[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2029-E2030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 6, 2001

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD of California. Madam Speaker, I rise in full 
support of H.R. 2998, ``The Radio Free Afghanistan Act,'' of which I am 
an original cosponsor. This legislation creates a ``Radio Free 
Afghanistan'' under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). It will 
revive the broadcasts that RFE/RL conducted when the Soviets invaded 
Afghanistan during the Cold War. Europe is very familiar with the 
challenges of broadcasting to Afghanistan, and it has the institutional 
knowledge necessary to perform these broadcasts and get them up and 
running quickly. This bill authorizes the funds necessary to allow 
broadcasting into Afghanistan for 12 hours a day. This vital 
legislation will provide the voice the US currently lacks within the 
region.
  At the present time there is no alternative to the hateful propaganda 
that is being aired in support of Afghani terrorism. One such example 
is a bogus story that reported that 4,000 Jews did not go to work on 
Sept. 11th at the World Trade Center. This false information insinuates 
that Israel is somewhat responsible for the attacks--unfortunately 
these lies are not being responded to. The Afghan people deserve an 
alternative to listen to--the truth.
  Prior to September 11, tragic conditions existed in Afghanistan. The 
Afghanis had endured their worst drought in 30 years, 23 years of 
military fighting, and oppressive and barbaric treatment of women and 
minorities by the Taliban regime. All of these circumstances 
contributed to massive numbers of Afghan refugees who migrated to 
Pakistan. Some 3.5 million Afghan refugees fled to Pakistan, two 
million to refugee camps and 1.5 million to the cities and villages. 
Since September 11, the number of people attempting to flee Afghanistan 
and its cities has increased dramatically, and the plight of refugees 
and displaced persons has become even more perilous. These figures are 
a prime example of why the people of Afghanistan need to know the 
truth--that America stands in support of their freedom and is not the 
cause of their strife. They need to know that humanitarian aid is just 
that and nothing more.
  Author Henry Peter Brougham once said ``Education makes people easy 
to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to 
enslave.'' The people of Afghanistan

[[Page E2030]]

are being enslaved because they have no access to accurate information. 
We must empower the people of Afghanistan, counter the lies and false 
propaganda, and allow free flowing the factual information to be 
presented to Afghanis. ``Radio Free Afghanistan,'' will allow us to do 
just that.

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