[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 131 (Monday, September 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            COMMENDING THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION TO HAITI

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise to express high praise for 
President Carter, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin 
Powell, and our esteemed colleague, the chairman of the Armed Services 
Committee, Senator Nunn, for their diplomatic skill. Their efforts have 
averted a United States invasion of Haiti, which comes as a great 
relief to those who watched the events of the last week with no small 
amount of anxiety. We did not merely avert an invasion of Haiti 
yesterday, we avoided a misapplication of the U.N. Charter.
  The situation in Haiti, as in many countries, is indeed dreadful, and 
has been so for years. However the charter does not provide the legal 
authority to invade in such situations. Chapter VII of the charter was 
designed to address ``Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace and 
Acts of Aggression.''
  Yesterday Sam Donaldson posed the question:

       What if the present mission, as we speak--headed by former 
     President Carter succeeds, the triumvirate of generals step 
     aside voluntarily and the United States forces go in to 
     reinstall the last freely democratically elected president--
     Mr. Aristide. Then is there a problem in international law?
       I responded, ``You could have a situation in which a 
     sufficiently legitimate indigenous authority asked us in. 
     That could happen.''

  That has happened. With the success of President Carter's mission, 
the situation has changed our action from an invasion not provided in 
the charter, to the implementation of a dispute settlement--something 
which the charter is equipped to address.
  Again I commend President Carter and his delegation. Their efforts 
were heroic. I also praise the excellent manner in which our troops 
have responded to this difficult task. In particular I wish to bring to 
the attention of my colleagues the dedication of the members of the 
10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, NY. Their mission is a 
difficult one, but one I am sure they will carry out with expert 
precision. They deserve our strong support.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from South Dakota is 
recognized.

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