[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 7, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ALBERT RUSSELL WYNN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 2, 2002

  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in favor of H. Res. 392, which 
expresses our solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism. It 
is important to stand with our friend and ally, Israel, in times of 
stress and turmoil. While I have great sympathy for the loss of life of 
innocent Palestinians, I dare say that if our hometowns were being 
attacked by suicide bombers--no matter what their grievance--we would 
respond much the same way as Israel! Witness our war in Afghanistan. 
Civilian casualties are the ultimate cost of terrorism and the 
inevitable military response it provokes.
  While we stand strongly with Israel, we must not confuse passing a 
resolution with finding workable solutions to the Palestinian-Israeli 
conflict. Congress needs to press the Administration for a resolution 
to the conflict. To his credit, President Clinton tried mightily in his 
last days of office to broker a final settlement and came very close. 
However, Yasser Arafat refused a deal which many leaders around the 
world felt was reasonable.
  Unfortunately, the Bush Administration did not stay the course. 
Neglected, the conflict festered until the events of September 11th 
brought it back to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy. Now that the 
Administration is engaged in the peace effort with Secretary Powell as 
our highly competent point man, we need to stay engaged.
  We cannot, however, go it alone. In an age of global interdependence, 
we will need constructive assistance from the so-called `quartet'--the 
U.S., EU, U.N. and Russia--to help foster a deal that is fair to both 
sides. We must also push moderate Arab states to play a more 
constructive role in the region, as Secretary Powell has begun to do. 
Yasser Arafat will not accept a peace agreement that the Arab world 
believes to be unfair to the Palestinians. Their cooperation is 
essential.
  Stephen Rosenfeld's April 30th Op-Ed in the Washington Post suggested 
that perhaps it is time to reconsider our strategy in the Middle East. 
Endgame issues such as refugees, Jerusalem and the security of Israel's 
border should not be relegated to some unspecified date. This strategy 
has only resulted in piecemeal, and ultimately, unsatisfactory 
agreements. These tough issues should be clarified early on so that 
both parties can see the full scope of a peace settlement.
  In addition to Israel's security, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia risk 
being significantly destabilized if a lasting peace agreement is not 
reached. Also, our objectives in dealing with Saddam Hussein are 
significantly complicated by the continued violence in the Middle East.
  Thus, while we have to stand with Israel in her fight against 
terrorism, we also have to stand and work for peace. It is in Israel's 
interest and ultimately, our own.

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