New presidential candidate Lindsey Graham on Iran and Syria issues

Senator Lindsey Graham announced his presidential bid. Let’s share some of his clear and firm background on two major international challenges, Iran and Syria.

1. Obama "screams loudly & carries no stick," in Russia & Syria.  (Mar 2014)
2. Support the Syrian rebels against Assad & Iran. (Oct 2013)
3. Intervention in Syria to degrade Assad's chemical weapons. (Sep 2013)
4. Getting Syria wrong leads to Iranian nukes. (Sep 2013)
5. Syria: Assad must go, and small arms won't do it. (Jun 2013)
6. Get involved in Syria to protect against al Qaeda and Iran. (Apr 2013)
7. Voted YES on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. (Sep 2007)
8. Sponsored prevention, not containment, for Iranian nukes. (May 2012)
9. Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program. (Apr 2009)

Obama "screams loudly & carries no stick," in Russia & Syria (Mar 2014)

Lindsey Graham and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) co-authored an op-ed on CNN saying Obama's "scream loudly and carry no stick. ... More recently, we did nothing after the Syrian regime violated the 'red line' Obama had established regarding the use of chemical weapons there," they wrote.

Graham also released a new ad earlier this week touting his opposition to Obama on foreign policy: "He stands up for America and our troops, challenging the president, asking the tough questions on Iran, Benghazi and radical Islam," the ad's narrator says. "In a dangerous world where the only guarantee of peace is strength, Lindsey Graham stands strong."

Support the Syrian rebels against Assad & Iran (Oct 2013)

Senator Lindsey Graham is a vocal advocate for the rebels in Syria and wants the US to support the rebel forces to remove Syrian dictator Assad from power. "We need to be backing that Syrian that could replace Assad and live at peace with us." Graham insists. The Senator believes the US has little choice but to take action against Assad following the President's "red line" remark. Failing to do so will inevitably "diminish us."

When asked about the al Qaeda operatives disguised within the opposition, Graham stated, "The Syrian people started this revolution through peaceful demonstrations. These radical Islamists are hijacking this revolution." Senator Graham recognizes the danger posed by the extremists. In fact, this acknowledgment drives his contention that the US must involve itself in the Syrian civil war. "The Iranians are backing Assad for a reason." He says, "We need to be backing people who would replace Assad who are not radical Islamists and that's most Syrians"

Intervention in Syria to degrade Assad's chemical weapons (Sep 2013)

Lindsey Graham: "I don't want another Iraq or Afghanistan war because that's just not what we need to do," he said, before outlining his support for a contained military strike designed to degrade Syria's ability to deliver chemical weapons in the future and assist those who want to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

Getting Syria wrong leads to Iranian nukes (Sep 2013)

Lindsey Graham wound up his case on Syria intervention by raising the stakes considerably. He painted a frightening picture of cascading world events that would reverberate far beyond the borders of a civil war in one Middle Eastern country. If the US doesn't deal with Syria, Graham promised Iran would acquire a nuclear weapon by 2014. Undoubtedly, he said ominously, the Iranians would share its nuclear technology with US enemies. "My fear is that it won't come to America on top of a missile, it'll come in the belly of a ship in the Charleston or New York harbor," he said.

Syria: Assad must go, and small arms won't do it (Jun 2013)

Q: What is the goal in Syria?

LINDSEY GRAHAM: I really don't know [Obama's goal]. But the goal should be to basically make sure Assad leaves. Last year, Assad was isolated; he was hanging by a thread. This year, he's entrenched with Hezbollah, Iran, and Russia. I think our goal should be in the short term is to balance the military power and providing small arms won't do it. So we need to create a no-fly zone to neutralize the Assad's air power.

Q: So you're saying [about Obama's plan] this is too late, this is too little?

LINDSEY GRAHAM: Right. What does it mean if they lose? Syria becomes a powder keg for the region. There's 60,000 Syrian children in Jordan. The kingdom is under siege in terms of refugees. Hezbollah is all over Syria, so Lebanon's even more unstable. Our policies are not working. And AK-47s will not neutralize the advantage that Assad has over the rebels. We need to do more.

Q: So only by taking out Assad can we have peace in this civil war?

LINDSEY GRAHAM: Assad must go.

Get involved in Syria to protect against al Qaeda and Iran (Apr 2013)

Q: Are you satisfied with the approach the administration is taking about chemical weapons in Syria?

