Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., told his Nebraska City audience Wednesday that the Middle East is on the verge of a nuclear arms race.
Fortenberry and Congressman Edward Markey, D-Mass., are leading a move to halt a civil nuclear agreement with Russia, citing the country’s role in advancing nuclear capabilities in the region.
The congressmen say Russia continues to assist Iran in the development of its nuclear program, as well as its anti-aircraft and missile defense systems.
“We are on the precipice of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East,” Fortenberry said.
He said Egypt and Turkey are capable of following Iran down the road toward nuclear weapons and Saudi Arabia can buy the technology.
“This is a most volatile area that would now be armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons,” he said.
Fortenberry, co-founder of the Congressional Nuclear Security Caucus, said it does not make sense for the United States to provide Russia with additional nuclear technologies as a gift, when Russia is cooperating with Iran.
“Russia needs to decide who it will be; a nation that stops the spread of nuclear weapons capabilities or accommodates it,” Fortenberry said. “Any nuclear agreement with Russia, particularly given its willingness to collaborate with the nuclear activities of Iran and Syria, deserves the closest scrutiny and examination.
Congressman Markey said May 25 that Russia continues to train Iranian nuclear physicists, supply Iran with sensitive nuclear technology and give secret instruction on Russian soil to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard regarding missile defense.
Fortenberry, who held at town hall meeting in Nebraska City, said Congress must assert itself to stop the civil nuclear agreement between the United States and Russia that has been submitted by President Barack Obama.
“It’s an attempt to buy short-term good will at the expense of long-term security,” he said.
Fortenberry said Russia continues to provide assistance to Iran’s ballistic missile program and has helped Iran move toward self-sufficiency in the production of ballistic missiles.
“I don’t want this technology in the hands of a people whose ideology is to destroy,” he said.
