[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 91 (Thursday, June 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H4883-H4884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
     THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOBAR TOWERS BOMBING IN SAUDI ARABIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I come before the House tonight on the eve of 
the third anniversary of the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.
  Tomorrow will mark the third anniversary of the Khobar Towers 
bombing. Shortly before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, 1996, a van parked 
outside the Khobar Towers military complex in Saudi Arabia exploded. 
The van held an estimated 2,000 pounds of explosives which killed 19 
American servicemen and injured approximately 500 other people.
  One of those servicemen who was killed was U.S. Airman Brian W. 
McVeigh from DeBary, Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to speak at Brian's high school 
graduation. I had the honor to speak at the unfortunate circumstance of 
his funeral and memorial service, and I was so honored to be asked to 
be part of that in memory of Brian after he was killed.
  I had an opportunity on this Memorial Day to join with citizens of 
central Florida and the city of DeBary and others who chipped in to 
create a memorial park for Brian McVeigh, in memory of Brian and other 
U.S. servicemen and women who served our country and lost their lives. 
The parents of Brian were there; Jim and Sandy Wetmore, Brian McVeigh's 
parents.
  But a park is not satisfactory. It is a nice memorial, but what I 
think we all demand on the eve of this horrible anniversary is justice. 
The investigation of this terrorist attack has included countless 
closed-door top secret briefings of government officials in which I 
have participated, and we still do not have answers.
  Regardless of those closed-door briefings and discussions held to 
date, there

[[Page H4884]]

have been no indictments. The families who lost their loved ones in 
this terrible crime deserve to have justice and see those responsible 
prosecuted. We know where some of the responsible parties are, and we 
have the ability to detain and to prosecute and go after them. Why have 
the victims' families not received justice?
  While we have been informed that the Saudi Government is being 
extremely cooperative, they are still not producing results, while they 
have strong indications of who the perpetrators of this terrible crime 
were and are. Let us move away from international politics and bring 
these terrible criminals to justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the names of the service 
members killed in the bombing of Khobar Towers, in addition to Brian 
McVeigh.
  The list referred to is as follows:
       Following is the list of names of service members killed in 
     the bombing of Khobar Towers near King Abdul Aziz Air Base, 
     Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in June 1996:
       Capt. Christopher J. Adams, Massapequa Park, N.Y.
       Capt. Leland T. Haun, Clovis, Calif.
       Master Sgt. Michael G. Heiser, Palm Coast, Fla.
       Master Sgt. Kendall K. Kitson Jr., Yukon, Okla.
       Tech. Sgt. Patrick P. Fennig, Greendale, Wis.
       Tech. Sgt. Thanh V. Nguyen, Panama City, Fla.
       Staff Sgt. Daniel B. Cafourek, Watertown, S.D.
       Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Johnson, Shreveport, La.
       Staff Sgt. Ronald L. King, Battle Creek, Mich.
       Sgt. Millard D. Campbell, Angelton, Texas
       Senior Airman Earl F. Cartrette Jr., Sellersburg, Ind.
       Senior Airman Jeremy A. Taylor, Rosehill, Kan.
       Airman First Class Christopher B. Lester, Pineville W. Va.
       Airman First Class Brent E. Marthaler, Cambridge, Minn.
       Airman First Class Brian W. McVeigh, Debary, Fla.
       Airman First Class Peter J. Morgera, Stratham, N.H.
       Airman First Class Joseph E. Rimkus, Edwardsville, Ill.
       Airman First Class Justin R. Wood, Modesto, Calif.
       Airman First Class Joshua E. Woody, Corning, Calif.
       This information was confirmed by the Office of Assistant 
     Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs.

  Mr. Speaker, that list, as I said, includes 19 American servicemen 
who lost their lives in service to this country 3 years ago tomorrow. 
All the relatives of those servicemen deserve justice, Jim and Sandy 
Wetmore, the parents of Brian McVeigh, deserve justice, the American 
people demand justice, and Congress must demand justice.
  On the eve of this tragic anniversary, I urge the Congress to 
continue its effort, I urge this administration to continue their 
efforts, I urge each and every agency responsible, including the 
Department of Justice, including the Department of State, and all of 
our Federal agencies, to see that justice does prevail, again, not only 
for Brian McVeigh, our hero, but for the parents and the families of 
the 18 other servicemen who lost their lives on June 25, 1996, in a 
terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia.

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