[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 83 (Monday, June 16, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5690-S5691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                OBSERVATIONS REGARDING A TRIP TO LEBANON

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I visited Lebanon over the Memorial Day 
recess in order to assess the security situation there. A number of my 
Lebanese-American constituents have contacted me to request that the 
State Department's travel policy for Lebanon be changed, and I also 
decided to see first-hand the situation there.
  Pursuant to United States law, the Secretary of State may restrict 
the use of United States passports for the travel of U.S. citizens to 
countries with which the United States is at war, where armed 
hostilities are in progress, or where there is imminent danger to the 
health or the physical safety of United States travelers. The Secretary 
of State has exercised that authority in the case of Lebanon and 
consequently U.S. passports are not valid for travel to, in or through 
Lebanon unless special validation has been obtained. The passport 
restriction includes landing at the Beirut airport en route to another 
destination.
  Special validation is possible for professional reporters; 
representatives of the American Red Cross traveling pursuant to an 
officially-sponsored Red Cross mission; compelling humanitarian 
considerations such as a critical illness of an immediate family 
member; family reunification such as a situation where a spouse or 
minor child is residing in Lebanon, with and dependent on, a Lebanese 
spouse or parent for his or her support; or where the travel is found 
to be in the national interest.
  In view of the limited exceptions to the travel restriction, a number 
of Americans have resorted to the practice of acquiring a Lebanese visa 
on a piece of paper separate from their American passports so that they 
will not encounter any difficulty from U.S. authorities upon returning 
to the United States. I have been advised that forty to fifty thousand 
Americans travel to Lebanon by this means each year. In doing so, they 
may be violating U.S. law. Countless other Americans, despite their 
earnest desire to visit relatives or friends in Lebanon, await a change 
in U.S. policy.
  I traveled to Lebanon with the approval and support of the State 
Department. I arrived at the U.S. Embassy compound via U.S. Army 
helicopter from Cyprus in mid-afternoon on May 29th, spent the night on 
the embassy compound, and returned to Cyprus by the same means in mid-
morning on May 30th.
  While in Lebanon, I had a busy schedule. I met at length with our 
Ambassador Richard Jones. I also met with Nasrallah Sfeir, 76th 
Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all of the East; Mohamed Rashid 
Qabbani, Grand Mufti of the Republic; IMAM Mohamed Mahdi Shamseddine, 
President, Higher Islamic Shi'a Council; Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri; 
President Elias Hrawi; and General Emile Lahoud, Commander of the 
Lebanese Armed Force. In each instance, the meeting was held at the 
place where the religious figure or government official was located, 
requiring travel throughout the city of Beirut and its environs. 
Additionally, I met with a number of government officials, members of 
the Lebanese Parliament, and Lebanese businessmen at a dinner at the 
American Embassy hosted by Ambassador Jones.

  I made it a point to ask each individual with whom I met about the 
United

[[Page S5691]]

States travel policy. I was advised that there are large numbers of 
Americans in Lebanon at all times and that they are safe. Frequent 
reference was made to the recent visit of the Pope to Lebanon. Finally, 
I was told that the U.S. travel policy was keeping relatives apart and 
was preventing needed U.S. private investment in Lebanon. General 
Lahoud pointed out that members of the Hizballah Party, which is the 
primary security concern of the United States, were elected to and 
participating in the Lebanese parliament and that there had not been an 
incident against an American in five years.
  Significantly, our representatives in Beirut favored a lifting of the 
travel restriction.
  Based upon my personal observations during my visit, it is clear to 
me that perceptions about the security situation in Lebanon are 
outdated. There is no substitute for an on-the-scene assessment.
  Later on the trip I visited Bosnia and I had an opportunity in 
Sarajevo to meet with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. I urged 
her to send a team to Lebanon to assess the security situation there 
and was pleased when she advised me that she was doing so. I am 
confident that such an assessment will provide a sound basis for the 
revision of the current policy and I have written to Secretary Albright 
urging her to change the current U.S. policy. Senator Abraham has 
joined me in writing to Secretary Albright.
  While I strongly favor a lifting of the travel restriction, I realize 
that the situation in Lebanon is not normal. Accordingly, in our letter 
to Secretary Albright, we also urged that a travel warning for Lebanon 
be issued in lieu of the current travel restriction. In addition to 
citing the always possible Hizballah terrorist attacks, I believe that 
the travel warning should note that as long as foreign military forces 
are present in Lebanon, the situation there is not normalized.
  I ask unanimous consent that our letter to Secretary Albright be 
printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Secretary of State bears a heavy 
responsibility when assessing the security situation in a country to 
determine if travel restrictions should be applied. The imposition of a 
travel restriction is rare, as it should be. For example, in the case 
of travel to Somalia, the State Department issued a travel warning on 
June 28, 1996, which is still in effect, that states that:

       The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all 
     travel to Somalia. Sporadic fighting among local militias 
     continues in parts of the country. Kidnappings and other 
     threats to foreigners occur unpredictably in virtually all 
     regions. There is no national government in Somalia to offer 
     security or police protection for travelers. There is no U.S. 
     diplomatic presence in Somalia to provide consular assistance 
     to U.S. citizens. United Nations peacekeeping forces were 
     withdrawn from Somalia in March 1995 and all U.S. citizens 
     were advised to depart the country.

