[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 9, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10396-S10397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BROWNBACK:
  S. 1521. A bill to amend the FREEDOM Support Act to authorize the 
President to waive the restriction of assistance for Azerbaijan if the 
President determines that it is in the national security interest of 
the United States to do so; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, in the coming weeks, we are going to 
be debating several very contentious bills. However, more than at any 
other point in my career we are considering these issues in an 
extremely congenial, collegial, thoughtful and deliberative way. 
Certainly, many of us disagree about the details of one issue or 
another, however, we have consistently put the interest of the nation 
ahead of the our own interests as political actors.
  This is very encouraging to me. This should be very encouraging to 
the American people. This should be very encouraging to freedom loving 
people of the world. The tenor of the debates on this floor should 
signify to everyone that the United States Government is operating not 
simply as well as it did before September 11th, but better that it did 
on September 11th. In the face of this attack, the American Government 
is operating just as it was always intended to operate.
  Today, Madam President I rise to offer a bill that will ensure that 
our government continues to operate just as intended.
  The administration is going about the business of fighting a war. 
That process relies greatly on our government's ability to strengthen 
ties with countries that agree to help us wage this war on terrorism. 
These countries, in many cases, will be taking on factions within their 
own borders in order to do what is right. For these efforts to prevail, 
we must use all our assets. One of the most important and appealing 
being trade and foreign assistance--particularly with regard to the 
nations of Central and South Asia.
  In this spirit, I am introducing a bill which will grant the 
President the authority to waive the restriction on assistance to the 
country of Azerbaijan, if the President determines that our national 
security and interests will benefit from greater assistance and trade 
with this country--he should have the right to pursue that policy.
  Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act places sanctions on Azerbaijan 
that prevent any support from the United States government for the 
young nation. This language ties the administration's hands as they 
attempt to work with this strategically important ally in the war 
against terrorism.
  Unlike past efforts to repeal or waive section 907 sanctions on 
Azebaijan, today our debate is about more than regional stability in 
Central Asia--our debate now centers on United States national security 
interests.
  Section 907 stands in the way of training and assistance for 
Azerbaijani military hospitals that may have to deal with casualties in 
this campaign.
  Section 907 stands in the way of airport and air traffic control 
upgrades that may need to happen to assist our airforce.
  There are over 71 million people in the Central Asian region which 
includes Azerbaijan. Many of these emerging democracies are battling 
fundamentalist factions. If we do not assist those who want to move 
westward, we empower the factions coming in from countries which 
support terrorist activities.
  With the horrific attack on our country, we have been painfully 
awakened to the global and complex network that terrorists have created 
and aimed at our country and its interests. Our foreign policy must 
help fight against the creation of new terrorist breeding grounds as we 
fight the existing terrorist plague.
  Azerbaijan itself is a bulwark against Islamic fundamentalism in the 
region. Since its independence, Azebaijan has endured Iranian pressure 
to adopt its style of government. Iran secretly funds hundreds of 
religious schools and colleges in Azerbaijan. Iranian diplomats and 
secret service representatives have been expelled from Azerbaijan on 
grounds that they are fomenting disturbances.
  Iran criticizes Azerbaijan for its pro-U.S. stance and is concerned 
about the Azeris increasing ties to the West--particularly with U.S. 
companies. Iran seeks to ensure that Azerbaijan fails with its free 
market and democratic reforms, because secular independence and 
democratic Azerbaijan is perceived as a threat for the fundamentalist 
regime in Iran.
  Right now, we need the help and cooperation of the entire Central 
Asian region--we can not afford to tie the President's hands over a 
conflict between two countries. This is particularly important now 
since these restrictions are used as anti-American fodder by 
fundamentalist factions hoping to shape the development of the region.
  To reiterate, this provides national waiver authority to the 
President to lift sanctions on Azerbaijan. Briefly, the United States 
has had for a series of years, now, sanctions against Azerbaijan. For 
people not familiar, Azerbaijan sits in the Caspian Sea region right 
above Iran.
  It is part of the former Soviet Union. It is an oil- and gas-rich 
area. It is a small country. But it is a small Islamic country that is 
strongly supportive of the United States.
  Their President, President Aliyev, has issued statements about the 
strong support for the United States in the face of our attack on 
terrorism and dealing with terrorism. They have provided the United 
States fly-over rights, landing rights, refueling rights, and 
intelligence information as well. This is in that key strategic part of 
the world, the south Caucasus, just leading into central Asia. It has 
the gateway city, Baku, going into Asia. Baku is an old, really 
European-style city--a gorgeous place. But more important, they are 
supportive of the United States, and yet as they support us, we are 
sanctioning them.
  We are likely to use military bases in Azerbaijan as a staging area 
or as a refueling area or, potentially if we have casualties in the 
region, as a hospital area as well. Yet we are sanctioning them.
  If we continue with these sanctions, the Azeris are not going to be 
able to effectively help us and use their territories. Because of the 
sanctions we have against Azerbaijan, we cannot train their personnel 
to help us in guarding the perimeter of military bases where our 
aircraft may be. Because of the sanctions we have against Azerbaijan, 
we cannot train their hospital personnel to be able to help treat any 
potential difficulties that we may have in that region. Because of the 
sanctions we have against Azerbaijan, we cannot train their personnel 
in counterintelligence to help us in the gathering of information as to 
what is

[[Page S10397]]

taking place, what is moving in the region, so we can be more effective 
in our fight against terrorism. This is against a country that has been 
strongly supportive of the United States.
  There has been a long, ongoing battle between the Azeris and the 
Armenians in this region of the world, and this has gone on for a long 
period of time. The sanctions are somewhat associated with that. But 
the point being, we have a fight now against terrorism. The President 
needs to have national security waiver authority so, in those specific 
areas that would be beneficial to us, he can lift those sanctions 
against Azerbaijan. This will be a tough issue, but that authority is 
something we should provide the President if we are going to prosecute 
this effort successfully. I think it is very important that we put this 
forward, that we pass it.
  This is not taking the sanctions off completely. It is providing the 
President with waiver authority, national security waiver authority. 
There has to be a national security interest. If it is not needed, if 
the reason to have it is not there, the President doesn't have the 
authority to exercise it. So we should provide him that authority.
  I am introducing this bill tonight. I urge my colleagues to look very 
closely at this issue, and I hope they will sign onto the bill so we 
can move this forward and allow the President the tools he needs to 
prosecute this war on terrorism effectively.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be received and appropriately 
referred.

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