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Congressional Record—House H 9666 H 9666 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE September 28, 1995 the general welfare. We want to take Polynesia were what westerners would need our national attention, and the America forward, out of the spirit of call colonized by France, after some 500 international attention of other coun- Franklin Roosevelt and the spirit of French soldiers with guns and cannons tries, as well. In my opinion, Mr. Lyndon Johnson. We want to continue subdued the Tahitian chiefs and their Speaker, France has now initiated the to have a great society. We want to warriors in the 1840's. nuclear arms race again, and I would take care of the majority of the people Mr. Speaker, after the French were nominate Mr. Chirac as the world's that need to be taken care of. We are kicked out of their former colony, Al- leading nuclear arms proliferator. Ad- Americans, we are not barbarians. geria, in the early 1960's the late ditionally, Mr. Chirac's actions raise f Charles de Gaulle immediately ordered another serious probemÐif I were his subordinates to find a new place Chancellor Kohl or any citizen of Ger- FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING where the French Government could man, I would feel very uneasy and un- The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Mr. continue its nuclear testing program. comfortable about the idea that Presi- BONN of Oregon). Under the Speaker's The French Government decided that dent Chirac has his finger on a nuclear announced policy of May 12, 1995, the the two Pacific atolls of Moruroa and trigger that he is trying to make more gentleman from American Somoa [Mr. Faugataufa in French Polynesia would lethal. I would also wonder as a Ger- FALEOMAVAEGA] is recognized for 60 be the sites for the French nuclear man citizen or as citizens of other Eu- minutes as the designee of the minor- testing program. The Government of ropean countries what assurances there ity leader. France has now exploded well over 180 are that French nuclear-armed missiles Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, nuclear bombs on the under these two shall never be pointed at Bonn, Munich earlier last week I shared with my col- atolls in the Pacific. The French have or Berlin, or other cities in Europe? leagues and the American people some been exploding their nuclear bombs in If I were Chancellor Kohl or a Ger- observations on the crisis that has oc- the Pacific for the past 30 years. man citizen, I would further wonder curred on the island of Tahiti in Mr. Speaker, with the cold war at an what absolutely ensures that Mr. French Polynesia, as a consequence of end and the Berlin Wall down, there Chirac's nuclear forces would be used French President Jacques Chirac's re- has been a tremendous sense of relief to defend Germany against in enemy cent decision for the Government of among the leading countries of the country that might be an ally or a France to resume testing of nuclear world. As a result, a moratorium was friend of Chirac's government. I be- bomb explosions on the Pacific island called by the leading nuclear powers, lieve, Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves in atolls of Moruroa and Faugataufa. including France, 3 years ago to sus- an interesting dilemma, and I am re- Mr. Speaker, despite thousands of pe- pend nuclear testing altogether. minded of a Middle Eastern proverb titions and the pleadings from leaders Mr. Speaker, in June of this year, the that states that sometimes the friend of countries from Europe, from South newly elected President of France of my friend is also my enemy. America, from Asia, and especially Jacques Chirac, announced that France Mr. Speaker, every country in Eu- from the Pacific island nations, asking would explode eight more nuclear rope should feel somewhat uneasy France to refrain from conducting nu- bombsÐone a month, beginning this about the possibility that France is the clear bomb explosions under these Pa- month of September until May of next only country among the continental cific atolls, President Chirac went year. And each nuclear bomb explosion, European nations with a nuclear trig- ahead and pressed the nuclear button 3 Mr. Speaker, shall be up to 10 times ger that may be pointed against any weeks ago, exploding a nuclear bomb more powerful that the atomic bomb one of them. under Moruroa Atoll with a nuclear dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Mr. Speaker, this is the kind of ten- punch of 20 kilotons. The nuclear bomb Mr. Speaker, despite extensive ef- sion and uncertainty that Mr. Chirac detonated, Mr. Speaker, was more pow- forts made by citizens's organizations has raised since the re-opening of its erful than the atomic bomb dropped on and government leaders, involving pe- nuclear testing program last