[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 22 (Monday, February 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1382-S1384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN

  Mr. LOTT. I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
consideration of S. Con. Res. 7, which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the concurrent resolution 
by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 7) honoring the life 
     and legacy of King Hussein ibn Talal al-Hashem.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the concurrent resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I rise to offer, together with the 
distinguished Minority Leader Senator Daschle, a resolution recognizing 
the significant and lasting contributions to peace and security by His 
Majesty King Hussein of Jordan, who passed away just hours ago.
  I was deeply saddened by the news of the death of King Hussein--a 
true patriot and long-time friend of the United States. His bold 
leadership and personal courage serve as a model to all of us. I know I 
speak for my colleagues when I say, our thoughts and prayers are with 
his family and with the people of Jordan during this difficult time.
  It is worth noting that the long-standing ties between our two 
governments are built upon a solid bedrock of respect and shared 
values. Even as we consider the profound contribution King Hussein made 
to peace and security the Middle East, it is vitally important for both 
our nations to take concrete steps to strengthen those relations, for 
the benefit of all our peoples. That is just as King Hussein would have 
wanted it.
  In this regard, I am pleased to not that the resolution before us 
expresses support and best wishes for the new government in Jordan 
under King Abdullah. The King has signaled his desire to maintain a 
high degree of continuity for Jordan, for Middle east peace, for the 
region, and for U.S.-Jordanian relations. This includes a strong 
commitment to the Jordan-Israel peace treaty.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution, 
as it represents a modest but important signal of the degree to which 
we honor the courageous life and lasting legacy of King Hussein. I 
thank my colleague from South Dakota for joining me in offering this 
resolution and I yield the floor.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I am proud to cosponsor this resolution 
honoring one of the towering figures of our time.
  Peace-loving people throughout the world feel a deep sadness over the 
death of Jordan's King Hussein. By the sheer force of his personal and 
political courage, he changed the world for the better.
  None of us will ever forget how he rose from his sickbed at the Mayo 
Clinic last fall and came to the Wye River peace talks when those talks 
seemed in danger of collapse. Those who were there say he restored to 
those talks a sense that peace was not only possible, but worth making 
great sacrifices for, and taking extraordinary risks for.
  His was a clear voice for moderation, tolerance and accommodation as 
he urged the two sides to work for peace. His admonition that there had 
been ``enough destruction, enough death, enough waste'' helped bridge 
the gap and forge an agreement.
  King Hussein himself took a risk for peace in 1994, when he forged 
the historic peace agreement between Jordan and Israel.
  Another image we will perhaps always remember is the picture of King 
Hussein kneeling not long ago at the feet of an Israeli father whose 
child had been killed by Jordanian border guards, and apologizing to 
the man for his loss. He was a noble man and, at the same time, a 
humble man.
  He was also a man of great vision and skill. When he became the King, 
the Hashemite kingdom enjoyed little of what it has now.
  In just a generation and a half, he created in Jordan a system of 
schools and roads and all the other infrastructure of a modern state.
  King Hussein was a true friend of the United States. And, like all 
friends, we did not always see eye-to-eye on every matter.
  In the end, however, it is not our differences with him that we 
remember. It is how he inspired people to come together despite their 
differences.
  A man small in physical stature, he walked among us like a giant.

[[Page S1383]]

