[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 72 (Monday, June 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H4178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              SIERRA LEONE

  (Mr. EHLERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to comment on the situation in 
Sierra Leone, a marvelous country, a country with great promise, a 
country that provided freedom for slaves many years ago. Today it is in 
utter chaos. Revolution is taking place. But what is unique about this 
is that it is not a political revolution, even though it pretends to be 
that, but it is basically a band of bandits trying to take over the 
country so that they can have access to the diamonds and the diamond 
mines. They already have access to many of them and they are using 
those diamonds to finance the revolution.
  The rebels are incredibly inhumane. Most of their captives have been 
released but only after a hand, a leg, a foot, or an arm have been 
chopped off and amputated.
  The inhumanity is such that last week, an 8-month-old baby had his 
arm amputated when his mother was captured as part of the revolution. 
Imagine the rebels amputated the arm of an 8-month-old baby!
  We must work with the British and the U.N. to stop this. We must act 
in a meaningful, humane way, and not back down from this as we have 
been backing down for a decade. It is time for our State Department and 
our President to act.

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