[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT TO STOP NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 21, 1997, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) is recognized during morning hour debates for 2 minutes.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, India, the world's largest democracy, 
detonated five nuclear weapons tests last week in the name of national 
security. This shocked the world and demonstrated in graphic fashion 
the perceived unfairness and inherent weakness of the international 
nuclear nonproliferation system now in place.
  We can expect Pakistan to reciprocate and go nuclear, and I would not 
be surprised to see other countries like North Korea, Iran and Libya to 
resume their nuclear programs.
  Mr. Speaker, this madness and insane rush towards nuclear 
proliferation is inevitable as long as we continue to perpetuate a 24-
year make-believe situation that India could not explode a nuclear 
bomb, and 28 years of a highly discriminatory and one-sided world of 
nuclear haves and have-nots. If we are serious about stopping nuclear 
proliferation, the United States and the nuclear powers must take the 
first step and commit to a concrete timetable for nuclear disarmament 
and a verification process.
  One of America's finest military officers, former Commander of the 
U.S. Strategic Command General Lee Butler, said,

       Proliferation cannot be contained in a world where a 
     handful of self-appointed nations both arrogate to themselves 
     the privilege of owning nuclear weapons and extol the 
     ultimate security assurance they assert such weapons convey. 
     A world free of the threat of nuclear weapons is necessarily 
     a world devoid of nuclear weapons. The United States should 
     make unequivocal its commitment to the elimination of nuclear 
     arsenals and take the lead in setting an agenda for moving 
     forthrightly toward that objective.

  Mr. Speaker, at this important time of peace, we should pay close 
attention to General Butler's concerns and foresight.
  Mr. Speaker, whether we like it or not, India is now an official 
member of the so-called ``Nuclear Club.'' But do not blame India for 
this. Blame our one-sided and faulty policy towards nuclear 
nonproliferation.

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