[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 74 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 74

  Concerning the ban on the use of United States passports in Lebanon.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

              August 23 (legislative day, August 18), 1994

Mr. Mitchell (for himself, Mr. Dole, Mr. Pell, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Levin, 
     Mr. Helms, and Mr. Brown) submitted the following concurrent 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Concerning the ban on the use of United States passports in Lebanon.

Whereas, on January 26, 1987, the United States Department of State issued a 
        prohibition on the use of United States passports in Lebanon, creating 
        in effect a ban on travel to Lebanon by United States citizens;
Whereas the ban on travel to Lebanon was instituted during a time of civil war, 
        anarchy, and general lawlessness in Lebanon, when the safety and well-
        being of United States citizens were at particular risk as evidenced by 
        the bombings of the United States Marine barracks and the United States 
        Embassy in Beirut, in which a total of 258 United States citizens were 
        killed, as well as by the taking of United States hostages by 
        terrorists;
Whereas the civil war in Lebanon ended in 1990 and the last United States 
        hostage held in Lebanon was freed on December 2, 1991;
Whereas the security situation in Lebanon has improved demonstrably since the 
        end of the civil war;
Whereas the United States returned its Ambassador to Lebanon on November 28, 
        1990, and the United States maintains an economic and military 
        assistance program in Lebanon;
Whereas it is estimated that more than 40,000 United States citizens traveled 
        safely to Lebanon in 1993 either in defiance of the ban or under current 
        United States regulations which permit the use of passports by dual 
        Lebanese-United States nationals and in urgent humanitarian cases;
Whereas the Government of Lebanon has made considerable progress in reasserting 
        sovereignty and control over significant portions of Lebanon despite the 
        fact that the Taif accords have yet to be fully implemented;
Whereas the Lebanese Government has initiated a 10-year, $18,000,000,000 
        reconstruction effort, and in 1993 awarded more than 100 contracts worth 
        $2,400,000,000 to business firms for development, reconstruction, and 
        consulting projects;
Whereas the ban on the use of United States passports in Lebanon creates a major 
        impediment to United States firms that wish to bid for contracts in 
        Lebanon;
Whereas it is in the United States national interest for United States firms to 
        participate in the reconstruction of Lebanon, as United States 
        participation will bring economic benefit to the United States and help 
        to create a stable and sound infrastructure in Lebanon;
Whereas the United States Secretary of State must give paramount consideration 
        to the safety and security of United States citizens in regulating their 
        travel abroad; and
Whereas, in regulating the travel of United States citizens abroad, the United 
        States Secretary of State has a variety of options, including 
        instituting a travel advisory for countries where United States citizens 
        are deemed at risk or have been attacked, as has been done for such 
        countries as Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia, Haiti, Colombia, Peru, the 
        Philippines, and Turkey: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That--
            (1) in determining whether to restrict the use of United 
        States passports in any country, the Secretary of State should 
        apply consistent criteria;
            (2) in deciding whether to extend the ban on the use of 
        United States passports in Lebanon, the Secretary of State 
        should--
                    (A) give paramount consideration to the need to 
                ensure the safety of United States citizens;
                    (B) give full consideration to the improved 
                security situation in Lebanon, the effect of the ban on 
                the opportunities for United States businesses, and the 
                impact of the ban on United States interests in Lebanon 
                and the Middle East; and
                    (C) give full consideration to whether United 
                States interests would be more effectively served by 
                removing the ban on the use of United States passports 
                in Lebanon, and instituting instead a travel advisory 
                for Lebanon; and
            (3) the Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of 
        this concurrent resolution to the Secretary of State.
                                 <all>