  In another example, the Department of State travel warning that was 
issued on September 2, 1996 regarding Iraq, states:

       The U.S. Government views with grave concern the latest 
     reports of spreading violence in northern Iraq. Given the 
     government of Iraq's renewed repression, we are strongly 
     recommending that all U.S., citizens leave Iraq.

  Mr. President, based upon my visit to Lebanon, I see no reason to 
treat Lebanon more restrictively than countries like Somalia and Iraq. 
I strongly believe that the time has come to substitute a travel 
warning for the current travel restriction with regard to Lebanon.

                               Exhibit 1

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, June 9, 1997.
     Hon. Madeleine K. Albright,
     Secretary of State, Department of State, Washington, DC
       Dear Madam Secretary: I am writing to you to request a 
     change in the State Department's policy prohibiting the use 
     of a U.S. passport for travel to, in or through Lebanon.
       My colleague, Senator Spencer Abraham, who is very familiar 
     with these matters and who has received numerous briefings 
     from Administration officials on this policy, joins me in 
     this request.
       As you know, I visited Beirut, Lebanon from May 29 to May 
     30 via the Beirut Air Bridge that operates out of Cyprus. 
     During my visit to Beirut, I met at length with Ambassador 
     Richard Jones. I also met with Nasrallah Sfeir, 76th Maronite 
     Patriarch of Antioch and all of the East, Mohamed Rashid 
     Qabbani, Grand Mufti of the Republic, IMAM Mohamed Mahdi 
     Shamseddine, President, Higher Islamic Shi'a Council, Prime 
     Minister Rafig Hariri, President Elias Hrawi, and General 
     Emile Lahoud, Commander of the Lebanese Armed Force. In each 
     instance, the meeting was held at the place where the 
     religious figure or government official was located, 
     requiring travel throughout the city of Beirut and its 
     environs. Additionally, I met with a number of government 
     officials, members of the Lebanese Parliament, and Lebanese 
     businessmen at a dinner at the American Embassy hosted by 
     Ambassador Jones.
       I made it a point to ask each individual with whom I met 
     about the United States travel policy. I was advised that 
     there are large numbers of Americans in Lebanon at all times 
     and that they are safe. Frequent reference was made to the 
     recent visit of the Pope to Lebanon. Finally, I was told that 
     the U.S. travel policy was preventing needed U.S. private 
     investment in Lebanon and was keeping relatives apart. 
     General Lahoud pointed out that members of the Hizballah 
     Party, which is the primary security concern of the United 
     States, were elected to and are participating in the Lebanese 
     parliament and that there had not been an incident against an 
     American in five years.
       Significantly, Ambassador Jones, the Embassy staff, and the 
     representatives of other U.S. government agencies in Beirut 
     favored a lifting of the travel restriction.
       During the course of my visit, I learned that a number of 
     U.S. businessmen and, to a lesser extent, U.S. citizens with 
     relatives in Lebanon travel there by obtaining a Lebanese 
     visa which is issued on a piece of paper separate from the 
     visitor's U.S. passport. Unfortunately, as I understand it, 
     that practice avoids problems when the traveler returns to 
     the United States but they still may be violating U.S. law. I 
     have been contacted by a number of my constituents who want 
     to visit their relatives in Lebanon, but are unwilling to 
     violate U.S. policy.
       Prior to my departure from Washington, I was urged by a 
     high-level U.S. official not to travel to Lebanon because I 
     would not be safe there. Based upon my personal observations 
     during my visit, it is clear to me that perceptions about the 
     security situation in Lebanon are outdated. I was pleased to 
     learn during our meeting in Sarajevo that you are sending 
     people to Lebanon to assess the security situation there. 
     There is no substitute for an on-the-scene assessment. I am 
     confident that such an assessment will provide a sound basis 
     for the revision of the current policy.
       Finally, we would urge that a travel warning for Lebanon be 
     issued in lieu of the current travel restriction. In addition 
     to citing the threat from Hizballah terrorists, the travel 
     warning should note that as long as foreign military forces 
     are present in Lebanon, that the situation there is not 
     normalized.
           Sincerely,
     Spencer Abraham.
     Carl Levin.

                          ____________________