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Lieberman: Latest round of sanctions is 'last chance' for Iran
On NBC's "Meet the Press" Lieberman said of Iran "there has never been a country like this with nuclear weapons" and that he hopes Congress will be ready to pass new sanctions this month.
"Frankly, it's the last chance we are giving Iran and ourselves, not to be faced with the choice of either accepting them having nuclear weapons or taking military action."
President Barack Obama has said that he wants new sanctions to deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in "weeks not months." But the U.S. government has taken time to ensure that China and Russia will guarantee their support for the sanctions at the U.N.
China has agreed to start drafting new sanctions but it is known that China and Russia favor narrower crackdowns on Iran than those favored by the U.S. and Western European powers.
Three rounds of sanctions have already been imposed on Iran. Many nations have accused Iran of building a nuclear arsenal but Iran has said it is developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Calls for sanctions escalated last September when it was revealed that the country was building a secret uranium enrichment plant.
"We have to be prepared to take military actions" if they refuse to stop themselves, Lieberman said.
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), who helms the House Homeland Security intelligence subcommittee, also said that the U.S. cannot afford to take its eye off of Yemen as a breeding group for terrorists while dealing with Iran.
"Yemen is now ground zero," she said.
Lieberman late last year said that the country will be the site of "tomorrow's war" if action isn't taken to stop the growth of al-Qaeda cells there, which are accused of backing several terror plots on the U.S., including the Christmas Day bombing attempt.
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