[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 87 (Thursday, June 21, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM STILL A REAL THREAT FOR AMERICANS ABROAD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2001

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring my Colleagues' attention to 
several recent events that once again highlight the threat of 
international terrorism faced by Americans around the world. On May 27, 
radical Muslim separatists in the Philippines kidnaped a group of 
twenty persons from a luxury resort, including three Americans. Reports 
indicate that one of these Americans was selected for execution by 
beheading to emphasize the rebel group's displeasure with government 
negotiations for the hostage's release. Though this barbaric act has 
not been confirmed, evidence is growing that the rebels' claim may be 
accurate.
  In Yemen, FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents 
investigating the earlier terrorist attack last year on the American 
warship U.S.S. Cole were withdrawn after receiving a ``specific and 
credible'' threat against them. At the same time, some non-essential 
personnel have been withdrawn from the American embassy, and the U.S. 
embassy in Yemen has been put on a limited operations status.
  Though the motivations behind these acts are complex, one thread ties 
them together. Some of these targets have been selected because they 
are Americans. We must not stand by idly while this threat exists. We 
should continue to work cooperatively with other nations around the 
globe to contain it, and at the same time, non-cooperative nations must 
be pressed to respect international laws and not support or encourage 
terrorism.
  For several months now, the government of the People's Republic of 
China has been holding hostage about half a dozen U.S. citizens and 
permanent residents. Let's be perfectly clear about this. Government 
sponsored kidnaping is terrorism. It is no less dramatic or evil than 
what is happening in the Philippines or anywhere else that Americans or 
our residents or anybody else is being held against their will for 
political purposes.
  The People's Republic of China has previously engaged in similar 
action. One year it was activist Harry Wu. Another time it was Wei 
Jingsheng. For years the Chinese dictatorship have been holding and 
releasing, and then holding and releasing Catholic clergy loyal to Pope 
John Paul II. Some of these hostages are eventually released, some 
permanently, some temporarily after they are leveraged on MFN, WTO, 
Taiwan or some other significant issue.
  Let us also be clear that our State Department is on notice that we 
want our people back immediately and unconditionally. It should be made 
perfectly clear that the President has put on hold any consideration 
about his meeting with Chinese leaders until this happens. The Chinese 
government must understand that our people are not pawns for trade. 
First return our people and then we will talk about other things, such 
as trade.

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