[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 15, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9288-S9295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 426--COMMENDING MARYLAND'S OLYMPIANS ON THEIR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT THE 2004 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS, GREECE
Mr. SARBANES (for himself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 426
Whereas the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, which recently
concluded in Athens, Greece, was a resounding success;
Whereas the athletes of the United States who participated
in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games reflected the ideals of the
Olympic movement by exhibiting determination, honor,
sportsmanship, and excellence throughout the competitions;
Whereas Maryland's athletes played a prominent role in the
2004 Summer Olympic Games and represented the talent and
diversity of the athletes of the United States;
Whereas markswoman Libby Callahan of Upper Marlboro,
through her wisdom and experience, and swimmer Katie Hoff of
Abingdon, through her youthful exuberance, both displayed the
spirit of Olympic competition;
Whereas Liz Filter, from Stevensonville, and Nancy
Haberland, who coaches the Naval Academy sailing team, both
displayed the Olympic spirit in their decisions to
participate in the sailing competitions in the face of
challenging life circumstances;
Whereas Jun Gao of Gaithersburg shone with Olympic spirit
when, on day 4 of the table tennis competition, as the only
remaining member of the United States table tennis team left
in competition, she shouldered the hopes of her teammates;
Whereas paddlers Joe Jacobi and Scott Parsons, both from
Bethesda, reflected the
[[Page S9289]]
Olympic spirit by focusing on the experience and joy of their
performances and the opportunity to compete on the world
stage;
Whereas Baltimore's Carmelo Anthony displayed the Olympic
spirit in his refusal to quit after the men's basketball team
suffered a series of difficult and surprising losses;
Whereas gymnast Courtney Kupets of Gaithersburg and Judo
competitor Rhadi Ferguson of Columbia demonstrated enormous
bravery by overcoming serious injuries to make the United
States team and compete for their country and, in the case of
Ms. Kupets, to medal in 2 events;
Whereas Towson swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 6 gold and 2
bronze medals, showed that the team is more important than
individual accomplishment when he yielded his spot on the 4 x
100 medley relay squad and an opportunity for further glory
to allow teammate Ian Crocker to compete and be part of a
winning effort in the finals;
Whereas Tiombe Hurd of Upper Marlboro, who is legally
blind, showed tremendous heart and courage by overcoming her
vision impairment to finish 22nd in a crowded triple jump
field;
Whereas Bernard Williams, who brought home a silver in the
200 meter sprint, and James Carter, who finished fourth in
the 400 meter hurdles, did their Baltimore alma maters,
Carver Vocational-Technical High School and Mergenthaler
Vocational-Technical High School, proud by showing enormous
poise and grit in the face of stiff competition;
Whereas the people of Maryland take great pride in these
athletes and the communities that helped to nurture and
support them through their years of training, and celebrate
their successes and achievements; and
Whereas the people of Maryland send their best wishes for
success to Maryland's 6 Paralympic athletes--Antoinette
Davis, Jessica Long, Joseph Aukward, Larry Hughes, Tatyana
McFadden, and Susan Katz--as they head to Athens for the
Paralympic Games, which are set to begin on September 17,
2004: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate commends the athletes of Maryland
for the grace, sportsmanship, and determination they
exhibited throughout the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and for
the accomplishments that flowed from maintaining that Olympic
spirit on and off the field of competition.
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 427--CONGRATULATING THE CITIZENS OF GREECE, THE
MEMBERS OF THE ATHENS 2004 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE OLYMPIC AND
PARALYMPIC GAMES, THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, THE UNITED
STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, THE 2004 UNITED STATES OLYMPIC TEAM, ATHLETES
FROM AROUND THE WORLD, AND ALL THE PERSONNEL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE
2004 OLYMPIC SUMMER GAMES IN ATHENS, GREECE
Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Levin, Mr. Biden, Mr.
Breaux, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Daschle,
Mr. Allen, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Miller, Mr. Chafee,
Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Gregg, Mr.
Dayton, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs.
