weapons program in 2003, U.S. Rep. Chris Shays [R-4] won't let Iran off the hook. "I think you have to be really naive to think Iran does not want to become a nuclear power," Shays, who recently led an oversight hearing on Iran, said in an interview. Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in the 1960's.

Shays says Don't be 'lulled' by Iran report

Shays: Don't be 'lulled' by Iran report


By JARED NEWMAN

jnewman@thestamfordtimes.com

REGION — Despite the U.S. intelligence finding that Iran suspended a nuclear weapons program in 2003, U.S. Rep. Chris Shays [R-4] won't let Iran off the hook.

"I think you have to be really naive to think Iran does not want to become a nuclear power," Shays, who recently led an oversight hearing on Iran, said in an interview Thursday.


On Monday, the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran released a finding that the country stopped developing nuclear weapons because of international pressure. Tehran celebrated the news, and U.S. President George W. Bush emphasized that Iran is still a threat.

The intelligence report says Tehran continues to enrich uranium, which could be used to build a bomb between 2010 and 2015.

Shays agreed with Bush that Iran shouldn't be allowed to enrich uranium, even if it's used for peaceful energy purposes.

"If they just wanted the fuel for a peaceful means, the Russians have said they'll give it to them," Shays said, referring to Russia's offer from 2005 to supply Iran's nuclear fuel if the country stopped enriching uranium.

The enrichment process is a key part of building nuclear weapons, Shays said. The other two steps — developing weapons-grade material and creating a delivery system — are easy by comparison.

Besides, Shays said, the report proves that Iran was working on nuclear arms prior to 2003.

"My hope and prayer is that people aren't lulled by the fact that they have just decided to suspend a program that the critics say they didn't have," Shays said.

Shays said Bush "lost some prestige" on the issue by not stressing the danger of enriching uranium. "I wish the president had explained this a little better," he said.

Previously, Shays said there have been 25 years of missed opportunities for diplomacy with Iran. He encouraged the administration to have a dialogue with the country and said the U.S. should learn more about the Middle East, because it supplies so much of the world's oil.

"It's the lifeblood that powers a modern economy," Shays said. "It's kind of like the heart, and we better be paying a little better attention to this area in a way that would eliminate the need to use military force."

Shays said he wouldn't want to go to war with Iran for a "whole host of reasons."

"First, we wouldn't want to use ground troops," he said, "and second, we don't have the troops to use."

Instead, Shays recommends an embargo by the U.S., Europe, China and Russia. Iran isn't afraid of attack, he said, but the country fears economic reprimands.

If that doesn't work, Shays wouldn't say if he'd vote to send America to another war.

"I'm not going to speculate if everything else fails," Shays said, "but I will tell you it is not a place we want to be and we should do everything to avoid being in that place."




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Headlines: December, 2007; RPCV Chris Shays (Fiji); Figures; Peace Corps Fiji; Directory of Fiji RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Fiji RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Peace Corps Iran; Directory of Iran RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Iran RPCVs; Connecticut





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Story Source: Stamford Times

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Fiji; Politics; Congress; COS - Iran

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