Steiner for Congress: Israel and Iran, What the Next Congress May Face

Steiner for CongressP.O. Box 2008Concord, NH  03302FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Candidate for the 2nd Congressional District Jim Steiner spent time in Israel during his service as a Green Beret.  He addresses the unfolding newest crisis in the Middle East relative to the Iranian development of nuclear weapons and the test firing of missiles:"Iran's state television station reported July 9 that it had test-fired missiles, including a new version of the Shahab-3 missile, which officials have said could reach targets 2,000 kilometers away, meaning Israel.
The next Congress, and President, may very well face a world crisis over a possible attack by Israel to forestall nuclear weapons development in Iran.  If the intelligence is strong enough, and a diplomatic solution is not soon achieved, action may very well occur, indeed, is likely to occur.  What will a U.S. Congress do?  Will it support our ally Israel or will it provide some level of condemnation.  Regardless of any official United States stance, Iran has made it clear it will treat an Israeli attack as being an attack by the United States.  That reasoning is well-understood on many levels, including the fact that the United States offers far more potential targets Iran can actually reach from its country than does Israel, including our naval forces in the Persian Gulf. Suffice it to note, however, that our miltiary is already on war alert in the Persian Gulf and remains quite capable of defending itself.As a member of Congress in January 2009 I will vote to support our long-time ally and friend Israel if it concludes that a line has passed justifying immediate military action.  I do not say that lightly.  There is no doubt in my mind that the leadership of Israel will not act without sufficient intelligence regarding the threat by Iran.  At stake is the protection of her citizens, no differently than the U.S. Congress and the President have the duty to protect Americans.  An attack will only occur if the ongoing efforts at a diplomatic solution has run its course.  We are talking about Iran, a country whose leadership routinely has fired off such rhetoric as to call for the destruction of Israel, continues to support financially and militarily the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and which in recent years held an international conference to denounce the Holacaust as a fraud.  There is every reason for Israel to take seriously the threat posed by a nuclear Iran, as must the United States and other neighboring Persian Gulf countries.During my trips to Israel as a Green Beret, I appreciated the maturity of the Israeli military leaders with whom I worked. They place a first priority on the protection of the Israeli people.  I visited the Golan Heights, and observed the furthest point of penetration by Syrian tanks during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.  Those tanks stopped because the Syrians did not believe they would truly get that far, so they had no orders for exploiting beyond that point.  That delay proved sufficient for Israeli military reserves to move forward through what would otherwise have been undefended towns and villages had the Syrains continued to advance.  As the Israeli officers with whom I worked noted repeatedly, Israel can win every battle of the next war, but if the last one is lost, the country is lost. Not just in 1973, but during other wars, Israel's ability to defend herself has been tested.  Now is another such time.   The issue as to Iranian nuclear capability is gaining more immediate attention because of the point/counterpoint Iran test of missiles and the Israeli military exercise demonstrating it has the ability to reach Iran with aircraft.  Despite multiple diplomatic efforts, on multiple fronts, Iran blocks efforts at the one event that could resolve the crisis, a thorough inspection of its nuclear facilities to confirm it is indeed not pursuing a weapons development program; Iran refuses.The United States is at a dangerous intersection, not unlike intersections of the past.  We as a country were unable to gain sufficient timely intelligence on Japan's intended attack at Pearl Harbor and we entered war.  The Cuban missile crisis, on the other hand, resolved peacefully when a naval blockade by the U.S. and the pending threat caused the Soviet Union and the United States to reach agreement.  To free an occupied Europe, we launched a D-Day invasion that changed modern history in response to the aggression of a small group of German leaders who saw conquest as a destiny.  Once again in history, this time in Iran, the country has leadershp that promotes extreme positions.  All signs point to it trying to develop a weapon capable of much greater damage than the conventional munitions otherwise in its arsenal.  The United States and Congress must stand by our ally Israel. We must continue to pursue with all diligence and effort diplomatic solutions to resolve this nuclear crisis no differently than we resolved the Cuban missile crisis, and no differently than diplomatic efforts appear to be bearing fruit with N. Korea.  However, if it becomes necessary to support Israel taking military action to preserve the safety of the country, Congress must be counted upon to provide that support.  My vote will be in support of Israel."