[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 171 (Tuesday, December 11, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12869-S12870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 92--RECOGNIZING RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO 
      LIBERTY'S SUCCESS IN PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND ITS CONTINUING 
            CONTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NATIONAL INTERESTS

  Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. Biden, Mr. Helms, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. 
Smith of Oregon) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 92

       Whereas on May 1, 1951, Radio Free Europe inaugurated its 
     full schedule of broadcast services to the people of Eastern 
     Europe and, subsequently, Radio Liberty initiated its 
     broadcast services to the peoples of the Soviet Union on 
     March 1, 1953, just before the death of Stalin;
       Whereas now fifty years later, Radio Free Europe/Radio 
     Liberty (in this concurrent resolution referred to as ``RFE/
     RL'') continues to promote democracy and human rights and 
     serve United States national interests by fulfilling its 
     mission ``to promote democratic values and institutions by 
     disseminating factual information and ideas'';
       Whereas Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were 
     established in the darkest days of the cold war as a 
     substitute for the free media which no longer existed in the 
     communist-dominated countries of Central and Eastern Europe 
     and the Soviet Union;
       Whereas Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty developed a 
     unique form of international broadcasting known as surrogate 
     broadcasting by airing local news about the countries to 
     which they broadcast as well as providing regional and 
     international news, thus preventing the communist governments 
     from establishing a monopoly on the dissemination of 
     information and providing an alternative to the state-
     controlled, party dominated domestic media;
       Whereas the broadcast of uncensored news and information by 
     Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty was a critical element 
     contributing to the collapse of the totalitarian communist 
     governments of Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet 
     Union;
       Whereas since the fall of the Iron Curtain, RFE/RL has 
     continued to inform and therefore strengthen democratic 
     forces in Central Europe and the countries of the former 
     Soviet Union, and has contributed to the development of a new 
     generation of political and economic leaders who have worked 
     to strengthen civil society, free market economies, and 
     democratic government institutions;
       Whereas United States Government funding established and 
     continues to support international broadcasting, including 
     RFE/RL, and this funding is among the most useful and 
     effective in promoting and enhancing the Nation's national 
     security over the past half century;
       Whereas RFE/RL has successfully downsized in response to 
     legislative mandate and adapted its programming to the 
     changing international broadcast environment in order to 
     serve a broad spectrum of target audiences--people living in 
     fledgling democracies where private media are still weak and 
     do not enjoy full editorial independence, transitional 
     societies where democratic institutions and practices are 
     poorly developed, as well as countries which still have 
     tightly controlled state media;
       Whereas RFE/RL continues to provide objective news, 
     analysis, and discussion of domestic and regional issues 
     crucial to democratic and free-market transformations in 
     emerging democracies as well as strengthening civil society 
     in these areas;
       Whereas RFE/RL broadcasts seek to combat ethnic, racial, 
     and religious intolerance and promote mutual understanding 
     among peoples;
       Whereas RFE/RL provides a model for local media, assists in 
     training to encourage media professionalism and independence, 
     and develops partnerships with local media outlets in 
     emerging democracies;
       Whereas RFE/RL is a unique broadcasting institution long 
     regarded by its audience as an alternative national media 
     that provides both credibility and security for local 
     journalists who work as its stringers and editors in the 
     broadcast region; and
       Whereas RFE/RL fosters closer relations between the United 
     States and other democratic states, and the states of Central 
     Europe and the former Soviet republics: Now therefore be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) congratulates the editors, journalists, and managers of 
     Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on a half century of effort 
     in promoting democratic values, and particularly their 
     contribution to promoting freedom of the press and freedom of 
     expression in areas of the world where such liberties have 
     been denied or are not yet fully institutionalized; and
       (2) recognizes the major contribution of Radio Free Europe/
     Radio Liberty to the growth of democracy throughout the world 
     and its continuing efforts to advance the vital national 
     interests of the United States in building a world community 
     that is more peaceful, democratic, free, and stable.

