EXTENSIONS of REMARKS February 17, 1988 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS WOMEN for a MEANINGFUL of Greece
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1658 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 17, 1988 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS WOMEN FOR A MEANINGFUL of Greece. She was part of a delegation of 41 Germany will then deactivate 72 Pershings SUMMIT foreign participants from 26 nations who are I-A. Those warheads represent about 4 per striving toward peace. An exerpt of her testi cent of the totals in the inventories of the mony follows: two superpowers. HON. CLAUDINE SCHNEIDER Another reason that the treaty is militari OF RHODE ISLAND Mrs. PAPANDREOU. I want to mention that ly and strategically insignificant is that the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES we have been getting letters of support from treaty can be very easily circumvented. For wives of leaders all over the world, Luxem Wednesday, February 17, 1988 one thing, the treaty leaves the United bourg, Finland, Czechoslovakia, East Ger States with 12,000 and the Soviet Union Miss SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, while many, New Zealand, Hungary, the Gambia with 11,000 strategic warheads in their in President Reagan and General Secretary Gor and India. I think it is important that wives ventories, which can, in the course of an of leaders of countries feel very impelled to bachev met in Washington late last year to hour, be retargeted to aim at the same tar show their solidarity with our efforts here. gets as those being removed by the INF discuss a wide range of issues concerning the Being the wife of a Prime Minister is some superpowers, women legislators from around times an awkward kind of a role, but it does Treaty. Second, because the United States the world were meeting here as well to lend have a certain power-derived power, you has abandoned the SALT II treaties, the might say-and it can be used in a good way. Soviet Union, if it wished to do so, would be their voices to the cause of global peace. I free to build up its strategic warheads, was a proud participant in that meeting, Mr. Someone asked me after a speech in Europe, in the Netherlands, I think it was, whether I which are not covered by the treaty, back Speaker, and am happy to commend to my up to the amount of the 1,400 that they are colleagues these selected exerpts of our own thought it was appropriate and proper for the wife of a leader to be engaged in such a taking down for the INF. summit, as prepared by the international political activity as disarmament and issues However, I think that politically the INF women's organization, Women for a Meaning of peace. I said it wasn't a question of being treaty has tremendous importance, and that ful Summit, which sponsored the meetings. proper, but a duty, and I thought that every is really for three reasons. First, it will ful On Friday, December 4, hearings were or wife of every leader should be involved in fill a long-standing United States assurance ganized by Women for a Meaningful Summit such an activity. to our allies that the United States and The global network, Women for a Mean Soviet arms control agreements will not which included four Members of the U.S. Con leave European concerns aside. Second, I gress: CLAUDINE SCHNEIDER, PATRICIA ingful Summit, believes that a meaningful summit here in Washington must carry with think the treaty is important politically be SCHROEDER, BARBARA KENNELLY, and CON it not only an agreement of nuclear missiles cause it will demonstrate that the United STANCE MORELLA. The hearing was chaired by reduction, but an expression of political will States can follow through on commitments, former New York Congresswoman BELLA by both superpowers to continue the proc and I would think that to renege or not to ABZUG and Senator SILVIA HERNANDEZ of ess and to state in specific terms what this ratify the treaty would destroy any credibil Mexico, who is also president of World means. ity on the part of the United States with Women Parliamentarians for Peace. The We would wish, also, that women were at our allies or with the Soviet Union. Third, the negotiating table to have the opportuni and most important of all, I think that the panel also included legislators from 11 coun treaty is of tremendous political importance tries. It heard testimony from foreign and ty to help shape the world's future in peace and welfare, in solidarity and dignity. This to the two leaders. American women who voiced their ideas for wish is something we are striving to turn Ms. BETTY LALL. This agreement encom promoting international peace and speak on into an actuality and it will become just passes the most comprehensive verification behalf of U.S. ratification of the INF Treaty. that in the not too distant future. measures that have ever been in any agree The hearings turned out to be the only oc A panel of three women who are technical ment and, hopefully, it will go a long way to casion for WMS to communicate its views to experts on arms control as well as leaders of put to rest the argument of many, particu U.S. organizations gave their views on larly in my country, that constantly states, the superpower leaders. Neither leader was "Well, you cannot reach an agreement be able to meet with a WMS or other peace dele progress toward peaceful relations between the superpowers. The women experts were cause verification is impossible. The Soviets gation, but copies of the testimony presented Dr. Anne Cahn, Director of the Committee will not agree." This time the Soviets have at the hearing were delivered to George Arba for National Security; Randall Forsberg, been, in many ways, more open than the tov, for General Secretary Gorbachev's atten founder of the Nuclear Freeze movement United States in wanting verification, so as tion, and to Deputy Assistant Secretary of and Director of the Institute for Defense you will see when the Treaty is released, State Thomas Simons for President Reagan. and Disarmament Studies; and Dr. Betty there are many aspects of the verification WMS also was in touch with Mrs. Reagan Lall, academician and expert on verification problem that have been solved, opened up and Mrs. Gorbachev. Although neither could of treaties for the Council on Economic Pri by the parties. orities. This agreement is very important because attend, WMS was able to call attention to it for the first time begins to denuclearize women's strong interest in advancing peace. Two excerpts of Dr. Cahn and Ms. Lall's Europe. Europe, as we know, is the most This concern was expressed in many differ testimony follow: heavily nuclearized place in this world, and ent voices at the hearings. Among them were Dr. ANNE CAHN. Pat Schroeder was very if we tried to put as many weapons-particu spokeswomen from world women parliamen apt in calling the Summit, the forthcoming larly nuclear weapons-that are in Europe tarians and other international delegates, and Summit, "Base Camp l," because indeed the in the United States, throughout our major from leaders of the six American women's INF Treaty really is just a first step. The cities and throughout our manufacturing administration has used that phrase, "a first centers, I believe there would be a huge po peace organizations as well as other U.S. step," because they found out that it sold litical cry, but Europe has had this for years women's groups like the YWCA, National In well to focus groups, but I think it is an apt and years. stitute for Women of Color, and the American phrase because the INF agreement is mili Now let me also emphasize one other im Association of University Women. Sara tarily and strategically insignificant and po portant aspect of this agreement that Harder, president of the AAUW and Chair of litically very, very important. begins to attack a very fundamental part of the WMS/USA Executive Committee, estab Militarily, of course as you all know, it this arms race, and that is where technology lished a theme for the meeting when she very much favors the United States. Under leads strategy. Think what has happened in quoted a Chinese proverb, "Women hold up the terms of the agreement, the U.S. will building Pershings and cruise. We have our dismantle 364 nuclear warheads of interme scientists and engineers think of things to half the sky." diate range and the Soviet Union will dis do, and they devise technologies, and once Margarita Papandreou, wife of the Prime mantle 1,435 warheads of intermediate those technologies are devised, then we say, Minister of Greece, testified. She is the inter range plus another 140 of shorter range. "Well, what kind of a strategy will we have national liaison from Women for a Meaningful After the United States and the Soviet to fit them?" We must keep in mind that we Summit and president of the Women's Union Union withdrawals are completed, West must reverse this technology first and strat- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. February 17, 1988 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 1659 egy second. Let us decide what are our pure lows of the American Institute of Architects, GREECE AND TURKEY: ARE defense needs and then decide what kinds of early faculty members of the architectural pro THEY BREAKING THE ICE? weapons, if any, do we want to have to guar grams at Hampton and Tuskegee Universities, antee our security.