[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 18, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRESS' OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I am concerned that we as a Congress 
have not been as effective in our oversight responsibility as we 
should. I want to share some remarks on that subject in a minute. The 
distinguished assistant majority leader made some remarks about our 
failure to identify, prosecute, and hold to account individuals who 
have committed terrorist acts against American service men and women 
and citizens. That is an important issue. In fact, we have not been 
effective at it.
  I remember when the attack was made on the Sudan pharmacy, the pill 
factory there. I remember the attack made on the facility in 
Afghanistan not long after that. The committee on which I serve had a 
hearing where the Director of the FBI, Louis Freeh; former Director of 
the CIA under President Clinton, Mr. Woolsey; and Jean Kirkpatrick 
discussed that event.
  Prior to that time, I had publicly stated that I did not believe 
President Clinton had utilized these attacks to distract attention from 
the domestic problems he was having at home. People were suggesting it 
was a ``wag the dog'' syndrome--an attack that may not have been 
justified but helped distract public attention from his own troubles. I 
said no about that. But I must admit after having heard at that hearing 
these distinguished Americans discuss how that attack was conducted 
that I was very troubled. I really did not believe it made a lot of 
sense to just lob missiles into a factory and hope that was justified 
factually; that it was a factory that may have had something to do with 
it; and, who would be injured. That kind of thing was very troubling, 
and certainly had no realistic impact or potential to hurt Bin Laden 
who may have been involved in that. In fact, he is under indictment now 
for terrorist acts.
  Then in Afghanistan, we just shot off some missiles. We don't know 
whether or not anybody was hurt. That is all it was. So we retaliated. 
We had done something. We didn't really do anything. That is the fact. 
We really did not do anything. Nobody involved in that terrorist act 
that we know of to this day has been held to account because of it.
  We have to be prepared to work hard to identify who was involved in 
those activities, and to do everything we can to arrest them and bring 
them into custody, and, if not and if they resist, to be able to take 
them out wherever they may be.
  That is just the plain fact of it. Bin Laden, for example, has openly 
declared war on the United States. The attack on this vessel--the 
U.S.S. Cole--was more than just a terrorist attack. It was an act of 
war. We have every right, and we have a duty as any great nation does 
to defend itself and its ability to send its ships on the open seas, 
and to enter port in which it should be safe. We have every right, and 
we have a duty to respond to that. If we don't do so, who will be next? 
Who else will be hurt? I left the memorial service at Norfolk just 
today. It was a very moving ceremony with all of those sailors standing 
on the Eisenhower. When the Chief of Naval Operations for the Atlantic 
finished his speech, he said, ``Remember the Cole.'' When the ceremony 
was over, one of those sailors on that great aircraft carrier yelled 
``Remember the Cole.'' It is our responsibility to remember those 17 
who are no longer with us and the ones who are injured. We cannot allow 
this kind of activity time and time and time again, as Senator Nickles 
said, to be carried out and nothing happen.
  I am glad he talked about that. We need to do better.




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