June 6, 2007 — The House of Representatives today passed an amendment authored by Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) to H.R. 2446, the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Act.  The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to provide Congress with a semi-annual report disclosing Iranian-made weapons being supplied to the Taliban, as well as any evidence that the sale is endorsed by the government of Iran.

Franks stated, "In order to make informed policy decisions regarding Afghanistan, and for that matter, all nations in the region, we must be aware of the moral and monetary support official states are providing to non-state terrorist actors who are perpetuating unrest in the region.  It’s imperative in a war against international terrorism to realize the significance of a Shiite government potentially joining with the Sunni-led Taliban."

The amendment came in response to comments made by both Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and General Peter Pace, stating that Iranian-made weapons had begun flowing into Afghanistan increasingly in recent months, such as the surface-to-air missiles that have downed numerous U.S. and coalition helicopters. 

Congressman Franks’s amendment passed by a voice vote and was included in the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Act.