Clinton, Mr. Specter, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Reed, and Mr. Fitzgerald)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
Whereas Greece--birthplace of the Olympics--was selected on
September 5, 1997, as the host of the 2004 Olympic Summer
Games;
Whereas from August 13 to August 29, 2004, the Olympic
Summer Games returned to Greece, more than 100 years after
Athens staged the first modern Olympics in 1896 and nearly 3
millennia after Greece staged the first Olympics in 776 B.C.;
Whereas the people of Greece opened their hearts to the
athletes who came together from all over the world and took
part in the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in the best spirit of
good sportsmanship;
Whereas the President and Managing Director of the Athens
2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic
Games and their associates, the Mayor of Athens, and the
Government of Greece--particularly the officials from the
Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of
Public Works--did an outstanding job in staging a great
Olympic Summer Games in a manner that embodied the legacy,
ideals, and values that Hellenic culture has given the world;
Whereas the Government of Greece, entrusted with the
responsibility of protecting the athletes, coaches, judges,
and spectators of the 2004 Olympic Summer Games, rose to the
challenges to provide a safe Olympic Summer Games;
Whereas 10,500 athletes and 5,500 team officials from a
record 201 National Olympic Committees prepared for and
competed in the Olympic Summer Games with unmatched
dedication, and inspired the world with their spirit of
peaceful competition;
Whereas over 5,000 athletes from 140 nations will compete
in the 2004 Paralympic Summer Games in Athens, Greece,
representing the broadest country participation in Paralympic
history and reminding the world that physical challenges are
no limit to human achievement;
Whereas the Olympic venues constructed by Greece have been
hailed as world class and have set a new standard of
modernity for all future Olympic Games;
Whereas the 531 members of the United States Olympic Team
added substantially to the great legacy of sportsmanship and
athleticism that has characterized the history of United
States Olympic competition;
Whereas the security personnel at the 2004 Olympic Summer
Games all worked to ensure that the 2004 Olympic Summer Games
were safe and secure for athletes and spectators alike;
Whereas over 5,000 individuals of Greece and other citizens
from around the world volunteered their time and talents to
show the world the best that Greece has to offer; and
Whereas the 2004 Olympic Summer Games accomplished the
principles set forth by the Olympic movement, including the
aim to ``encourage the Olympic spirit of peace and harmony,
which brings the people from across the world together around
Olympic sport'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate extends its heartiest
congratulations for a job well done to the citizens of
Greece, the members of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee
for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International
Olympic Committee, the United States Olympic Committee, the
members, coaches, and officials of the 2004 United States
Olympic Team, athletes from around the world, and the
security personnel and volunteers who ensured that the 2004
Olympic Summer Games in Athens was a great success.
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens,
which took place between August 13-29, have added a vivid and memorable
chapter to the Olympic tradition, which first took shape in Greece
nearly three millennia ago, and which in its modern form dates back to
1896. The Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee,
the International Olympic Committee and dozens of other organizations,
the U.S. Olympic Team and thousands of athletes from all over the
world, the unwavering determination to meet unprecedented challenges
and the good will and hard work of the people of Greece all contributed
to assuring the success of the Games. In tribute to their magnificent
achievement, today I am joined by a number of my colleagues in
introducing a resolution to express our gratitude and congratulations.
Greece took on a daunting challenge when, in 1997, the nation was
designated by the International Olympic Committee to serve as host to
the 2004 Summer Games. With the exception of Finland, where the 1952
Games took place, in terms of population Greece is the smallest Olympic
host ever. To prepare for the return of the Games to Athens, where the
first modern Olympics were held in 1896, the whole nation came together
in a great common effort. The President and Managing Director of the
Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
and their associates worked closely with the Mayor of Athens, the
Ministries of Public Works and Culture and other government agencies to
assure a setting and facilities uniquely appropriate to the great
events. The people of Greece, in Athens and also in communities around
the Nation, gave their full support to the preparatory efforts and
opened their hearts to the athletes.
The events of September 11, 2001 raised the challenge of preparing
for the Olympic Games to unprecedented heights, for they fundamentally
changed the security and logistical context for all major international
events--and indeed, as we know from our recent political conventions,
for all large gatherings. As the Athens Games were the first summer
Games to occur after 9/11, Greece had neither precedents nor guidelines
upon which to rely in planning for the security of some 10,500 Olympic
athletes, 5,500 team officials and literally millions of visitors. The
challenges were all the more formidable because many of the events,
including soccer and shot put, were held in places as distant from
Athens as Thessaloniki and ancient Olympia.
