[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              H. RES. 392

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PHILIP M. CRANE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 15, 2002

  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the distinguished 
Majority Whip, Mr. DeLay, for his courageous and principled leadership 
in the House during this time of crisis in the Middle East. This 
Resolution, which Mr. DeLay authored with Congressman Lantos, is to be 
commended.
  Following the activities of September 11, 2001, we came together as a 
Congress, and as a country. Standing together we authorized the use of 
force against ``those nations, organizations, or persons'' that the 
President ``determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the 
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such 
organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of 
international terrorism against the United States by such nations, 
organizations or persons.'' Mr. Speaker, I am proud that we voted for 
that Resolution. And I am proud that we went into Afghanistan and 
dismantled the base of the al Quaida.
  Why am I proud, Mr. Speaker? Because terrorism, in all its forms, 
must be defeated. Today we recognize that homicide bombings, practiced 
by the Palestinian people against innocent Israeli civilians, are acts 
of terrorism. The number of Israelis killed in the last year and a half 
by suicide terrorist attacks alone, on a basis proportional to the 
United States population, is approximately 9,000, three times the 
number killed in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 
September 11, 2001.
  Mr. Speaker, no one wants a peaceful resolution in the Middle East 
more than I, but, as this Resolution states, it is clear that Yasir 
Arafat and members of the Palestinian leadership have failed to abide 
by their commitments to nonviolence made in the Israel-PLO Declaration 
of Principles (the `Oslo accord') of September 1993, including their 
pledges (1) to adhere strictly to `a peaceful resolution of the 
conflict,' (2) to resolve `all outstanding issues relating to permanent 
status through negotiations,' (3) to renounce `the use of terrorism and 
other acts of violence,' and (4) to `assume responsibility over all PLO 
elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance [with the 
commitment to nonviolence], prevent violence, and discipline 
violators.'
  I would note that the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is part of 
Yasir Arafat's Fatah organization has been designated a Foreign 
Terrorist Organization by the United States Government, and is 
responsible for hundreds of murders of Israeli civilians.
  This cannot continue, Mr. Speaker. Israel is our friend, our ally, 
and the only democracy in the Middle East. The very values we share 
with Israel are under attack by terrorists. Back in September we 
pledged to fight those who seek to annihilate us. I am pleased that we 
have the opportunity today to recognize that Israel deserves the same 
privilege.

                          ____________________