[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 112 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                             PEACE FOR SALE

  (Mr. CALLAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rose on this floor twice in recent weeks 
to express my grave concerns about forgiving Jordan's debt to the 
United States. I believed this form of extortion would set a dangerous 
and unaffordable precedent.
  I never like to say ``I told you so, ``but before the ink has dried 
on Jordan's forgiveness, we are being set up again. Business Week 
reported this week that Syrian President Assad is pursuing peace talks 
with Israel for only one reason that has little to do with peace. 
Instead, his only interest is reported to be some type of cash payoff, 
perhaps something along the multibillion lines of the Camp David 
accords.
  There is no question that a Syrian-Israeli peace agreement is in the 
United States interest. But we must question whether it is in our 
interest to agree to be blackmailed whenever our allies face problems 
with their neighbors.
  We have made the decision to reward Jordan. Let us not go farther 
down this road. Our Secretary on State should just say ``no'' to this 
deal.

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