[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 108 (Tuesday, August 4, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA MUST SETTLE CLAIM OF HILL INTERNATIONAL, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 4, 1998

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show my respect for the 
claim filed by Hill International, Inc. against the Kingdom of Saudi 
Arabia. Hill International is a New Jersey-based company located in the 
district of my friend and colleague, Representative Jim Saxon, and is 
one of nearly two dozen companies who filed claims against the Saudi 
government for tens of millions of dollars in uncompensated engineering 
work conducted in the late 1970's.
  After years of trying to settle these claims, Congress was forced to 
set up a claims resolution process in 1993. Since then, the Kingdom has 
settled each claim save one--the $55.1 million debt owed to Hill 
International.
  During the House consideration of the FY98 Defense Authorization 
Bill, I supported directive report language offered by Representative 
Saxon to commission a formal report on the status of remaining claims 
against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Similar language was by included 
by Representative Chris Smith in the State Department Reauthorization 
Bill that passed the House and Senate earlier this year. These efforts 
are intended to illustrate the lengths to which the Saudi Ambassador to 
the United States, Prince Bander, has been willing to go to deny an 
American company payment for services rendered.
  I am also interested in seeing this matter resolved in memory of the 
late Representative Bill Emerson, a dear friend of mine and someone who 
worked diligently on the Hill International claim prior to his passing. 
Bill Emerson successfully negotiated a claim against the Kingdom in his 
home district and graciously offered to broker a similar compromise on 
the Hill International matter. Despite six months of hard work by 
Representative Emerson and repeated assurances from Prince Bandar that 
Bill's good faith efforts would be honored, the Saudi's have yet to pay 
Hill International--full three years after Representative Emerson 
produced a fair settlement figure.
  In that time, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson has tried to help Hill 
International implement her husband's compromise, yet repeated requests 
for a face-to-face meeting with Prince Bandar have gone unheeded.
  No matter how large or small the debt, this behavior cannot be 
tolerated from one of our allies. Until Ambassador Bandar decides to 
play a leadership role in this matter and until the Hill International 
claim is settled, my House and Senate colleagues will continue to take 
to the floor and highlight the Kingdom's failure to honor its debts.

                          ____________________