Greece undertook to do everything ``humanly possible'' to ensure the
safety and success of the Games. The Athens 2004 Organizing Committee
carried out a careful study and analysis of the security arrangements
for the somewhat smaller Winter Games that had taken place in 2002, in
Salt Lake City.
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A specially trained security force of 45,000 men and women was
deployed, which included military and air force personnel, coast
guards, fire fighters, law enforcement officials and private security
contractors. The government of Greece worked in close collaboration
with the United States, Britain, Israel, France, Germany, Australia,
and Spain, along with NATO, guided by two principles: every single
nation had an interest in having its athletes compete safely, and all
nations working toward a common objective--the ultimate success of the
Games--would provide the most effective deterrent to a terrorist act.
As a result, while security measures were comprehensive and complex
they were expertly and unobtrusively carried out, in no way detracting
from the spirit of the Games. Athletes and visitors alike moved about
unimpeded, and competition went forward in the finest Olympic
tradition.
Major investments in infrastructure also contributed significantly to
the smooth functioning of the Games. Athens today is a city
transformed. Since 1997, when the International Olympic Committee
designated Greece as the host country for the 2004 Games,
transportation and telecommunications systems have been expanded and
modernized. The investments Greece has made in connection with the
Olympics have created unprecedented opportunities for the future. The
Olympic stadium complex, which includes the aquatic and tennis center,
as well as the indoor arena and main stadium, will serve as major
training facilities for many years to come. The soccer facilities will
be highly sought after for international soccer events. Overall,
infrastructure improvements have laid a sound foundation for economic
growth and prosperity nationwide. Having met a daunting challenge,
Greece is now poised to take on new responsibilities in an expanded
European Union, and in the broad international community. Where the
cherished tradition of the Summer Olympics is concerned, Greece has
shown what can be accomplished. The experience in Athens will surely
prove invaluable to China, which fours years from now will play host to
the Games in Beijing.
As a Marylander, I am especially proud of the signal accomplishments
of Maryland athletes, and I am sure my colleagues take similar pride in
the athletes from their respective states. The performance of the U.S.
Olympic Team members in one stirring event after another will long be
remembered, as anyone fortunate enough to have witnessed the
competition firsthand will attest.
Above and beyond the excitement and the triumphs of the different
events, however, the Athens Olympics gave us something more. The 2004
Games showed that even in uncertain and turbulent times, it is possible
with determination and planning and foresight to bring together men and
women of good will from every corner of the globe in a great common
endeavor. This is for all of us a both a reminder and an inspiration.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that several articles be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the articles were ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Baltimore Sun, Aug. 30, 2004]
Greece Celebrates Successful Games
(By Candus Thomson)
Athens.--Under the soft light of a full moon, the Greeks
said goodbye to the sports spectacle they invented in 776
B.C. and revived in 1896.
After 16 days of competition, the 28th Summer Olympiad
ended its run in a ceremony filled with folk music, dancing
and sighs of relief.
This was the Olympics burdened with the fears of
construction delays and terrorism. But the venues were done
on time and everyone remained safe.
Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, the Athens 2004 president,
drew a roar from the crowd of 72,000 with her opening
remarks.
``I ask our foreign guests: Did you enjoy yourselves in
Greece?'' she asked. ``We loved having you here. You wave
your national flags. You stood for every anthem. You danced
to our music. We even heard you speak your first words of
Greek. To you, we say, thank you.''
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic
Committee, pronounced himself satisfied with the Athens
Olympics.
``Dear Greek friends, you have won,'' he said to much
cheering.
Earlier, Rogge told reporters he never doubted that the
organizers would accelerate construction and meet their
deadline.
``I'm an extremely happy president of the IOC,'' Rogge
said. ``I've always said I believed there was enough time to
finish the preparations in due time. Many did not believe me.
I think our friends have delivered in Athens in a very
splendid way.''
slow start, big finish
Like the preparations, the Games started slowly, with
lagging ticket sales and sparse attendance. Ticket scalpers
blamed bad publicity, terrorism and a slow European economy.
But the second week came back gangbusters.
