[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E156-E157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         SAUDI ARABIA'S UNFAIR TREATMENT OF GIBBS & HILL, INC.

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 23, 1995
  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my continued 
disappointment and frustration with the Government of Saudi Arabia and 
its ongoing unfair treatment of the American company Gibbs & Hill, Inc. 
[GHI]. In the late 1970's and 1980's GHI was decimated by financial 
losses incurred on the design of a desalination project in Saudi 
Arabia 
[[Page E157]] as a result of the kingdom's failure to honor its 
contractual obligations. In an effort to bring about a fair and 
expeditious settlement for GHI and other American companies with claims 
against Saudi Arabia, Congress established a special claims process 
following hearings before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. GHI is 
the last remaining company whose claim has not been paid by the Saudi 
Arabian Government under this process.
  For more than a year, a bipartisan coalition in both the House and 
Senate, as well as the administration, have worked to fairly resolve 
the GHI claim. At several points during this process, Saudi Ambassador 
Bandar and other high-ranking Saudi officials made commitments to 
Congress and the administration that the GHI claim would be resolved in 
a fair and expeditious manner and that no effort would be spared in 
resolving the GHI claim. During this time, Congress and the 
administration have been lead to believe that the Saudi Government was 
committed to working toward a fair settlement of the GHI claim. As 
recent as 3 months ago, Ambassador Bandar meet with, and gave 
assurances to, Senator Frank Lautenberg and GHI's chairman that a 
shared commitment existed to achieve a prompt and fair resolution of 
the claim. This was followed by explicit commitments from high-level 
Saudi officials in both Washington and Riyadh that this claim would be 
paid. Unfortunately, in a recent communication to GHI, the Saudi 
Embassy contradicts these explicit commitments.
  I am dismayed by the delaying tactics of the Saudi Embassy. It is my 
belief that what should have been an open and closed issue is beginning 
to grow into a significant strain on United States-Saudi relations. The 
Saudi Government's disregard for this American company that has 
provided services to the kingdom is unacceptable.
  The time is now for the Saudi Government to live up to its 
commitments to me, my colleagues, the administration, and GHI. My 
colleagues and I require a full and prompt payment of this claim to 
successfully conclude this important claim issue.


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