  The world is diminished by his passing.
  We will miss him greatly.
  Today, as King Hussein is buried, we offer our prayers and sympathy 
to his family--especially Queen Noor and each of his children--and to 
all the people of his beloved Jordan.
  We also pledge to work closely with King Abdullah and the Jordanian 
people to protect King Hussein's legacy. We must continue our efforts 
to promote peace in the Middle East, including implementing the Wye 
River Peace Accord, which would not have been possible without his 
courage.
  Finally, I hope we will work expeditiously to approve the aid to 
Jordan that was agreed to at Wye as a tangible demonstration of our 
support for King Abdullah and our ongoing commitment to peace in the 
Middle East.
  Our friend is gone, but his spirit lives on in the fragile Middle 
East peace. Let us nurture it and help it grow, in his name and in his 
memory.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, among the steady stream of foreign heads of 
state visiting the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, King Hussein 
was always given a special welcome. He was instinctively a friend 
possessing a unique combination of grace and good humor. I therefore 
view his death as a personal loss.
  I recall one occasion when members of our committee were gathered 
around the large oval table enjoying the King's jovial good humor. 
Queen Noor was present on that occasion. As His Majesty traded comments 
with the senators around him, it occurred to me that Queen Noor had 
perhaps not been properly welcomed. So I asked the King if he could 
identify the most significant 20th century export to his country. He 
obviously pondered the question with uncertainty, so we identified the 
``export''--Queen Noor.
  He laughed heartily and replied: ``I'm not about to disagree with 
that!''
  This great man, great leader, and faithful friend of the United 
States presided over his country at a time fraught with peril, beset 
with almost constant threats both internal and external. Yet throughout 
his long reign he met the challenges of leadership with grace and 
courage. Without King Hussein, there would not today be even the 
limited peace the Middle East now enjoys.
  He will be sorely missed, certainly by me. I wish godspeed to his son 
and successor, Abdullah bin Hussein.
  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I am pleased to support the resolution 
offered by the Majority and Minority Leaders in honor of the life and 
legacy of King Hussein.
  With King Hussein's death, the United States has lost a close, steady 
friend in a troubled part of the world. My deepest condolences go out 
to the King's family and the Jordanian people. My best wishes go to 
King Hussein's designated heir, King Abdullah.
  In all of my encounters with King Hussein I was impressed above all 
else by his optimism and determination in the cause of peace. He never 
gave up, and in his memory, we must now press forward on the road to 
peace.
  I was also touched by his humanity and personal warmth. He was always 
gentle and polite, never aloof or imperious.
  Though his life ended too soon, his legacy will survive. His rare 
gift of vision helped guide Jordan through many dark periods. The 
heroic steps he took to help promote peace and reconciliation between 
Arabs and Israelis will continue to bear fruit.
  His efforts to establish the foundations of democratic government in 
Jordan remain a worthy example for the region, where democracy is in 
short supply.
  Finally, the partnership between Jordan and the United States, 
cultivated so carefully by King Hussein over 46 years and nine American 
Administrations will continue well into the future.
  President Clinton has asked us to demonstrate our support for Jordan 
in a very tangible way--by promptly approving his request for 
supplemental assistance to Jordan. I hope that we can act on that 
request quickly to show the Jordanian people that we honor the memory 
and great achievements of their late King, and that our friendship with 
their country is enduring.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am deeply saddened by the death of 
King Hussein this past weekend. I have had the honor of meeting King 
