[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HUMANITARIAN AID TO LEBANON

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to express my 
disappointment in the aid package for Lebanon which was recently 
announced by the Clinton administration. The aid package consisted of a 
mere $1 million to fulfill the International Committee for the Red 
Cross request, an additional $25,000 from USAID through the U.S. 
Embassy in Beirut, and 50,000 pounds of U.S. military medical supplies 
and equipment.
  Due to the most recent violence in Lebanon, some 400,000 refugees 
have been displaced. There is an extreme amount of pressure upon the 
country's infrastructure, particularly in Beirut where there is very 
little electricity. In southern Lebanon it has been reported that the 
water supply has been cut off to dozens of villages. The Lebanese 
people have suffered greatly over the last two decades, but they are 
particularly in need of urgent assistance. The United States has always 
viewed Lebanon as a good friend and ally, and thus the United States 
should make a greater commitment of resources.
  Considering the President's past emergency aid packages of $59 
million for Rwandan and Burundi refugees and $11 million for Cuban and 
Haitian refugees, the Clinton administration efforts with respect to 
Lebanon is clearly and grossly insufficient. For approximately the same 
amount of refugees in Russia, this administration donated 1.2 million 
pounds of medical supplies and equipment. This inequity with respect to 
Lebanon is clearly unfair.
  Mr. President, I urge the Clinton administration to immediately 
redouble its aid efforts to Lebanon. In addition, as I have done for 
the past week, I urge the administration to utilize all of its 
diplomatic resources to negotiate a cease fire in this region and to 
bring and end to the hostility immediately.

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