[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S19260-S19261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 SENATE RESOLUTION 202--CONCERNING THE BAN ON THE USE OF UNITED STATES 
                    PASSPORTS FOR TRAVEL TO LEBANON
  Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Simon, Mr. Graham, and Mr. Kennedy) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:
                              S. Res. 202
       Whereas on January 26, 1987, the Department of State issued 
     a prohibition on the use of United States passports for 
     travel to Lebanon, creating a ban on travel to Lebanon by 
     United States citizens;
       Whereas the ban on travel to Lebanon was instituted during 
     a time of civil war, anarchy, and general lawlessness in 
     Lebanon, when the safety and well-being of United States 
     citizens were at serious risk, American hostages were being 
     taken, and hundreds of lives were being lost due to acts of 
     terrorism;
       Whereas the civil war in Lebanon ended in 1990 and the last 
     United States hostage held in Lebanon was freed on December 
     4, 1991;
       Whereas there has been no incident of violence against any 
     United States citizen in Lebanon since December 4, 1991;
       Whereas security in Lebanon has improved demonstrably since 
     the end of the civil war due to, among other efforts, the 
     exchange of security delegations between the United States 
     and Lebanon to monitor ongoing progress on security;
       Whereas the United States and Lebanon have made special 
     joint efforts to agree upon and sign international 
     conventions against terrorism which would address crimes 
     committed against United States citizens in Lebanon during 
     the civil war;
       Whereas the United States maintains an economic and 
     military assistance program in Lebanon;
       Whereas it is estimated that more than 45,000 United States 
     citizens, including Members of Congress, traveled safely to 
     Lebanon in the past 4 years, either in defiance of the ban or 
     under current United States regulations which permit the use 
     of passports by dual Lebanese-United States nationals and in 
     urgent humanitarian cases;
       Whereas Americans of Lebanese descent who have families 
     residing in Lebanon and who are not willing to defy the 
     travel ban have been seriously harmed by this ban and are 
     prevented from being reunited with their loved ones in 
     Lebanon;
       Whereas the United States has eased certain restrictions on 
     the travel ban to permit airline tickets to be issued 
     directly from the United States to Beirut for travel by non-
     United States nationals United States citizens who have 
     obtained the appropriate waiver from the Department of State;
       Whereas it is in the United States' national interest to 
     assist actively the Government of Lebanon to attain the 
     principles of democracy in the region;
       Whereas the Lebanese government has initiated a 10-year, 
     $18,000,000,000 reconstruction effort, and in 1993-1995 
     awarded more than 500 contracts worth more than 
     $2,700,000,000 to business firms for development, 
     reconstruction, and consulting projects;
       Whereas the ban on the use of United States passports for 
     travel to Lebanon creates a major impediment to United States 
     firms that wish to bid for contracts in Lebanon;
       Whereas it is in the United States national interest for 
     United States businesses to participate in the reconstruction 
     of Lebanon, since United States participation will bring 
     economic benefit to the United States;
       Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States 
     for there to be an independent, politically and economically 
     self-reliant Lebanon as a stabilizing state in the region;
       Whereas in determining whether to restrict the use of 
     United States passports in any country, the Secretary of 
     State should apply consistent criteria; and
       Whereas travel advisories, rather than travel bans, are in 
     effect for countries such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Haiti, Colombia, 
     and Peru, in which United States citizens have historically 
     experienced as serious risk to their safety as they do in 
     traveling to Lebanon: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it 
     is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) in deciding whether to renew the ban on the use of 
     United States passports for travel to Lebanon, the Secretary 
     of State should--
       (A) expand the present humanitarian waiver provisions to 
     permit American citizens of Lebanese descent to travel to 
     Lebanon for family reunification purposes;
       (B) create a new waiver category to permit exceptions for 
     United States business personnel who wish to travel to 
     Lebanon for business purposes; and
       (C) change the Lebanon travel ban to a travel advisory 
     because American citizens have been safely traveling there 
     since 1991, and it appears as if the risk posed to the safety 
     of American citizens is no greater in Lebanon that it is in 
     other countries that currently maintain travel advisories; 
     and
       (2) the Secretary of State should identify those conditions 
     within Lebanon that are of risk to United States citizens and 
     provide  
     
[[Page S19261]]

     suggestions for Lebanon to ameliorate those risks.
       Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the Secretary of State.

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to submit legislation 
regarding the ban on the use of United states passports for travel to 
Lebanon. I, along with my colleagues, Mr. Simon, Mr. Graham of Florida, 
and Mr. Kennedy, cosponsored this resolution with the hope that the 
passport restriction will eventually be lifted.
  The current policy--in effect, a travel ban to Lebanon--has had a 
negative impact on United States businesses and individuals. Since the 
restriction on the use of United States passports for travel to Lebanon 
inordinately affects Americans of Lebanese descent, we are proposing 
expanding the humanitarian considerations provision to permit those 
Americans of Lebanese descent to travel to Lebanon. This would ease the 
concerns of many Lebanese Americans who may want to travel to Lebanon 
for family reunification purposes, but who presently are unable to do 
so.
  We also advocate creating a new waiver category which would permit 
travel by United States business personnel who wish to do business in 
Labanon. While the reconstruction effort in Lebanon is progressing at a 
fast pace, United States businesses are hindered from participating in 
this rebuilding effort due to the travel restrictions. United States 
businesses cannot compete with foreign companies with representation in 
and free access to Lebanon.
  While we understand and agree that the safety and security of United 
States citizens is of paramount concern when reviewing the travel 
policy, it is also our understanding that more than 45,000 Americans 
are estimated to have traveled without incident to Lebanon during the 
past 4 years. That being the case, the current restrictions appear to 
be inconsistent with the situation on the ground. In addition, we note 
that other countries equally and, in some cases, more unstable than 
Lebanon are not subject to similar travel constraints.
  In view of these considerations, and taking into account the overall 
improvement in circumstances inside Lebanon, we urge the Secretary of 
State to lift the passport restriction for Lebanon and issue in its 
place a travel advisory. Such a step would make clear any risks and 
dangers associated with travel to Lebanon, and at the same time enable 
United States citizens to make their own informed decisions.
  Mr. President, I hope that this resolution will be incorporated into 
the next review process of the travel restrictions to Lebanon, and that 
in February 1996, the Department of State will implement the 
suggestions encompassed in this resolution.

                          ____________________