``We knew we would host successful Games because the stakes
for Greece were huge. And we knew because of our Olympic
heritage we would do a good job,'' said Achilles Paparsenos,
the press officer for the Greek Embassy in Washington. ``The
results speak for themselves. All of the so-called experts
should apologize to Greece at some point.''
With a total of 103 medals, the U.S. team exceeded the
total of 97 four years ago in Sydney, Australia, and met its
goal of 100 medals. But just 35 medals were gold, fewer than
the 40 in Sydney and 44 in Atlanta in 1996.
The U.S. team also won 39 silver medals and 29 bronze.
Russia finished second in total medals with 92; China
finished third with 63.
For the first week, these were the Michael Phelps Olympics.
If he were a nation, Phelps would have tied Thailand,
Denmark, Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic for 24th our of
202 nations in total medals. The Baltimore County swimmer won
eight, equaling the record for most at one Olympics with six
gold and two bronze medals. But he could not eclipse Mark
Spitz's 1972 record of seven gold medals.
And there were other notable U.S. accomplishments. After
disastrous showings in Sydney four years ago, Americans were
crowned the all-around men's and women's gymnastics
champions, and both teams earned silver medals.
But while Carly Patterson is being hailed as the new Mary
Lou Retton, winner of the previous women's all-around gold
medal in 1984, Paul Hamm is fighting to keep his gold.
A scoring error allowed Hamm to slip past South Korean Yang
Tae Young, and team officials didn't challenge the result
until too late. Hours before the start of the closing
ceremony, Yang filed a protest with the Court of Arbitration
for Sport, which will hear the dispute in Lausanne,
Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee.
Despite the medals harvest, there are ominous signs for
other U.S. sports. The men's basketball team had to settle
for a bronze medal, and the men's soccer and baseball teams
didn't even qualify. The U.S. sailing team won just two
medals--a gold and a silver--tying its worst showing in 20
years.
And there are troubling signs for the Olympics, which
picked up a new nickname: the Doping Games.
The final tally of athletes stripped of their medals or
disciplined isn't known, but is expected to top two dozen
after the IOC analyzes samples.
The list grew almost daily and included the Hungarian gold
medalist in discus and silver medalist in hammer throw, the
Russian gold medalist in women's shot put, a Belarus high
jumper, a Kenyan boxer, two Greek baseball players and two
Greek sprinters, a Swiss cyclist, a Spanish canoeist and an
Irish distance runner.
Nearly one in four athletes was tested, and Rogge said the
IOC will expand its program over the next two Olympics.
``These were the Games where it became increasingly
difficult to cheat,'' he said.
But there were magical moments, too.
Athletes set 15 world records in six sports.
Windsurfer Gal Fridman won Israel's first gold medal.
U.S. women earned gold in soccer, basketball and
softball, led by Mia Hamm, Dawn Staley and Lisa Fernandez,
players heading for retirement.
Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj won both the 5,000-meter and
1,500-meter races after failing to earn a gold medal in
Atlanta and Sydney. The overjoyed runner, who swept the
middle-distance races for the first time in 80 years,
delighted the crowd by dancing to a Greek tune and leaping
into the stands to hug his 3-month-old daughter.
Kayaker Alexandros Dimitriou, laboring through the
whitewater rapids, at any moment ready to capsize, was lifted
by the rhythmic clapping of thousands of spectators to music
from Zorba the Greek. He finished 24th out of 25, but the
crowd made him a winner.
the road ahead
As host, Greece will be stuck with the tab. The government
built more than 120 miles of highway, a new subway system and
an airport.
Some athletic venues still aren't finished. And no one is
sure what will become of the gyms, ballparks and pools built
for 16 days of competition for an estimated $8.6 billion--
$5.5 billion over budget.
The Greek government says it may have no choice but to tax
its 11 million citizens to pay the Olympic-size bill.
But those are worries for another day.
Near the end of the closing ceremony, the mayor of Athens,
Dora Bakoyannis, presented Rogge with an Olympic flag that he
passed to Bejing's mayor, Wang Qishan. The 2008 Summer Games
will begin there about 1,500 days from now.
[[Page S9291]]
Rogge declared the Games closed, the cauldron was
extinguished and the party began.
``I really feel sorry for people who did not come to Greece
because they were dissuaded by the doubting Thomases and
Cassandras of doom and gloom,'' said Paparsenos, who attended
the party. ``They missed such a unique experience, a
celebration of sports where the Olympics were born.''
