[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 16 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H654-H655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN SUPPORT OF U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL IN REGARD TO CURRENT SITUATION IN 
                                  IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to hear 
some of the debate and discussion around the recent return of U.N. 
Secretary-General Kofi Annan in respect to the resolution that has now 
to be presented to the National Security Council of the United Nations. 
Interestingly enough, we have been around this block before. Having 
spent the week in my district, in the 18th Congressional District of 
Houston, I was able to glean not only from those who have strong 
interests and concern on this issue but school children, senior 
citizens, who have a great concern of this Nation's future. Many of 
these people are veterans or potentially young people going into the 
United States military. Interestingly enough, they were alive in 1991, 
when all of us huddled around our respective television sets and news 
access to determine what was going on in Kuwait with the Gulf War, 
frightened that we would enter into a Third World War. The conclusion 
of that particular effort was not all that this country wanted it to 
be. In fact, the discussion today surrounds the same leader, the same 
set of circumstances, the same tragedy, the same inequities, the same 
losses of life, the same inability to serve women and children who need 
good health care, food and other services. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi 
Annan left for Iraq a few days ago. I am gratified that through his 
leadership and the world commitment to the United Nations, we were able 
to carve out the understanding that we might be able at this time to 
get a solution without war. Why not give peaceful negotiations an 
attempt? Why should we accuse someone of laying down with the enemy 
rather than standing up for peace? I am gratified that there are 
reasons that as we proceed with the discussions in the United Nations, 
this country could support the final resolution that has been offered 
by Kofi Annan. He never represented anything other than let us design 
an agreement that I will take back to the United Nations. Let us design 
an agreement that I will present to the existing members of the 
Security Council, the 5 permanent members and others. Let us attempt to 
convince them that this is the right way to go, peaceful negotiations, 
before exercising the violence of war. Did the buildup in the Persian 
Gulf contribute to the negotiations? Absolutely. Was it the right thing 
to do? Certainly we have national interests that we must protect. But 
can we find better ways? We certainly should try. If, for example, this 
leader has acquiesced to the allowing of U.N. inspectors to continue 
their work, unfettered work, where they are able to see the palaces and 
other sites, then I say let us offer to the United Nations and those 
who will vote on this along with the United States this plan so that we 
can move forward in a peaceful manner.
  May we have to go back to the drawing board? That is a possibility. 
Should we not give this negotiated, peaceful agreement a chance? Should 
we not review it with an open mind? Should we not applaud Kofi Annan 
who went into harm's way, if you will, and negotiated an agreement of 
which he did not say it is final but that I will bring it back to those 
members of the United Nations. Many times Americans will disagree and 
critique and criticize the United Nations. I would simply say that many 
of those who criticize are uninformed. I am gratified that there is an 
organization, albeit that it has those who agree and disagree that 
would be willing to act as the world's body where we could come and 
disagree and not be disagreeable, where we could come and find common 
solutions for peace, where it is not perfect but it is the best that we 
have.
  And so I would simply argue that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan 
should be applauded. The process should be applauded. We can always 
show our might. We are the United States of America. But we lead well

[[Page H655]]

when we lead peacefully, and we draw others to join us against those 
evil forces that would do damage to the world peace and the new world 
order. I am supporting these peaceful negotiations. I am likewise 
supporting the recognition that there is still humanitarian needs in 
countries like Iraq. I would hope that the leader of Iraq recognizes 
that this is not weakness but this is strength. I hope that he will 
follow through as he has promised. I hope that we will find that these 
weapons of war will be no more if you will, but if they are, he knows 
that we are able to contend with the problem. But a peaceful solution 
should not be criticized and looked upon with disdain. It should be 
applauded and welcomed, because it saves lives.

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