Getting A Yes On Iran Advocacy Day

[Purveyor]

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- More than 300 Jewish communal leaders came to the nation's capital to push for increased pressure on Iran -- and they were pleased by what they heard.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee says he will move forward on Iran sanctions legislation next month "absent some compelling evidence why I should do otherwise."

Speaking at the National Jewish Leadership Advocacy Day on Iran on Thursday in Washington, U.S. Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) said that next month he will mark up the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act and "begin the process of tightening the screws on Tehran" if Iran "does not reverse course."

The legislation would allow the sanctioning of companies that help Iran import or produce refined petroleum, which is seen as potentially having a large impact on Iran's economy because the country imports 40 percent of its refined petroleum.

Berman said that the clock has "almost run out" on Iran.

"If the Iranians are going to engage in a meaningful and significant way that will spell the end of their nuclear enrichment program, we'll open a new chapter with them," Berman said. "But let's clarify 'meaningful' -- we're not going to be conned by an Iranian rope-a-dope, its stalling efforts. We have no intention of spending months analyzing old proposals which are offered merely to delay imposition of sanctions."

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JTA: http://jta.org/news/article/2009/09/11/1007791/reporters-notebook-at-iran-advocacy-day

[Howardx]

1. change iranian to israeli

and you have the "peace" process in a nutshell

"we're not going to be conned by an Israeli rope-a-dope, its stalling efforts. We have no intention of spending months analyzing old proposals which are offered merely to delay imposition of sanctions."