(posted March 8, 10:30 a.m.)- U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, yesterday pushed a step further legislation calling on the State Department to develop a strategy to counter Iran’s increasing presence in the Western Hemisphere.
On March 7, the Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously adopted H.R. 3783, the Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012, authored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC).
“Over the past years, we have witnessed the Iranian regime expand diplomatic and economic ties with rogue regimes in our Hemisphere,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “Last January, Iran’s Ahmadinejad completed a four-country ‘Tour of Tyrants’ to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Ecuador. The aggressive actions undertaken by the IRGC, the Qods force, and Iran’s proxies like Hezbollah have the potential to give Iran the platform that it needs in the region to carry out attacks against our homeland.”
In a separate Committee hearing on March 6, SOUTHCOM Commander General Douglas Fraser testified about the potentially dangerous connections between Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas in the Western Hemisphere.
Said Ros-Lehtinen, “This legislation (would) require the Secretary of State to use existing funds to create a tailored strategy to fight the aggressive activities of Iran and its proxies in the Western Hemisphere, thereby establishing a strong U.S. policy stance and protecting U.S. security interests.”
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She’s what called a “wing nut” up here. Outside of a crackpot constituency, she has no credibility. She’s just Sara Palin, but with stick-to-it-ness.
Easy to use a personal attack. but what are the facts? If Nicaragua invites any substantial Iranian presence to the country, we will turn the clock back to 1979 -with the added sting of economic sanctions and possible travel restrictions. The EU won’t stand up for Nicaragua this time, there might be some very hungry people. A great deal for the rest of CA, but does little for Nicaragua. Hard to believe that DO could be on the wrong side of the fence –AGAIN. And forget the canal, it’s DOA. Perhaps DO is pursuing the fantasy of becoming the first nuclear armed country in CA thanks to his Iranian friends?
Her constituency is the vibrant Cuban American community of So Florida. Granted, they have a few axes to grind, and probably believe the 50′s mantra that “the only good communist is a dead communist” but I would hardly call them crackpots.