____
[From the Washington Post, Aug. 30, 2004]
Proud Country Shows the World ``Great Things Greeks Can Do''
(By Craig Whitlock)
Under a brilliant full moon and the burning Olympic flame,
the Greeks danced. They clapped, they sang, kicked up their
legs and celebrated an Olympics that at one point was almost
taken away, but in the end left them jumping with national
pride.
Afer sponsoring more than two weeks of competition, and
enduring years of ridicule and doubt from the rest of the
world about whether the Games deserved to return to their
birthplace, the Greeks danced and danced in their modern
Olympics Stadium. About 75,000 spectators clapped along as
performers served up a giant Greek wedding feast of a Closing
Ceremonies, joyful that so much had gone right during the
Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, and that so little had gone
wrong.
Gone were the fears about terrorist attacks and smoggy
traffic jams and unfinished stadiums. The Athens Olympics had
come to an end, and for the most part everything worked just
fine.
Greece was the smallest nation in 52 years to host the
Summer Olympics, determined to recast Athens as a modern
European city known for more than its ancient past. In doing
so, the country spent at least $7.2 billion on the Games,
including $1.5 billion to provide security--an enormous sum
that will take many years, if not decades, to pay off.
But complaints about costs were hard to find Sunday night,
as Greece proudly handed off the Olympics flame to a nation
125 times its size--China, host of the 2008 Summer Games--
secure that it had proved itself to the world.
``The Olympics came home and we showed the world the great
things Greeks can do,'' Giana Angelopoulos-Daskalaki,
president of the Athens Organizing Committee, told the crowd.
``On this stage, the world discovered a new Greece.''
``Hellas! Hellas!'' the crowd shouted, waving Greek flags
and white hankies.
Organizers flooded the stadium with 250,000 balloons as
thousands of fireworks lit up the sky. Under the dazzling
light show, a succession of Greek singers and folk musicians
kept the audience dancing throughout the Closing Ceremonies.
Toward the end, the mood became so infectious that small
groups of athletes from Brazil, Britain, France and other
nations broke away from the security cordon in the stadium
infield and danced around the track.
Despite the festive atmosphere, strict security measures
remained in place until the end. Several helicopters and a
blimp circled the stadium throughout the ceremonies.
Worries about political disruptions also kept U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell from attending; he canceled a
planned trip to Athens after Greek anti-war protesters angry
about his visit clashed with police Friday in downtown
Athens.
Unlike the Opening Ceremonies, where fans loudly cheered
the delegations from Iraq and Afghanistan and gave the silent
treatment to U.S. athletes, politics were not on display
Sunday night. Athletes from 202 nations entered the stadium
at the same time, mixing together on the infield.
The United States led the overall medal standings with 103,
capped off by an unexpected silver in the last event of the
Games, the men's marathon.
American athletes dominated the competition in track and
field, women's team sports and the swimming pool, where
Maryland's 19-year-old Michael Phelps won a record eight
medals. A major disappointment: the men's basketball team,
which lost three games and settled for bronze.
The biggest controversies were athletic ones, thanks to
cheaters and judges who shook up several events.
At least 22 competitors were flagged for drug-testing
violations, resulting in the revocation of seven medals.
Greece in particular was shamed by the expulsion of two
national heroes, medal-winning sprinters Kostas Kenteris and
Katerina Thanou, who were kicked off the team after missing
several drug tests.
Olympic officials said athletes had gotten the message that
doping would not be tolerated. ``These were the Games where
it became increasingly difficult to cheat and where clean
athletes were protected,'' Jacques Rogge, president of the
International Olympic Committee, told the audience.
Earlier, Rogge cheered the Greeks in attendance by thanking
them for their hospitality. ``Dear Greek friends, you have
won,'' he said in their native language, before lapsing into
French. ``You have won by brilliantly meeting the tough
challenge of holding the Games.''
Four years earlier, the IOC came close to yanking the
Olympics away from Athens. Construction projects and other
preparations had barely progressed since the Games were
awarded to Greece in 1997. Former IOC president Juan Antonio
Samaranch revealed recently that Olympic overseers were about
three months from making an emergency decision to move the
Games to South Korea.