LINDSEY GRAHAM: No, I haven't been satisfied for a long time. Four things are going to happen if we don't change course in Syria

It's going to become a failed state by the end of the year. It's going to be an al Qaeda safe haven.

The chemical weapons are going to be compromised and fall into the wrong hands.

I worry about the king of Jordan. He's had 500,000 refugees flood his country from Syria. His kingdom could fall.

If we keep this hands-off approach to Syria, we're going to have a war with Iran because Iran's going to take our inaction in Syria as meaning we're not serious about their nuclear weapons program. We need to get involved.

Q: A no-fly zone could be pretty dangerous for the US....

LINDSEY GRAHAM: There's nothing you can do in Syria without risk, but the greatest risk is a failed state with chemical weapons falling in the hands of radical Islamists.

Voted YES on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. (Sep 2007)

Vote on a "Sense of the Senate" amendment, S.Amdt. 3017, to H.R. 1585 (National Defense Authorization Act) that finds:

• that it is a vital US national interest to prevent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from turning Shi'a militia extremists in Iraq into a Hezbollah-like force;
• that it should be US policy to combat, contain, and roll back the violent activities and destabilizing influence inside Iraq of the Government of Iran;
• to support the prudent and calibrated use of all instruments of power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy;
• that the US should designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization.

Proponents support voting YES because:

Sen. LIEBERMAN: Some of our colleagues thought the Sense of the Senate may have opened the door to some kind of military action against Iran [so we removed some text]. That is not our intention. In fact, our intention is to increase the economic pressure on Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps so that we will never have to consider the use of the military to stop them from what they are doing to kill our soldiers.

Sponsored prevention, not containment, for Iranian nukes. (May 2012)

Lindsey Graham sponsored Resolution on Iran's nuclear program

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the nuclear program of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

• Whereas, since at least the late 1980s, Iran has engaged in a sustained pattern of illicit and deceptive activities to acquire nuclear capability;
• Whereas the UN Security Council has adopted multiple resolutions since 2006 demanding the full suspension of all uranium enrichment-related activities by Iran, particularly possible military dimensions;
• Whereas, in Nov. 2011, the IAEA issued an extensive report that documents "serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme";
• Whereas the Department of State has designated Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984;
• Whereas Iran has provided weapons, training, & funding to terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shiite militias in Iraq;
• Whereas Iran had forged a "secret deal" with al Qaeda to facilitate the movement of al Qaeda fighters and funding through Iranian territory;

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, that Congress--

1. Reaffirms that the US Government has a vital interest in working together to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability;
2. warns that time is limited to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability;
3. urges continued and increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran until a full and sustained suspension of all uranium enrichment-related activities;
4. expresses that the window for diplomacy is closing;
5. expresses support for the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the people of Iran;
6. strongly supports US policy to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability;
7. Rejects any US policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.

Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program. (Apr 2009)

Lindsey Graham signed Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act

Expresses the sense of Congress that:

1. diplomatic efforts to address Iran's illicit nuclear efforts, unconventional and ballistic missile development programs, and support for international terrorism are more likely to be effective if the President is empowered with explicit authority to impose additional sanctions on the government of Iran;
2. US concerns regarding Iran are strictly the result of that government's actions; and
3. the people of the United States have feelings of friendship for the people of Iran and regret that developments in recent decades have created impediments to that friendship.

States that it should be US policy to:

1. support international diplomatic efforts to end Iran's uranium enrichment program and its nuclear weapons program;
2. encourage foreign governments to direct state-owned and private entities to cease all investment in, and support of, Iran's energy sector and all exports of refined petroleum products to Iran;
3. impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian financial institution engaged in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups; and
4. work with allies to protect the international financial system from deceptive and illicit practices by Iranian financial institutions involved in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups.
5. amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose sanctions if a person has made an investment of $20 million or more (or any combination of investments of at least $5 million which in the aggregate equals or exceeds $20 million in any 12-month period) that directly and significantly contributed to Iran's ability to develop its petroleum resources. (Under current law the sanction thresholds are $40 million, $10 million, and $40 million, respectively.)
6. Establishes additional sanctions prohibiting specified foreign exchange, banking, and property transactions.
7. Includes refined petroleum resources.

Derieved from OnTheIssues