January 24, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks E 67 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS OBSERVING THE HISTORIC elected not as Arafat condidates but as inde- Mr. President, your actions speak louder PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS pendents, deserve our praise and congratula- than words; and words alone will not solve our tions. Tremendous duties have been bestowed problem. This lack of attention has a human HON. NICK J. RAHALL II by the people and they now embark upon a cost. Last year at San Diego's border with OF WEST VIRGINIA new journey as the freely elected representa- Mexico, a Border Partol agent fell to his death IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tives of Palestine. while chasing illegal immigrants. Last week, a Our presence demonstrated clearly to the man trying to evade U.S. Border Partol agents Wednesday, January 24, 1996 Palestinians that America and the world are plunged to his death, and five other men were Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, the Arab-Amer- strongly with them in their quest for demo- injured when they ran off a 120-foot cliff near ican Institute [AAI] January 23, 1996 delega- cratic development and in their quest to quash Otay Lakes Dam. tion, which I had the high honor to chair, trav- disruption by extremists from all sides. Words are hollow if they are not backed up eled to Palestine to witness the first ever, The Israeli Government and Prime Minister with actions. Our hope in the California dele- historymaking free national elections in that Peres deserve commemdation for their sup- gation is that President Clinton joins us with country. port as well as of this electoral process and, the force of his actions, as we address these I was accompanied by Dr. James Zogby, with a few exceptions, allowed Palestinians to difficult immigration problems. president of AAI, and by former Members of conduct themselves freely. Congress Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH), Toby From revolutionary to Ra'eesÐArabic for f Moffett (D±CT), and by Ruth Joseph, mayor PresidentÐmany in our delegation, like Rep- and State representative of Waterville, ME, resentative Mary Rose Oakar and Toby EXTRADITION OF INDICTED WAR Thomas Lazieh, former mayor Central Falls, Moffett, and Jim Zogby, have personally stood CRIMINALS RI, Teresa Isaac, vice mayor, Lexington, KY. by President Arafat for a portion of his long, Also present during the observation were long, long journey to this point in history. HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH Kenneth Handel, partner at Arnold and Porter From the bowels of Beirut in 1980 and 1982 OF NEW JERSEY law firm of New York with previous inter- to the palace of the President in Gaza last Fri- national electoral experience, and Dr. Najat day, where the lights flickered from lack of suf- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Arafat Khelil, co-coordinator of the Palestinian ficient power, we have conversed with, we Wednesday, January 24, 1996 Jewish Women's Dialogue Group. have pleaded with, we have sought dialog, we The delegation was coordinated by Zogby have agonized with and we now celebrate a Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I and Washington businessman Hani Masri with new-era President Arafat and the Palestinian rise this afternoon to express my solid support assistance from Hady Amr, a political consult- people. He fully recognizes that with new legit- for language contained in H.R. 1530, the Na- ant with electoral monitoring experience in imacy from the people comes new responsibil- tional Defense Authorization Act, providing for South Africa. My special thanks and that of ities. the extradition of indicted war criminals from the delegation goes to Jim Zogby for making Israel Prime Minister Peres will now allow all the United States to the International Tribunal it possible, and to Hani Masri for all of his PNC members to meet in Palestine so as to for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the unstinting support that helped lead to this his- conduct the people's business and properly Hague. This legislation provides the legal toric occasion and who shared his electoral amend the PNC charters per the Oslo ac- basis for the surrender of such persons and monitoring skills with us during this important cords. closes a technical loophole which could under- observance. As both men enter final status negotiations mine efforts to prosecute those responsible for Thanks goes also to Mr. Said Hamad, dep- this coming May 4, may they enter with a the commission of war crimes. Adoption of this uty director of the PLO office in Washington greater strength within themselves and greater provision should serve as an example to other who did an excellent job of coordinating faith in each other, and a greater resolve to countries to undertake similar action consist- events on the ground in Palestine and enhance and spread his peace of the brave ent with our obligations to cooperate fully with smoothing our way there. among their people and among all mankindÐ the important work of the Tribunal. To date We witnessed a professional, politically pro- two states, two peoples living side by side in more than 50 individuals from the former gressive, patriotic, and proud Palestine people peaceÐIsrael and Palestine forever. Yugoslavia have been indicted, including the parade to the polls for their historic first na- f Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Last November, I had an oppor- tional elections. STATE OF THE UNION An excitement and enthusiasm permeated tunity to meet with Chief Prosecutor Richard the air and ran in the veins of a people tasting HON. BRIAN P. BILBRAY Goldstone to discuss his on-going investiga- and thirsting for freedom. tions. He stressed that those responsible for OF CALIFORNIA Nothing can detract from the success of a war crimes must be held personally account- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES people determined to regain control of their able, regardless of their relationship to peace destinyÐover their dreams and aspirations for Wednesday, January 24, 1996 negotiations. their children. Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, last night Presi- As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I We witnessed Palestinians traveling to the dent Clinton delivered a good speech. Our urge my colleagues to demonstrate their firm polls via cars, trucks, buses, tractors, donkeys, hope is that he follows his words with his commitment to the pursuit of justice in the horses, carts, hobbling on canes, and once ar- deeds. President Clinton acknowledged in his former Yugoslavia and Rwanda by passing riving having to wait hours in long lines due to address last night the need to pay special at- this implementing legislation and ensuring that huge voter turnouts. But to many who have tention to our problems with illegal immigra- the Tribunal receives the resources it needs to waited a lifetime to vote freelyÐa couple more tion. accomplish the vital tasks it has been given. hours' wait was very little. However, President Clinton forgot to men- Mr. Speaker, I ask that the text of a letter to The International Community of Observers tion to the American people that he vetoed a the President on this matter be included in the and former President Carter were encouraged bill which would have provided Californians RECORD. and impressed and gave the Palestinians very $1.6 billion in reimbursement funds over the COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND CO- OPERATION IN EUROPE, next 5 years for the costs of providing health high marks. Washington, DC, February 8, 1995. The bottom lineÐthese elections were free; care to illegal immigrants. He also vetoed the The PRESIDENT, these elections were fair. They were con- 1996 Commerce-State-Justice Appropriations The White House, Washington, DC. ducted in a highly professional manner. Act, thus denying Californians more than $300 DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: As members of the The President-elect, Yasir Arafat and his million as reimbursement for the cost of incar- Commission on Security and Cooperation in elected leadership team, many of whom were cerating alien felons. Europe, we have been following with great · 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. E 68 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks January 24, 1996 concern all aspects of the former Yugo- menting legislation for over a year. We urge ple'' in Coconut Grove, St. Agnes Baptist slavia's violent disintegration. In this re- you to communicate to the Department of Church. At that time blacks and whites wor- gard, our Commission held a hearing on Jan- Justice the high degree of urgency that you, shipped together at Union Chapel. As one el- uary 31, at which we received compelling tes- as President, attach to the tasks of bringing derly pioneer related the story, the ``colored timony from the Bosnian Prime Minister, war criminals to justice and of taking con- folks'' were not use to the type of quiet serv- Haris Silajdzic. Although the Prime Minister crete legislative measures to that end. To ice being held, and whites could not under- raised a number of issues regarding the cri- follow up on the Commission's inquiry of stand the blacks' reactions of shouting, clap- sis, we would like to focus on one issue in April 1994, we would like to know when the ping of hands and the stumping/stamping of particular: the International Criminal Tribu- administration anticipates presenting such feet. After a gift of property on Thomas Ave- nal for the Former Yugoslavia. legislation to Congress. nue from Count Jean Hodonville, a young After overcoming considerable barriers to Finally, we again call for the appointment French man, to Rev.