Mack releases statement on results of Iranian elections
Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14) issued the following statement today after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election.
Mack, the Ranking Republican of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, said:
“Nothing has changed in Iran following the results of their presidential elections. The country will continue to be ruled by a dangerous man, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is a serious threat to democratic nations in the region and the world.
“I am also not surprised to hear that cellular service in Tehran was shut down in an effort to block organizers from speaking the truth. This election was neither free nor fair and the world is more dangerous with Ahmadinejad as President of Iran.
“This is a man who believes that Israel should be wiped off the map and claims that the Holocaust never happened. His government has been cited for widespread human rights violations. And Ahmadinejad maintains close relations with terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and state sponsors of terrorism like Syria.
“What’s more, Ahmadinejad has developed a close relationship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, threatening the freedom, security and prosperity of the Western Hemisphere.
“Ahmadinejad’s influence in the hemisphere is very troubling. The United States must act now to prevent Ahmadinejad and his cronies in Latin America from destroying the hopes and dreams of the Latin American people.”
During committee consideration of the Foreign Relations Authorization Bill, Mack introduced an amendment, which passed unanimously, requiring the State Department to develop a detailed report about Iran’s influence and activities in the Western Hemisphere.
Mack is also an original cosponsor of the Iran Threat Reduction Act (H.R. 1208), which strengthens U.S. sanctions against Iran pertaining to business activities, energy production, and technology shipments, among others.