Spurred on by the threat, Greek officials worked feverishly
over the next four years to prove that it could get ready on
time. The challenges were substantial: Athens needed a new
international airport, new highways, an expanded subway
system and more than a dozen new athletic arenas.
As the deadline neared--the roof on the Olympic stadium
slid into place just three months ago--there was little time
for testing. Even Olympic officials wondered if things would
work when the crowds showed up. By and large, they did.
``At the end of the day, the biggest surprise to everybody
is that there were no major issues,'' Ioannis Spanudakis,
managing director for the Athens 2004 organizing committee,
said in an interview.
Not everything went exactly as organizers hoped. While the
Athens committee met its attendance projections by selling
more than 3.5 million tickets, many athletes performed in
front of sparse crowds. Television ratings were higher than
in Sydney four years earlier, but cameras couldn't conceal
the fact that stadiums were often largely empty.
The Closing Ceremonies, however, were a sellout. Even after
the music died down, many * * *.
____
[From the Chicago Tribune, Aug. 23, 2004]
Greece Strikes Gold With More Than Just Games
(By Tom Hundley)
Athens.--It hardly matters that Greek athletes have won
only a handful of medals in their hometown Olympics. As far
as most people here are concerned, Greece already has emerged
as the big winner of the 2004 Games.
This summer has marked a turning point for a country that
often was dismissed by Europeans as little more than a cheap
package-tour destination and denigrated by Americans as too
small, too poor and too disorganized to mount a successful
Olympics.
Not only has Greece put on a surprisingly laid-back,
glitch-free and not overly commercialized games, but earlier
this month, it completed construction of an architecturally
stunning suspension bridge that links western Greece with the
Peloponnese. The 1.79-mile Harilaos Trikoupis Bridge was
completed six months ahead of schedule and within its $900
million budget.
On top of that, underdog Greece recently won the European
soccer championship--its first-ever championship in the one
sport that truly matters in Europe.
The cumulative effect of all this is a growing sense of
self-confidence in a country long plagued by a low self-
esteem and a feeling that ``Europe'' referred to someplace
else.
``People are stopping me in the street and congratulating
me, but I tell them it's not me, it's all of us,'' said
Spyros Capralos, general secretary of the Olympic Games for
the Greek government. ``Greeks will have a new sense of self-
respect after this. The whole nation feels it.''
Ted Couloumbis, a historian and political analyst at Athens
University, agreed, but cautioned that it would take some
time before popular perceptions catch up with the reality of
a rapidly modernizing Greece.
``Many people here still think we are the Greece of the
past; the poor Greece, the backward Greece, the politically
unstable Greece,'' he said. ``But the successful delivery of
a high-tech, highly complex Olympics in a post-Sept. 11
climate is going to contribute tremendously to Greeks'
perception of themselves.''
doubters until the last minute
With a population of 11 million, Greece is the smallest
country ever to stage the Summer Games, and doubters were
numerous right up until the opening ceremony.
But even if workers were bolting down the last seats in the
Olympic Aquatic Center just 20 minutes before the start of
the first event there, the experience of staging such a large
spectacle has given Greece a wealth of technical expertise
and a cadre of young professionals confident in their
abilities.
``The human resources, the know-how, the working methods
and organizing methods, the new cooperation between the
private sector and public section--these are the intangibles
that come with the Olympics,'' said Evangelos Venizelos, and
opposition leader who is a former minister of culture.
Economists and other experts point to expected improvements
in the service and tourism sectors, while Greek engineering
and construction companies now have the experience to compete
for large-scale projects almost anywhere.
skyrocketing costs
The price tag has been high. Because Greece fell far behind
schedule during the first six years of Olympic construction
and then had to make a man dash to the finish line over the
last year, costs skyrocketed from $5.6 billion to more than
$8.4 billion, or more than 5 percent of Greece's gross
domestic product.
But even that figure is dwarfed by the $56 billion that the
government is spending between 2000 and 2006 on
infrastructure overhaul that is expected to transform Greece
into a mainstream European player. About 60 percent of the
funding comes from European Union sources while Greece is
handling the rest, mainly in the form of long-term loans and
private investment.
