Congressional Record—Senate S1918
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S1918 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 7, 2001 an agreement would remove a direct Foreigners increasingly are free to matically in recent years. U.S. exports North Korean threat to the region and travel widely in the country and talk to Southeast Asia, for instance, sur- improve prospects for North-South rec- to average North Koreans without gov- pass our exports to Germany and are onciliation. It would also remove a ernment interference. North Korea has double our exports to France. U.S. di- major source of missiles and missile even begun to issue tourist visas. The rect investment in East Asia now tops technology for countries such as Iran. presence of foreigners in North Korea $150 billion, and has tripled over the Getting an agreement will not be is gradually changing North Korean at- past decade. easy, but it helps a lot that we are not titudes about South Korea and the And of course these are just a few of the only country which would benefit West. the raw economic realities which un- from the dismantlement of North Ko- One American with a long history of derscore East Asia’s importance. The rea’s missile program. Our allies South working in North Korea illustrated the United States has important humani- Korea and Japan, our European allies change underway by describing an im- tarian, environmental, energy, and se- who already provide financial support promptu encounter he had recently. curity interests throughout the region. for the Agreed Framework, the Chi- While he was out on an unescorted We have an obligation, it seems to nese, the Russians, all share a desire to morning walk, a North Korean woman me, not to drop the ball. We have a see North Korea devote its meager re- approached him and said, ‘‘You’re not a vital interest in maintaining peace and sources to food, not rockets. The only Russian, are you? You’re a Miguk Nom stability in East Asia. We have good countries which want to see North aren’t you?’’ friends and allies—like President Kim Korea building missiles are its disrepu- Her expression translates roughly Dae Jung of South Korea—who stand table customers. into ‘‘You’re an American imperialist ready to work with us toward that A tough, verifiable agreement to bastard, eh?’’ goal. It is vital that we not drop the eliminate the North’s long-range mis- The American replied good- ball; miss an opportunity to end North sile threat might be possible in ex- naturedly, ‘‘Yes, I am an American im- Korea’s deadly and destabilizing pur- change for reasonable U.S. assistance perialist bastard.’’ suit of long range missiles. I don’t that would help North Korea feed itself To which the woman replied quite know that an agreement can be and help convert missile plants to sincerely, ‘‘Thanks very much for the reached. In the end North Korea may peaceful manufacturing. food aid!’’ prove too intransigent, too truculent, Some people are impatient for Another American, a State Depart- for us to reach an accord. change in North Korea. They want to ment official accompanying a World But I hope the Bush administration adopt a more confrontational ap- Food Program inspection team, noted will listen closely to President Kim proach, including rushing ahead to de- that hundreds of people along the road today, and work with him to test North ploy an unproven, hugely expensive, waved and smiled, and in the case of Korea’s commitment to peace. We and potentially destabilizing national soldiers, saluted, as the convoy passed. should stay the course on an engage- missile defense system. He also reports that many of 80 mil- ment policy that has brought the pe- I understand their frustration and lion woven nylon bags used to dis- ninsula to the brink, not of war, but of share their desire for action against tribute grain and emblazoned with the the dawning of a brave new day for all the threat of North Korean ballistic letters ‘‘U.S.A.’’ are being recycled by the Korean people. missiles. North Koreans for use as everything I yield the floor. But foreclosing diplomatic options by from back-packs to rain coats. These The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- rushing to deploy NMD is not the right North Koreans become walking bill- pore. The Senator from California is antidote. Sure, a limited ground-based boards of American aid and generosity recognized. national missile defense might some- of spirit. day be capable of shooting down a North Korea is just one critical chal- f handful of North Korean missiles lenge in a region of enormous impor- aimed at Los Angeles, but it will do tance to us. We cannot separate our THE ISRAELI ELECTION AND ITS nothing to defend our Asian allies from policy