Hussein several times, and have always been impressed by his dignity 
and grace. He was a true statesman.
  Mr. President, through almost half a century of war and hope, tragedy 
and peace, King Hussein shepherded his country through its transition 
to a stable modern nation and a close U.S. ally. More than the words he 
has spoken, it is the actions he has taken that have earned him the 
respect of Israelis, and the trust of the Arab world. Throughout it 
all, King Hussein never lost sight of our common goal of a just and 
comprehensive Middle East peace, nor of what that peace would mean. He 
understood, even when no one else did, that true peace ``resides 
ultimately not in the hands of governments, but in the hands of 
people.''
  On a personal note, I remember being moved by the words he shared 
during the funeral of another great leader, Yitzhak Rabin. There, on 
the hill above the troubled city of Jerusalem, a city where as a young 
boy the King had witnessed the assassination of his own grandfather, 
and in sight of the grave of Theodore Herzl, the founder of Zionism, 
King Hussein bore witness to his never-ending commitment to peace ``for 
all times to come,'' and pledged to do his ``utmost to ensure that we 
leave a similar legacy.'' And he mourned the loss of Rabin as a brother 
and a friend.
  I also recall with deep admiration being in the company of the King 
as he looked out at the Old City from the King David Hotel at the time 
of that funeral. It was perhaps the first time in many decades he had 
visited that place, and it was a moving moment.
  King Hussein understood well that the religious and cultural roots of 
the Jewish and Muslim people are forever intertwined in the fertile and 
historic soil of the Middle East. His country was created along the 
Jordan River, after which it is named, following the First World War. 
Its original borders on the east bank of the river, created by colonial 
rulers, have been altered by annexation, war, and peace agreement. Two 
years after Jordan gained its independence from Great Britain, the 
fledgling State of Israel emerged on the other side of the Jordan 
River, and many of the Palestinians living in the new state migrated to 
Jordan.
  King Hussein's grandfather, King Abdullah, was the first ruler of an 
independent Jordan. His decision to annex the Palestinian-held West 
Bank in 1950, when his grandson was 15 years old, initiated a series of 
events that would profoundly affect the balance of power in the Middle 
East and the life of the young prince.
  In 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated by a Palestinian nationalist 
angered by the annexation of the West Bank. The then-Prince Hussein was 
standing just a few steps away as his grandfather fell. Illness 
prevented King Abdullah's son, Talal, from ruling, and he abdicated in 
favor of his own son, Prince Hussein, who formally assumed the throne 
in May 1953, at the age of 17. King Hussein would go on to rule Jordan 
for nearly half a century, and was the longest serving ruler in the 
Middle East at the time of his death.
  King Hussein was the only ruler that most Jordanians have known. On a 
more personal note, he was the King of his country for just about as 
long as I have been alive. I was about two months old when he formally 
became King. Over the course of my life and his rule, my views about 
him and his country have changed dramatically.
  I remember the deep animosity that existed between Jews and 
Jordanians when I was growing up in the 1960s, culminating in the Six 
Day War in 1967 during which Jordan lost control of the West Bank and 
East Jerusalem. While I was horrified by the religiously-motivated 
attacks perpetrated by many Jordanians during this time, I understand 
and appreciate the religious ties the Arab people feel toward 
Jerusalem. Two of the holiest sites in Islam, the Dome of the Rock and 
the Al Aqsa Mosque, where King Hussein's grandfather was assassinated, 
are located there.
  Throughout these last few decades, I have developed an immense 
respect for King Hussein and for the Jordanian people. As is true for 
most people, when I was younger it took me some time to realize that 
the actions of one person or a group of people are not always an 
accurate representation of the

