[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 20, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      LIFT THE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I believe the Senate should go on record as 
soon as possible, hopefully tonight, but if not tonight, tomorrow, in 
full support of our troops who are now ashore in Haiti, and I am 
confident that we will.
  As a related matter, I believe that any such resolution should also 
address the immediate lifting of economic sanctions, and I understand 
that the draft resolutions that are being passed back and forth will 
make that explicit call.
  These sanctions are hurting the very people we are trying to help: 
the poor people of Haiti who are suffering. At this time, moreover, 
when the United States forces are arriving in numbers--in very large 
numbers--in Haiti, I believe it is absolutely imperative that we 
alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people as soon as possible so 
that we can provide a tangible demonstration of the benefit of our 
presence in that country. In other words, lifting the embargo and 
sanctions without delay will serve to minimize the risk to our own 
soldiers who are in that country. Every day we continue the embargo 
increases their risk and the difficulty of their mission.
  The agreement that President Carter, General Powell, and I negotiated 
on behalf of President Clinton specifically calls for, quoting from 
that agreement, ``the economic embargo and the economic sanctions to be 
lifted without delay in accordance with relevant U.N. resolutions * * 
*''
  Mr. President, we need to live up to that commitment as soon as 
possible. I have heard that some people believe that the international 
embargoes should only be lifted when President Aristide returns to 
Haiti. I do not believe that President Aristide would want to prolong 
the suffering of the Haitian people. I would hope that he would 
publicly endorse the immediate lifting of the embargo, if that is 
needed to convince the members of the Security Council to do so.
  I understand that part of the embargo has been imposed by the United 
States independent of the international embargo imposed by the United 
Nations And I would hope that President Clinton would make an early 
decision to lift those parts of the embargo that are not 
internationally imposed immediately and do everything through our good 
offices, through Ambassador Albright at the United Nations, to persuade 
the Security Council to take the step, or steps, needed to lift the 
international embargo.
  I do not understand how anyone can believe that depriving Haitian 
children of food or preventing Haitian adults from obtaining employment 
is in our interest when we occupy that country. The only interest it 
would serve would be the interest of those who would want to see the 
agreement unravel.
  Mr. President, I think we must keep our word and do all we can to 
lift the economic sanctions, and I am hopeful that the Senate 
resolution will make that explicit when we adopt it on the floor.
  I thank the Chair, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Levin). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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