[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 811 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 811

 Condemning the November 6, 2007, terrorist bombing in Afghanistan and 
expressing condolences to the people of Afghanistan and the members of 
                           the Wolesi Jirga.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 8, 2007

 Mr. Price of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. Dreier, Mr. Lantos, and 
    Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the November 6, 2007, terrorist bombing in Afghanistan and 
expressing condolences to the people of Afghanistan and the members of 
                           the Wolesi Jirga.

Whereas on November 6, 2007, a terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in the 
        Baghlan province of Afghanistan that deliberately targeted a delegation 
        of 18 members of the Wolesi Jirga, the directly elected chamber of the 
        National Assembly of Afghanistan;
Whereas this horrific bombing was the deadliest suicide attack since the 
        liberation of Afghanistan from the brutal Taliban regime in 2001, 
        reportedly killing at least 50 Afghan citizens, including several 
        schoolchildren, and wounding dozens of others;
Whereas at least six members of the Wolesi Jirga were killed in the attack, 
        including Sayed Mustafa Kazemi, Chair of the Economic Commission of the 
        Wolesi Jirga and former Minister of Commerce; Engineer Abdul Matin, a 
        member from the province of Helmland; Sibgatullah Zaki, a member from 
        the province of Takhar; Haji Sahib Rahman Hemat, a member from the 
        province of Kunar; Nazik Mir Sarferaz, a member from the Kunduz 
        province; and Mohammad Arif Zarif, a member from Kabul;
Whereas the legislative delegation transcended political, ethnic, and regional 
        divisions and was targeted by this heinous act while carrying out its 
        official duties in service to the Afghan people;
Whereas nearly six years after the liberation of Afghanistan from the Taliban, 
        who provided al-Qaeda with a safe haven for planning the attacks of 
        September 11, 2001, Afghanistan remains under siege, and the 
        democratically elected Government of Afghanistan remains subject to 
        attacks from remnants of the Taliban who have regrouped along with other 
        insurgent groups, including al-Qaeda;
Whereas poppy cultivation and opium production, which directly support, sustain, 
        and finance insurgents, militias, and terrorist organizations operating 
        in Afghanistan, continue to dramatically increase;
Whereas the security of Afghanistan is closely intertwined with the security of 
        its regional neighbors, and therefore cooperation and support from its 
        neighbors in defeating insurgents and establishing security is urgently 
        required;
Whereas the international community, including the Government of the United 
        States, has expressed its ongoing commitment to supporting the efforts 
        of the Government and people of Afghanistan to build a stable, secure, 
        and democratic nation with the achievement of the Afghanistan Compact in 
        2006;
Whereas Afghanistan remains a critical front in the global struggle against 
        terrorism, and supporting the development of democratic institutions in 
        Afghanistan is critical to defeating this threat; and
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission of the United States House of 
        Representatives has worked in partnership with the Wolesi Jirga to 
        strengthen its institutional capacity, and remains committed to a strong 
        and mutually-beneficial partnership: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns in the strongest terms the November 6, 2007, 
        attack in the Baghlan province of Afghanistan and all other 
        attacks against the democratic freedom and sovereignty of the 
        Afghan people;
            (2) expresses its condolences to the people of Afghanistan 
        and the members of the Wolesi Jirga;
            (3) supports the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan 
        to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to 
        justice;
            (4) reaffirms the long-term commitment of the United States 
        to the establishment of security, the strengthening of 
        democratic and civil institutions, and the promotion of 
        economic opportunity as the basis for a stable, secure, and 
        democratic Afghanistan; and
            (5) calls upon the United States and other responsible 
        nations to strengthen their efforts to further the goals and 
        standards set forth in the Afghanistan Compact for improvements 
        in security, governance, and economic development.
                                 <all>