there from our overall approach AFTERMATH a North Korean missile attack. in East Asia. Nor will it defend us from a nuclear We cannot hope that decisions we Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, bomb smuggled into the country make about national missile defense, today a new government has been aboard a fishing trawler or a biological Taiwan policy, or support for democ- formed in Israel under the leadership of toxin released into our water supply. racy and rule of law in China will be of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, with NMD will not defend U.S. forces on no consequence to developments on the Shimon Peres as Foreign Minister and Okinawa or elsewhere in the Pacific Korean Peninsula. To the contrary, we the broad-based participation of many theater. It will do nothing to prevent need to think holistically and com- across Israel’s political spectrum. North Korea from wielding weapons of prehensively about East Asia policy. I would like to take a few minutes mass destruction against Seoul, much Our interests are vast. Roughly one- today to share my assessment of the of which is actually within artillery third of the world’s population resides present situation, where things stand, range of North Korea. in East Asia. In my lifetime, East Asia and what this may mean for U.S. pol- Moreover, a rush to deploy an has gone from less than 3 percent of icy in the region. I rise today as one unproven national missile defense, par- the world GDP in 1950 to roughly 25 who has supported the peace process, ticularly absent a meaningful strategic percent today. believed that a peace agreement was dialog with china, could jeopardize the Four of our 10 largest trading part- possible, and who has worked in the cooperative role China has played in ners—Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Senate, along with many of my col- recent years on the Korean Peninsula. Korea, are in East Asia. leagues, to see that the United States Given our common interest in pre- Each of those trading partners is also played an active role in helping Israel venting North Korea from becoming a one of the world’s top ten economies as and the Palestinians seek peace. nuclear weapons power, the United measured by gross domestic product. Prime Minister Ehud Barak was States and China should work in con- China, Japan, and South Korea to- elected two years ago to make peace cert, not at cross purposes. gether hold more than $700 billion in and to bring about an ‘‘end of the con- OPENING NORTH KOREAN EYES hard currency reserves—half of the flict’’ with both Syria and the Pal- North Korea’s opening has given the world’s total. estinians. He was elected with a man- North Korean people a fresh look at East Asia is a region of economic dy- date to complete the Oslo process, a the outside world—like a gopher com- namism. Last year Singapore, Hong goal at the time supported by the ma- ing out of its hole—with consequences Kong, and South Korea grew by more jority of the people of Israel. which could be profound over the long than 10 percent, shaking off the East Over the past two years Prime Min- haul. Hundreds of foreigners are in Asian financial crisis and resuming ister Barak tried, heroically and ener- North Korea today, compared with a their characteristic vitality. U.S. ex- getically, to achieve a comprehensive handful just a few years ago. ports to the region have grown dra- peace with both parties. VerDate 23-FEB-2001 04:25 Mar 08, 2001 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A07MR6.004 pfrm08 PsN: S07PT1 March 7, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1919 Indeed, it has been said I believe, branch to Mr. Arafat at Davos, ‘‘Mr. this conflict until we get Bordeaux, Mar- that Prime Minister Barak went fur- Arafat torched it.’’ seilles and Nice as well.’’ ther than any other Israeli Prime Min- I urge all of my colleagues to read If the Palestinians don’t care who Ariel Sharon is, why should we? If Mr. Arafat ister in an attempt to reach a com- Thomas Friedman’s op-ed article: wanted an Israeli leader who would not force prehensive agreement with the Pal- ‘‘Sharon, Arafat and Mao,’’ which I ask him to make big decisions, which he is in- estinians which includes: unanimous consent to have printed in capable of making, why should we ask The creation of a Palestinian state; the RECORD. whether Mr. Sharon is going to be de Gaulle Palestinian control of all of Gaza; There being no objection, the mate- and make him a big offer? What good is it for Palestinian control of approximately rial was ordered to be printed in the Israel to have a Nixon if the Palestinians 94 to 95 percent of the West Bank, and have no Mao? RECORD, as follows: The Olso peace process was about a test.