Dear Friend,

During this time of heated rhetoric about Iran, it is important for us to be able to take a step back and examine our policy toward Iran in a deliberative and comprehensive manner. That is why I wanted to alert you to a series of hearings on U.S. policy toward Iran currently being conducted in the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which I Chair. The goal of this series, which is titled “Iran: Reality, Options, and Consequences,” is to help educate ourselves about Iran, the options for dealing with Iran and the consequences of those potential actions.

Last week, we conducted our first hearing in this series, “Part 1 – Iranian People and Attitudes.” The purpose of this hearing was to explore the nuances, complexities and attitudes of the Iranian people. We are slated to have two more hearings in this series before Thanksgiving.

The second hearing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, November 7, at 2:00 PM, is titled “Part 2 – Negotiating with Iranians: Missed Opportunities and Paths Forward.” At this hearing, we will have the opportunity to hear from former top diplomats, National Security Council officials and State Department experts about their direct experiences negotiating with the Iranians and their knowledge of engagement opportunities with Iran since September 11, 2001. These key former officials will also share their advice on the best paths forward for U.S. diplomatic efforts toward Iran.

Our third hearing, titled, “Part 3 – Regional and Global Consequences of U.S. Military Action in Iran,” is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, at 2:00 PM. At this hearing, we will hear from former key officials from the military, State Department and intelligence community concerning their thoughts about the consequences of military action, not only with respect to the safety of our men and women in uniform in Iraq, but to other U.S. national security priorities and to broader anti-terror efforts around the world.

I strongly encourage you to view the *LIVE* web-cast of parts two and three through my Subcommittee web address listed here: http://nationalsecurity.oversight.house.gov/ . Through this website you can also find copies of previous witness testimony and other details about this series. I hope you find this information informative. Sincerely,

John F. Tierney (D-MA)
Member of Congress