RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the International Atomic Energy Agency (Agency) has been monitoring facilities used for experiments by the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) with uranium (VI) fluoride centrifuge enrichment; and

WHEREAS, on 7 January 2006, the Agency received a letter from Iran requesting that the Agency remove seals applied at Natanz, Farayand Technique and Pars Trash facilities for the monitoring of suspension of enrichment related activities; and

WHEREAS, on 10 and 11 January 2006, the seals were removed in the presence of Agency inspectors; and

WHEREAS, since the removal of the seals, Iran has begun substantial renovation of the gas handling system at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plants at Natanz; and

WHEREAS, equipment and an autoclave are currently being moved into the Fuel Enrichment Plant and the commencement of the installation of the first 3000 P-1 centrifuge machines are being planned for the fourth quarter of 2006; and

WHEREAS, on 11 February 2006, Iran started enrichment tests by feeding a single P-1 centrifuge with uranium (VI) fluoride gas; and

WHEREAS, in February the Agency referred Iran to the Security Council for consideration of their recent actions; and

WHEREAS, in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, United States Vice President Cheney stated that we are prepared to impose meaningful consequences; and

WHEREAS, the next day, Iran stated before the Agency that the United States may have the power to cause harm and pain, but that it is also susceptible to harm and pain; and

WHEREAS, such beleaguerment is simply nonproductive; and

WHEREAS, through persistent and skillful diplomacy, the United States has persuaded the Agency to refer Iran to the United States Security Council; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii knows firsthand the toil and oppression of war and finds military action to be a reprehensible action of last resort; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the President of the United States continue the use of persistent and skillful diplomacy in resolving nuclear proliferation issues with the Islamic Republic of Iran before the United Nations Security Council; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President of the United States continue to resolve this nuclear proliferation issue with the collective pressure and action of our allies and friends; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that military action must be reserved as an action of absolute last resort and only to protect our domestic territory; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of State, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Hawaii's Congressional delegation, and the Governor of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Iran; nuclear proliferation; support diplomacy