[[Page S1384]]

true feelings of a country or a political leader. The ethnic and 
religious violence that has occurred in the Middle East, and indeed 
around the world, is largely carried out by fringe groups who believe 
that violence is the only way to send a message, protest an action, or 
achieve a political goal.
  Even though it was a violent act that propelled him into power at 
such a young age, King Hussein chose to reject violence and embrace 
peace. As a result of his moderate views, in 1974 an Arab summit 
declared that he was no longer the spokesman for the Palestinian 
people, and proclaimed that the Palestinian Liberation Organization, 
and its leader, Yasser Arafat, would assume that role. When the PLO 
began its ``intifada'' against Israel in 1988, King Hussein formally 
cut Jordan's ties to the West Bank, but retained a supervisory role 
over Muslim holy places in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
  In 1994, Jordan became only the second Arab country to sign a peace 
agreement with Israel. The two countries established diplomatic 
relations, Israel returned some territory to Jordan, and the countries 
have begun to work together on common issues such as shared 
infrastructure and access to potable water. Unfortunately, these 
courageous moves have sometimes been met with violent acts, 
particularly from those who felt that peace between Israel and Jordan 
was premature. The 1997 murder of seven Israeli school girls by a 
Jordanian soldier was a sobering reminder that not all Jordanians 
shared their King's support for peace. But, in a testament to his 
commitment to peace, King Hussein not only condemned this cowardly 
action, but he also made the effort to travel to Israel to visit with 
the families of the young victims.
  One of the King's biggest strengths was his ability to lead quietly 
by example. His decision to visit the families of the children murdered 
by one of his army's soldiers is but one instance of this.
  Even as the King was undergoing treatment for cancer at the Mayo 
Clinic, the welfare of his people and the status of the Middle East 
peace process was not far from his mind. He displayed a quiet courage 
and admirable strength by leaving the hospital and traveling to the Wye 
River peace negotiations last fall in order to encourage a settlement 
between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Even as his health was 
deteriorating, King Hussein's commitment to peace never waned. Selfless 
acts such as that earned him the respect of people around the world and 
made him one of the linchpins of the negotiations for peace in the 
Middle East.
  Mr. President, this week's Torah portion speaks of the Revelation at 
Sinai. Moses had been commanded by God to prepare the people for God's 
descent and visit, and in the wake of dark clouds, thunder and 
lightning, the sounds of the Shofar, and the trembling of the earth, 
God spoke to the Israelites and made his commandments known. It is a 
powerful passage that speaks to the hearts of all of us who believe in 
God.
  Despite a history fraught with pain, violence and death, King Hussein 
understood the universal meaning of the commandments, which instruct us 
not to covet the land and property of our neighbors, and, above all, 
not to kill. Throughout his life, King Hussein maintained a vision of a 
Middle East free from pain, violence and death, and he hoped he would 
see that day during his lifetime.
  Alas, although significant progress has been made, including the 
warming of relations between Jordan and Israel, true peace in the 
Middle East still escapes us. But there is no doubt in my mind that 
among the many legacies of King Hussein is a true commitment to a just 
and lasting peace in the Middle East.
  In his honor and in his memory, let us join him in committing 
ourselves to the same goal.
  Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and any statements relating to the resolution appear in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 7), with its preamble, reads 
as follows:

                             S. Con. Res. 7

       Whereas King Hussein ibn Talal al-Hashem was born in Amman 
     on November 14, 1935;
       Whereas he was proclaimed king of Jordan in August of 1952 
     at the age of 17 following the assassination of his 
     grandfather, King Abdullah and the abdication of his father, 
     Talal;
       Whereas King Hussein became the longest serving head of 
     state in the Middle East, working with every U.S. President 
     since Dwight D. Eisenhower;
       Whereas under King Hussein, Jordan has instituted wide-
     ranging democratic reforms;
       Whereas throughout his life, King Hussein survived multiple 
     assassination attempts, plots to overthrow his government and 
     attacks on Jordan, invariably meeting such attacks with 
     fierce courage and devotion to his Kingdom and its people;
       Whereas despite decades of conflict with the State of 
     Israel, King Hussein invariably maintained a dialogue with 
     the Jewish state, and ultimately signed a full-fledged peace 
     treaty with Israel on October 26, 1994;
       Whereas King Hussein has established a model for Arab-
     Israeli coexistence in Jordan's ties with the State of 
     Israel, including deepening political and cultural relations, 
     growing trade and economic ties and other major 
     accomplishments;
       Whereas, King Hussein contributed to the cause of peace in 
     the Middle East with tireless energy, rising from his sick 
     bed at the last to assist in the Wye Plantation talks between 
     the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority;
       Whereas King Hussein fought cancer with the same courage he 
     displayed in tirelessly promoting and making invaluable 
     contributions to peace in the Middle East;
       Whereas on February 7, 1999, King Hussein succumbed to 
     cancer in Amman, Jordan: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, (The House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the 
     family of King Hussein and to all the people of Jordan in 
     this difficult time;
       (2) expresses admiration for King Hussein's enlightened 
     leadership and gratitude for his support for peace throughout 
     the Middle East;
       (3) expresses its support and best wishes for the new 
     government of Jordan under King Abdullah;
       (4) reaffirms the United States commitment to strengthening 
     the vital relationship between our two governments and 
     peoples;
       Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to transmit 
     an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of the 
     deceased.

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