[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   THE VISIT OF IRA LEADER GERRY ADAMS: WHAT ARE THE FOREIGN POLICY 
                             IMPLICATIONS?

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                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 3, 1994

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, the recent visit of Gerry Adams, leader of 
the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, breaks a longstanding 
policy with regard to the issuance of visas to admitted members of the 
IRA. While the merits of the granting of the visa can be debated, 
Members of this body should be aware that this marks a fundamental 
change in United States foreign policy, particularly with respect to 
the Irish Republic and the United Kingdom. With this thought in mind, 
this Member would call to the attention of his colleagues the following 
editorial from the February 3, 1994, edition of the Omaha-World Herald, 
entitled ``Fallout From Irish Terrorist's Visit a Costly Foreign Policy 
Lesson.''

              [From the Omaha World-Herald, Feb. 3, 1944]

  Fallout From Irish Terrorist's Visit a Costly Foreign Policy Lesson

       The British government is furious with President Clinton. 
     And with good reason. Clinton provided a U.S. forum to Gerry 
     Adams, the top spokesman for the Irish Republican Army, by 
     allowing Adams to enter the United States for 48 hours to 
     participate in a conference in New York City.
       Adams in the leader of Sinn Fein, the political arm of the 
     IRA. The State Department classifies him as a terrorist who, 
     as such, is not eligible to enter the United States for any 
     reason.
       The IRA has killed more than 1,400 people in England and 
     Northern Ireland, including 900 British troops. Adams, who 
     condemns only the deaths of people he calls innocent 
     civilians, implicitly endorses IRA terrorism. He denies that 
     he has ever been an IRA member--a claim that is disputed by 
     the British, who imprisoned him for IRA membership, and by 
     the CIA.
       The State Department urged Clinton not to let him enter the 
     country for the conference. The American Embassy in London 
     seconded the motion. The CIA was against it. A staff member 
     of the National Security Council told The New York Times that 
     ``my heart is in my throat when I think about how it could 
     all go wrong.'' Secretary of State Warren Christopher 
     personally appealed to the president not to issue a visa.
       But Clinton overruled them all. The White House admitted 
     that Sens. Edward Kennedy and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, as 
     well as other Irish members of Congress, had lobbied heavily 
     in Adams' behalf. ``The president obviously gets a political 
     dividend by accommodating Pat and Teddy on this,'' a White 
     House official said. The official said Clinton believed the 
     gesture could help the peace process in Northern Ireland.
       Here's now Bill Clinton, that irrepressible wizard of 
     foreign policy, is helping the peace process in Northern 
     Ireland:
       People on both sides of the undeclared war said they saw 
     Clinton's recognition as a personal victory for Adams. Some 
     said it was a victory for terrorism. A British newspaper said 
     Clinton's decision signified the end of the special 
     relationship between London and Washington. Adams had more 
     television time in two days, including an appearance on the 
     talk show of Clinton's friend, Larry King, than he received 
     in years of agitating in Northern Ireland, where terrorists 
     are banned from the airwaves.
       Adams finally pushed too far. He used his forum to try to 
     steer the United States into exerting pressure on London to 
     cave in. The pressure became so ridiculous that even Clinton 
     was forced to distance himself.
       ``The people who have to settle this are the Irish and the 
     British,'' Clinton said.
       Clinton seemed to move back toward the hands-off position 
     of his predecessors, who had much more foreign policy savvy. 
     Thus proceeded another lesson in the education of a foreign-
     policy neophyte. One only hopes that this neophyte will be up 
     to speed before he does too much more to alienate America's 
     long-term friends and allies.

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