House Foreign Affairs Committee, Washington, 11 Oct 2011 – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement today on the announcement that U.S. law enforcement agencies have disrupted an Iranian plot to carry out acts of terrorism on U.S. soil:

“This revelation that Iran was actively plotting an attack on U.S. soil must serve as a wake-up-call about the commitment of the Iranian regime to harm the U.S. and our interests and allies, and the expansive nature of Iran’s network.

“The Iranian threat has many different components that must be addressed simultaneously. The threat includes its nuclear program, other proliferation activities, and its sponsorship of global terrorist activities. Iran has also given weapons to those fighting against U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Further, today’s news illustrates Iran’s active campaign to partner with extremist groups, drug traffickers, and other outlaws based in the Western Hemisphere.

“The multi-faceted threat posed by Iran becomes more severe with each passing day. Tehran is actively working to attack our homeland and our allies and interests all around the world, and we simply can’t spare any more time. Responsible nations must unite against this threat and immediately bring to bear crippling pressure on the Iranian regime and its enablers.

“I commend the efforts of the men and women of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies whose stellar work to uncover this plot has kept our nation safe.”

BACKGROUND: Ros-Lehtinen is the author of H.R. 1905, the Iran Threat Reduction Act, which strengthens U.S. sanctions against Iran in order to compel Tehran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and other threatening activities.

NOTE: Tomorrow, the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade will hold a hearing entitled “Narcoterrorism and the Long Reach of U.S. Law Enforcement,” which will examine links between drug groups and violent extremism.

On Thursday, the Full Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Emerging Threats and Security in the Western Hemisphere: Next Steps for U.S. Policy,” to examine the security challenges in the region, including those posed by outside extremist groups.

On Friday, the Full Committee will hold a hearing entitled “IRAN and Syria: Next Steps – Par II,” to examine current U.S. sanctions in place against Iran and Syria, and the future of U.S. policy towards both nations.