[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12457-S12458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 88--EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL IN 
                      THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

  Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Lott, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bond, 
Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brownback, Mrs. Carnahan, Mr. Carper, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Hutchinson, 
Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. McConnell, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. 
Sarbanes, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Thompson, and Mr. Torricelli) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                            S. Con. Res. 88

       Whereas 26 innocent people in Israel were murdered in cold 
     blood and at least 175 wounded by Palestinian terrorists, all 
     within 14 hours, during the weekend of December 1-2, 2001;
       Whereas these deaths are the equivalent, on a basis 
     proportional to the United States population, of 1,200 
     American deaths and 8,000 wounded;
       Whereas the President's Middle East envoy General Anthony 
     C. Zinni has labeled the terrorism of this past weekend ``the 
     deepest evil one can imagine'';
       Whereas this bloody weekend is part of an ongoing terror 
     campaign often targeted at youth and families and perpetrated 
     by Islamic fundamentalist groups Hamas and Palestinian 
     Islamic Jihad and by some elements of Palestinian Authority 
     Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement;
       Whereas President Bush declared at a joint session of 
     Congress on September 20, 2001, that ``[e]very nation, in 
     every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with 
     us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, 
     any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will 
     be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime''; and
       Whereas President Bush declared on December 2, 2001, that 
     ``Chairman Arafat must do everything in his power to find 
     those who murdered innocent Israelis and bring them to 
     justice'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) condemns the vicious terrorist murders of 26 innocent 
     people in Israel within 14 hours during December 1-2, 2001, 
     and extends its deepest sympathies to the State of Israel and 
     to the families of the victims;
       (2) expresses outrage at the ongoing Palestinian terrorist 
     campaign and insists that the Palestinian Authority take all 
     steps necessary to end it;
       (3) demands specifically that the Palestinian Authority 
     take action immediately to--
       (A) destroy the infrastructure of Palestinian terrorist 
     groups;

[[Page S12458]]

       (B) pursue and arrest terrorists whose incarceration has 
     been called for by the Government of Israel; and
       (C) either--
       (i) prosecute such terrorists, provide convicted terrorists 
     with the stiffest possible punishment, and ensure that those 
     convicted remain in custody for the full duration of their 
     sentences; or
       (ii) render all arrested terrorists to the Government of 
     Israel for prosecution;
       (4) urges the President to suspend all relations with 
     Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, if Yasser Arafat 
     and the Palestinian Authority fail to take the actions 
     described in paragraphs (2) and (3);
       (5) further urges the President to insist that all 
     countries harboring, materially supporting, or acquiescing in 
     the private support of Palestinian terrorist groups should 
     end such support, dismantle the infrastructure of such 
     groups, and bring all terrorists within their borders to 
     justice; and
       (6) expresses the solidarity of the United States with 
     Israel in our common struggle against the scourge of 
     terrorism.
       Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy 
     of this concurrent resolution to the President.

     

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