Senator Orrin Hatch, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, issued the following statement on the 14th anniversary of the September 11th attacks:
“None of us will ever forget the events of September 11th. That day, we peered into the face of evil. But for all the evil we witnessed, we saw good in equal measure. We saw fortitude in our firefighters and policemen who sacrificed all. We saw strength in our leaders and soldiers who stood ready to respond. On that day, the cowardice of our enemies only magnified the courage of our heroes, and in every instance of villainy, we responded with acts of valor.
I am acutely aware of that danger and the terrorist activities that continue to threaten our country. I do not believe in negotiating with terrorists, nor do I believe in appeasing nations that propagate terrorism abroad. For that reason, I expressed my resolute opposition to the President’s Iran nuclear deal this week.
Iran’s leaders embody the very hatred that led to the attacks of September 11. For that reason alone, I cannot support a deal that releases vast sums of money to the regime, which it can use to support terrorist groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Fourteen years after the events of September 11, the terrorist threat has not receded. If anything, it has grown stronger. I remain committed to protecting this nation against all terrorist threats, which is why I oppose the President’s Iran deal.”
