IRAN’S SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST

S. HRG. 112?606

IRAN'S SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JULY 25, 2012

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations

(

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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts, Chairman

BARBARA BOXER, California ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania JIM WEBB, Virginia JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois TOM UDALL, New Mexico

RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana BOB CORKER, Tennessee JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho MARCO RUBIO, Florida JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma JIM DEMINT, South Carolina JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming MIKE LEE, Utah

WILLIAM C. DANVERS, Staff Director KENNETH A. MYERS, JR., Republican Staff Director

------------

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS

ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania, Chairman

BARBARA BOXER, California ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware TOM UDALL, New Mexico

JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho BOB CORKER, Tennessee MIKE LEE, Utah MARCO RUBIO, Florida JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia

(II)

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CONTENTS

Page

Byman, Dr. Daniel, senior fellow and director of research, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, and professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Washington, DC ...................... 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 10

Casey, Hon. Robert P., Jr., U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, opening statement ...................................................................................................................... 1

Jeffrey, James F., former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Alexandria, VA ................. 5 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6

Levitt, Dr. Matthew, senior fellow and director, Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Washington, DC ............................................................................................................. 22 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23

Pletka, Danielle, vice president, Foreign and Defense Policy, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC ......................................................................... 16 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 19

Risch, Hon. James E., U.S. Senator from Idaho, opening statement .................. 4 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

Kerry, Hon. John F., U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, prepared statement ... 2

(III)

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IRAN'S SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2012

U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON NEAR EASTERN AND

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, DC.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in room SD?419, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Senators Casey, Menendez, Cardin, Udall, Risch, Corker, and Lee.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., U.S. SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA

Senator CASEY. The hearing will come to order. Thank you very much, everyone, for being here with us this morning. And I am sorry I am running a little bit late. Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and its Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs meets to examine the grave implications of Iran's support for terrorism and militant movements in the Middle East. Iran's support for terrorism is well known and documented and has become an established fact over all these years. Iran provides political and military support to militant movements like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, and directly conducts terrorist acts throughout the Middle East to advance its interests. Over the past year alone, there appears to have been a sharp spike in Iranian-sponsored terrorism around the world. The international community has been clear in its resolve against Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. We must also, however, unite in opposition to Iranian use of terrorism, an effort that will require heightened intelligence cooperation with countries around the globe and enhanced efforts to discredit the Iranian Quds Force and its patrons. The committee today meets to examine at least three fundamental questions. How does Iran's use of terrorism directly impact the national security of the United States of America and our allies in the region, including the state of Israel? No. 2, what have the historic political changes in the region and ongoing violence in the Middle East meant for Iran's position in the region and its use of terrorism to project force? No. 3, if Iran were to develop a nuclear weapons capability, how would this impact its behavior and relationships with terrorist organizations?

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