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, amidst the focus and sustained attention 
we have all had on the matters of the first global war of the 21st 
century, we do not wish to miss the 50th year anniversary of one of the 
most important tools developed in our foreign policy arsenal in the 
20th century. I am referring to the 50th anniversary of the 
inauguration of Radio Free Europe, which first broadcast its full 
schedule of radio programming into central and eastern Europe on May 1, 
International Workers' Day, one of the most famous communist holidays, 
in 1951.
  Two years later, Radio Liberty began its broadcasting programs to the 
peoples of the Soviet Union. An era of puncturing the state-imposed 
silence of totalitarian regimes had begun.
  Today, I am happy to submit a resolution commemorating the 50 years 
of the ``Radios,'' as they have come to be known. I am happy to have as 
co-sponsors the chairman and the ranking member of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee, as well as Senator Kennedy and Senator Smith of 
Oregon.
  The Radios were the main component in what some would call America's 
propaganda efforts. Along with the Voice of America, which broadcasts 
about American affairs throughout the world, revealing to audiences 
restricted from freedom of the media the real stories of this country, 
the Radios were a central tool in broadcasting local news and 
information back into the captive countries of central and eastern 
Europe and Eurasia.
  Totalitarian communism required complete government control of every 
aspect of society, that is what totalitarianism is. In addition to 
controlling every aspect of an individual's life, totalitarianism 
required that all information, be it cultural, educational or 
informational, must also be controlled. Totalitarianism cannot 
function, communism cannot dominate, tyranny cannot succeed, if they 
must compete with independent media that promotes a free exchange of 
ideas and views.
  That was the role of the Radios. It was an understanding of this 
basic dynamic of totalitarian communism which led our policymakers, 50 
years ago, to realize that one of the most effective, in fact, most 
threatening, tools we could deploy was the use of a free media. And 
thus was born the Radios, Radio Free Europe for broadcasting to eastern 
and central Europe and Radio Liberty for broadcasting into the Soviet 
Union's realm.
  When peoples' minds can grasp differing views, news not controlled by 
the state, then the state does not completely own them. When the state 
cannot own them, the state will eventually have to serve, not dominate, 
its citizens.
  It is the freedom of information, wedded to technology, originally 
radio, then television, now the Internet, that gave hope, that 
sustained resistance and that ultimately made one of the central 
contributions to the collapse of these regimes against which we waged a 
Cold War through the latter half of the 20th century.
  Now, 50 years after their inception, it is fitting that we pass this 
resolution to honor the Radios and their many contributors, editors, 
journalists, broadcasters and technicians, who staffed them through all 
of these years.
  It is also worthwhile, as we pause to honor this mission, to 
recognize that the Radios had bipartisan support throughout these 
years. America's foreign policy, after all, is most vibrant, most 
dynamic, most successful, when it operates with bipartisan support. 
That is why our colleagues in the House passed this concurrent 
resolution with 404 votes.
  It is also worthwhile to note that there are very valuable lessons to 
be learned from this successful aspect of American foreign policy, and 
to recognize that the supporters of the Radios have, in fact, applied 
these lessons to the new post-Cold War context.
  Yes, it has become a cliche in the past 10 years that we are in a 
``post-Cold War'' era. The question that has remained largely 
unanswered, however, is how does the U.S. respond to this era? Some 
have suggested that we reached an ``end of history,'' where liberal 
democracy essentially triumphs around the globe. Some suggested that 
the end of geopolitical competition in a bipolar era would reduce 
America's role or obligations in the world.
  In response, some have suggested, more caustically and in retrospect 
since that dark September 11 day, that America went on holiday for the 
last 10

[[Page S12870]]

years, eschewing our vigilance against global threats and riding on a 
historic wave of prosperity underlined by a false assumption that 
economic growth eliminated all global challenges and threats.

  An American foreign policy expert noted, shortly after the end of the 
Cold War, that ``the world has changed the way it looks, but not the 
way it works.'' I agree. There still remain regimes that oppress their 
peoples; there still remain movements that see the United States as 
their enemy; there still remain forces that seek to destroy us.
  It is no coincidence that these regimes and movements depend on 
controlling and suppressing freedom of thought and expression wherever 
they hold sway. None of the countries on our terrorism list has free 
media. And certainly one of the most repressive regimes in recent 
memory was that of the now defunct and despicable Taliban regime.
  Our colleagues have introduced legislation promoting a ``Radio Free 
Afghanistan'' to assist the transition to a post-Taliban era for that 
nation we abandoned and neglected for the last decade. My colleague, 
Senator Biden, in response to the September 11 attacks, has correctly 
noted that there is much, much more that we can do in terms of 
broadcasting accurate news and information to large parts of the Arab 
and Islamic world. Senator Biden has a long-standing dedication to 
these broadcasting tools of our foreign policy. I have seen his first 
proposal for an enhanced international broadcasting function, and am 
anxious to support it.
  As those who have always supported the Radios know, a lot of the 
lessons for our future use of surrogate broadcasting comes from the 
lessons learned through the Radios since 1989. The Radios themselves 
have evolved. No longer broadcasting into closed societies, they have 
adapted their mission to the changed circumstances, they have become 
key players in these societies in transition. As a result of 
congressional oversight and the leadership of the Radios, the Radios 
have reshaped their missions to support the transition to democracy of 
the many nations of the former communist bloc, who are all in various 
stages of transition, some fully democratic, others struggling, and 
even others backsliding.
  One of the most disturbing aspects of America's temporary retreat 
following the end of the Cold War was the notion that, with communism 
defeated, these societies of the former Soviet bloc would inevitably 
blossom into stable democracies. This has proved contrary to history, 
and, as we saw in many cases during the 1990s, was contrary to fact. 
While communism is defeated, a stable democratic society must be 
developed and nurtured, often by well-meaning citizens with little 
experience of the societies they seek to achieve. Central in effecting 
this transition is a free media, and I am happy to say that the Radios 
are playing a key role, a role carefully calibrated to their stages of 
political and economic development.
  In societies still governed by repressive regimes, such as Belarus 
and Turkmenistan, the Radios continue to broadcast news that the local 
populations can trust and continue to puncture state-controlled media 
with fresh and objective analysis. In transition societies, such as 
Russia and Serbia, the Radios, in addition to providing useful news and 
analysis, provide a model of modern, professional media that these 
societies study and use to advance their own nascent media 
institutions.
  America does not have all of the ideas, nor all of the solutions, to 
the problems of the world. But our system is based on the fundamental 
conviction that there must be a free exchange of ideas. And history has 
demonstrated that we have worked best, most productively, most 
peacefully, with nations that share this conviction. The Radios both 
emulated this fundamental principle and applied it to advance our 
national security. Let us pause for a moment and recognize this by 
passing this resolution commemorating their 50th anniversary.

                          ____________________