[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 2 (Thursday, January 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H52]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         AFGHANISTAN FACING LONG AND DIFFICULT ROAD TO RECOVERY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall) and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), both good friends who have 
really done a lot to help on human rights and hunger and religious 
freedom issues, and I traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan from January 
2 through 10. After spending 2 days of that trip in Kabul, the capital 
of Afghanistan, clearly the situation there is desperate. At a later 
time on the House floor perhaps the gentleman from Ohio, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania and I can share in greater detail our observations, 
but there are some comments I would like to make today.
  The issue of security in Afghanistan has to be dealt with 
immediately. The country is still not safe. We were told there are no 
low risk areas in the country. Crime in Kabul--banditry and murder--is 
on the rise. Interim Chairman Harmid Karzai told us that he may ask 
that outside forces be brought in to provide security not only for the 
Afghan people but to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered. The 
Afghan government will need help with rebuilding an army that is loyal 
to the central government and an effective police force to maintain 
order.
  The Bush administration is working diligently to help ease tensions 
between Pakistan and India, and I support that effort. The threat of 
nuclear war and the potential negative impact a war in the region would 
have on the United States' war on terrorism demands immediate 
attention. President Bush and the Secretary of State have done a great 
job with regard to bringing both India and Pakistan together. If a 
special envoy would be helpful in the region, I would suggest that be 
done.
  We ought to immediately restore the AID, Agency for International 
Development, mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan. AID is doing a 
tremendous job. The Agency for International Development is critical to 
countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent future extremism.
  We must do whatever is necessary to defeat terrorism, which means the 
United States has a responsibility to stay active and involved because 
the war on terrorism is not a conventional war. It is not only a 
military fight but an economic, cultural and educational struggle.
  Afghanistan and Pakistan are like bookends. Whatever happens to one 
country happens to the other. Many believe that the West abandoned 
Afghanistan after it defeated the Soviet Union, and it became a fertile 
ground for the rise of the Taliban. We cannot walk away again. If we 
do, we could be back to where we are today.
  I would encourage individuals to go and visit Afghanistan to witness 
this firsthand. The Afghan people are optimistic, they are hopeful, 
they are looking to see progress. While substantial resources are 
required immediately, long-term, multiyear funding for development must 
be secured in addition to what is already available, but not detract 
from the development and humanitarian assistance given to other parts 
of the world.
  We should continue to encourage and promote cooperation among the 
states in the region which share an interest in the stability of 
Afghanistan and be concerned with regard to the fact that the Iranians 
appear to be moving into Afghanistan in a big way.
  Efforts should be made to prevent the drug trade from being increased 
and to ultimately wipe it out. Ironically, the cultivation of opium was 
banned under the Taliban but not strictly enforced. I am concerned that 
drugs may begin to come back in a big way, because, regrettably, for 
many Afghani farmers, growing opium is a way of making a living. We do 
not want to see the drug trade reestablished in Afghanistan which then 
ends up on the streets of the United States and Western countries.
  People-to-people diplomacy, without using taxpayer money, hospital to 
hospital, school to school, civic association, Rotary clubs, Kiwanis 
clubs, Lions clubs should be encouraged to take on projects.
  While there we went into a girls' school. The young girls have not 
been to school for 5 years. They need supplies. Our schools could adopt 
those schools, and send pens, pencils, books. Hospitals here could 
donate medicines, equipment and other supplies. We ought not just be 
looking for Federal dollars but also for volunteer groups in the West, 
not only in the United States but in Britain and in other countries, to 
be involved.
  The U.S. business community can also help. Hopefully the Afghan 
community in the United States will participate and go back and help 
their colleagues and fellow family members in Afghanistan.
  There are a number of other comments that I will make that I will 
just submit for the Record.
  I want to close by acknowledging the great job our military have done 
in Afghanistan and continue to do, the dedicated forces of the Army, 
Navy, Air Force and Marines.

                              {time}  1200

  I want to acknowledge and salute the thousands of men and women 
serving in the Nation's Armed Forces in Afghanistan and around the 
world. I want to salute the State Department personnel in Afghanistan 
and Pakistan and here in the United States who are working very hard on 
this issue. They deserve our special thanks.
  I also want to thank all of the NGOs, the World Food Programme in 
particular, working in this region to keep famine from taking place; 
this is the beginning of the fourth year of a drought. Also Save the 
Children, Catholic Relief, Church World Services and many other groups 
are doing an outstanding job.
  I also want to thank the American Ambassador, Wendy Chamberlin, and 
her staff in Pakistan and the staff in the American embassy in 
Afghanistan.
  We will prevail and make sure that Afghanistan never returns to 
terrorism.

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