H. Res. 435 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

November 5, 2007. 

Whereas the Department of State has said that Iran is the 

‘‘most active state sponsor of terrorism’’; 

Whereas the Department of State 2007 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report moved Iran to a ‘‘Jurisdiction of Primary Concern’’; 

Whereas in February 2006, the chairman of the Iranian legislative body announced an offer to assist Venezuela with 

a nuclear program; 

Whereas in February 2006, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria were 

the only 3 member nations of the 35-nation board of the 

International Atomic Energy Agency to vote against referring Iran to the United Nations Security Council for 

its nuclear program; 

Whereas in September 2007, Iran requested observer-status 

membership in the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples 

of the Americas (ALBA), an organization led by Hugo 

Chavez, President of Venezuela, to counter United 

States-led efforts for free trade in that region; 

Whereas in September 2007, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the 

President of Iran, made his third visit in one year to 

Latin America, this time visiting Venezuela and Bolivia, 

where Mr. Ahmadinejad announced a commitment of Ira-
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•HRES 435 EH 

nian investment in Bolivia of up to $1,000,000,000 over 

five years; 

Whereas Mr. Ahmadinejad and Mr. Chavez have announced 

plans for a $2,000,000,000 shared fund to invest in 

projects in countries that Mr. Chavez characterized as 

seeking to ‘‘liberate themselves from the U.S. imperialist 

yoke’’; 

Whereas in July 2007, the Venezuelan energy minister announced plans to sell gasoline to Iran following riots in 

Iran opposing the Iranian Government’s policy of gas rationing; 

Whereas in March, 2007 routine civilian airline flights were 

established from Tehran, Iran directly to Caracas, Venezuela; 

Whereas the 2006 State Department’s Country Reports on 

Terrorism stated that Venezuela is not ‘‘fully cooperating’’ with United States antiterrorism efforts; 

Whereas according to the State Department, ‘‘an individual 

claiming to be a member of an Islamic extremist group 

in Venezuela placed two pipe bombs outside the American 

Embassy in Caracas on October 23, 2006. Venezuelan 

police safely disposed of the two pipe bombs and immediately made one arrest. The investigation by Venezuelan 

authorities resulted in the additional arrest of the alleged 

ideological leader of the group. At year’s end, both suspects remained in jail and prosecutors were pressing terrorism charges against them’’; 

Whereas Hizbollah, Iran’s proxy terrorist group, executed the 

deadliest terrorist attack against Americans abroad since 

World War II, the 1983 suicide bombing of a United 
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•HRES 435 EH 

States Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 

241 American servicemen; 

Whereas Iran and Hizbollah were involved in the two deadliest terrorist attacks in Argentina: the March 1992 

bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which killed 29 people and the July 1994 attack 

against the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA), 

which killed 85 people; 

Whereas the Government of Argentina is currently seeking 

legal action against the perpetrators of the 1994 AMIA 

terrorist attack; 

Whereas in September 2007, the President of Argentina said 

to the United Nations General Assembly, ‘‘I want to 

stress here, in the United Nations headquarters, that unfortunately until now, the Islamic Republic of Iran has 

not collaborated with the Argentine justice system to 

clarify what occurred’’; 

Whereas according to a 2003 report by the Library of Congress, money laundered in the tri-border region, the area 

where Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil meet, ‘‘probably 

are in the billions of dollars per year’’ and ‘‘Hizbollah has 

reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from 

narcotics and arms trafficking, product piracy, and other 

illicit activities in the tri-border area’’; 

Whereas the television station Telemundo interviewed residents of the tri-border region who said that ‘‘they’re only 

waiting for an order to put bombs on their body and attack the United States’’; 

Whereas in March 2007, Brazilian officials arrested 31 people for illegally issuing passports over the past 14 years, 

and press reports indicate that some of these passports 
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•HRES 435 EH 

may have been provided to members of terrorist organizations, including members of Hizbollah; 

Whereas Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and the United States 

have formed the 3+1 Group, which has focused on the 

financing of terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, and 

border security, as well as the exchange of information, 

with the purpose of preventing terrorism and 

transnational crimes in the tri-border region; 

Whereas in November 2006, Brazil established a new Regional Intelligence Center in the tri-border region, dedicated to coordinating intelligence activities of the police 

forces of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, and invited 

Argentina and Paraguay to send official representatives 

to the Center; 

Whereas in March 2007, the Organization of American 

States’ Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism 

(CICTE) reaffirmed that ‘‘terrorism in all its forms and 

manifestations, whatever its origin or motivation, has no 

justification whatsoever, affects the full enjoyment and 

exercise of human rights, and constitutes a grave threat 

to international peace and security, democratic institutions, and the values enshrined in the OAS Charter, the 

Inter-American Democratic Charter, and other regional 

and international instruments’’; 

Whereas in July 2007, the Government of Argentina enacted 

anti-terrorism legislation that put in place harsher penalties for cooperating with terrorists; and 

Whereas as of March 2007, the Government of Brazil was 

considering expanded anti-terrorism legislation: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 435 EH 

(1) expresses concern over the emerging national security implications of the Iranian regime’s efforts to expand its influence in Latin America; 

(2) supports the existing counterterrorism efforts of 

Latin American countries, including the successful 

counterterrorism efforts of the 3+1 Group (consisting of 

Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and the United States); 

(3) emphasizes the importance of eliminating 

Hizbollah’s financial network in the tri-border region of 

South America where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina 

meet and throughout the Western Hemisphere; 

(4) commends and supports the efforts of individual 

countries and regional bodies in the Western Hemisphere that have led efforts to eliminate terrorist financing and other terrorist operations; 

(5) calls on the United States Government to work 

with governments in the Western Hemisphere to pursue 

an antiterrorism campaign based on cooperation and 

constant vigilance; 

(6) urges the United States Government to work bilaterally and multilaterally with countries in the Western 

Hemisphere to help them create antiterrorism legislation 

that would give governmental authorities new tools to 

take action against terrorist networks; and 
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•HRES 435 EH 

(7) recommends that the President of the United 

States create more mechanisms for joint 

counterterrorism operations and intraregional information sharing among supportive countries in the Western 

Hemisphere, especially in light of Iran’s increased involvement in the region. 

Attest: 

Clerk.