week. The the city of Hiroshima, JapanÐwhich, titions and pleadings from all over the implications are obvious, Mr. Speaker, incidentally, Mr. Speaker, killed some world to persuade President Chirac not and if Mr. Chirac's motive is to raise 200,000 men, women and children, from to push that nuclear buttomÐthe fear and apprehension about France's the direct explosion as well as the sub- Chirac government still went ahead nuclear capabilities among its Euro- sequent radioactive contamination of and detonated their nuclear bomb. pean allies, I must say, President the residents of Hiroshima. Mr. Speaker, President Chirac said Chirac has succeeded in this endeavor. Mr. Speaker, I realize that whenever recently through international wire a person calls out the word or name, services that the eight nuclear bomb Mr. Speaker, the irony of this is that ``Tahiti,'' immediately many of us explosions were absolutely necessary while 62 percent of the people of France think of paradiseÐthe swaying palm to improve France's nuclear weapons do not approve of nuclear testing in the trees, the lovely Polynesian maidensÐ capabilities and that the matter was in Pacific, the same majority of the peo- a place where there is much dancing the order of the highest national inter- ple of France also want France to be and singing in the air, amongst the fes- est of the French Government. How- recognized as a world leader and as a tive Polynesian Tahitians. ever, nuclear physicists contend that member of the nuclear club like Great Perhaps, even more vividly, when the the safety and reliability of nuclear Britain, the United States, Russia, and American people think of Tahiti, they weapons could be ensured by non-nu- the People's Republic of China. recall visions from the silver screen clear tests and have suggested that The problem, Mr. Speaker, is that ab- classic, ``Mutiny on the Bounty,'' first what France is really pursuing with re- sent among the permanent members of with Clarke Gable and later starring sumed testing is completion of a new the United Nations Security Council Marlon Brando. warhead design. This new warhead is and the world's nuclear club are two The fact of the matter, Mr. Speaker, supposedly an advanced generation of nations that are considered as having is that the Pacific islands of Tahiti, neutron bombs designed to destroy life, the second and third most powerful Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, and Bora while leaving property intact. Dr. Hut- economies in the world. Mr. Speaker, I Bora, truly are among the most beau- ton, a Monash University physicist am making reference to Japan and Ger- tiful volcanic islands in the world. The told the Weekend Australian that what many, respectively. world famous writer and author, James France is not telling the public ``is the Mr. Speaker, if there is ever a time Michener, has described the island of kinds of new weapons they are plan- to examine regional and international Bora Bora as the most beautiful in the ning to use those simulation tech- conflicts as we confront them today, world, and I agree with Mr. Michener. niques to build.'' Why do they want there is no way that we can deny the Well, Mr. Speaker, as I stand here in simulation programs? ``So they can go presence and considerable influence of the well describing the magnificent beyond the thresholds which will be de- Japan in the Asia-Pacific region and beauty of these islands, something very fined in the Comprehensive Text Ban Germany throughout Europe, and cer- serious has happened since these is- Treaty,'' he states. tainly both nations to be directly in- lands became a colony of France some Mr. Speaker, there are some very se- volved with the affairs of the entire 150 years ago. The islands of French rious and troubling issues that now world. September 28, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE H 9667 Mr. Speaker, about 3 weeks ago I was that one more test could trigger the are totally helpless and are not capable in Tahiti in French Polynesia. I was atoll's collapse, leading to huge cracks of withstanding the military might of joined with some 40 other par- opening to the sea, threatening the fish the French Navy and the French For- liamentarians from the Pacific, from and other marine life, and ultimately eign LegionÐas the French Govern- Japan, from Asia, from South America, threatening our marine environment ment has literally forced the Polyne- and from Europe. Led by the mayor of throughout the Pacific. sian Tahitians to accept such as awful the town of Fa'a a and the leading Poly- As early as 1987, the world-famous fate, and a future with no promise to nesian leader, Mr. Oscar Temaru, we oceanographer and marine environ- enhance their lives. joined together for a demonstration in mentalist, Jacques Cousteau, who I And, Mr.
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