U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., Thursday made the following statement on Iran’s selection as Vice-Chair of the United Nations Disarmament Commission:
“I condemn the recent selection of Iran to the Vice-Chairmanship of the U.N. Disarmament Commission. It’s completely unacceptable that Iran, which is pursuing nuclear weapons and widely recognized by the international community as a flagrant violator of non-proliferation agreements, should even be granted membership, let alone a leadership position, on the U.N.’s disarmament panel.
“For close to two decades, the Iranian regime has been covertly pursuing an illicit nuclear program. The Iranian nuclear program is a grave threat to the United States, our interests, and our friends and allies. Iran should not be permitted to serve on the U.N. Disarmament Commission at a time when the international community is seeking to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Last month, Iran, an egregious abuser of human rights, also announced its candidacy for the newly created U.N. Human Rights Council. These examples serve as additional reminders of why the U.N. is in need of serious reform. The United States has rightly decided not to participate in the new Human Rights Council. I urge the Administration to do the same with the U.N. Disarmament Commission and to refuse to fund either of these bodies.
“So long as corrupt and rogue regimes continue to use membership on U.N. bodies such as the Human Rights Council and Disarmament Commission to advance their own nefarious interests, the U.N. will never attain the credibility it needs to be an effective and accountable organization.”