``The bridge is the most symbolic example of the country's
modernization, but there's a long list of new infrastructure
projects, and not only in Athens but in Thessaloniki and
Patras and Volos,'' Venizelos said.
[[Page S9292]]
The new suspension bridge was built by a French-Greek
consortium. It crosses the Gulf of Corinth with five spans
that add up to the world's longest cable-suspended deck.
Physically and psychologically, the bridge brings Greece
closer to Europe, linking it with the continent's main road
and rail networks.
setting aside bitter memories
All of this is helping shape a new Greek self-image. Just
as the crowd-pleasing Barcelona Olympics of 1992 formally
laid to rest the gloomy legacy of Gen. Francisco Franco's 36-
year dictatorship and reintroduced Spain to Europe, Athens
2004 is helping Greece set aside lingering memories of a
bitter civil war, military dictatorships in the 1960s and
'70s, and years of tense relations with neighboring Turkey.
``We are in the process of becoming a normal European
country that want to be in the core of Europe,'' said
Couloumbis, the historian. ``If there is a Europe of
concentric circles, Greeks want to be in the center.''
When the Olympic caravan folds its tent Sunday and begins
the long trek to Beijing, the next venue for the games,
Athens inevitably will suffer from a case of post-Olympic
blues.
``People will ask if the huge investment was justified,''
Couluombis said. ``There will be finger-pointing about the
cost overruns.''
Venizelos, the opposition leader, said the real benefits
for Greece would not be counted during the 16 days between
the Games' opening and closing ceremonies.
``Was it worth it? We will know in the next 50 years,'' he
said.
____
[Knight Ridder Newspapers, Aug. 31, 2004]
The Ultimate Star of These Olympics: Athens
(By Ann Killion)
Athens, Greece.--The star of these Olympics is easy to
pick. It is the lady with the funny hat and long spear, the
gal who sprouted fully grown out of the head of her dad,
Zeus.
Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She and her namesake city
win the gold.
Each Olympics produces a lasting image or two. In Sydney it
was Cathy Freeman and Marion Jones. In Atlanta it was Michael
Johnson and Kerri Strug.
These Games produced their own stars and scandals. Among
the high points: Michael Phelps, who won more medals than
many countries; America's golden girls Natalie Coughlin and
Carly Patterson, beach volleyball, along with the softball,
soccer and basketball teams.
Among the lows: drugs, incompetent judges and a red-kilted
attacker on the marathon course.
But the most defining memory from these Games will be the
performance of Athens and her citizens. We always cheer for
the underdog. We love it when the underestimated and
overlooked come up big.
And there has never been an Olympic underdog like Athens.
Or one that has rallied to victory as drastically.
The city was doubted, scoffed, maligned. Athenians
mortgaged their future to bring the Olympics home to their
birthplace. They felt disrespected by the rest of the world.
But the city and her people performed under pressure. From
the beginning until the very end, as the massive crowds moved
smoothly Monday through Eleftherios Benizelos Airport, Athens
shone.
The people who invested the ancient Games hosted a very
modern event, from the billion-dollar-plus security bill to
the doping shadow looming over the event.
The security worked. The scariest thing about being in
Athens was riding in a taxi. It's still debatable how well
the doping control works. More than 20 athletes tested
positive, more than at any previous Olympics. IOC President
Jacques Rogge called each positive test ``a blessing,''
proving that the system works. But as Balco has taught us the
invisible, undetectable menace is still there.
Doping was at the root of Greece's most embarrassing
moment, when track stars Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou
withdrew after missing a drug test. Another shameful moment
was the Paul Hamm mess. A judging mistake was compounded by
the Federation of International Gymnastics' ham-handed
approach, asking Hamm to give back his medal. Hamm was
already home. The USOC was furious. And poor South Korean
Yang Tae-young was left a victim of Olympic incompetence.
Before every Olympics, the cynics say the Games are dying,
pierced through the heart with a syringe, strangled by
corporate greed and political motivation.
But the 2004 Olympics drew huge television ratings. NBC
recorded the highest ratings for a Summer Olympics held
outside the United States. For the public, scandals seemed to
only add to the Games' intrigue and soap opera plot.
Politics, as always, was unavoidable. A member of the
Iranian judo team deliberately missed weight rather than
fight an Israeli. The Iraqi soccer team balked at being used
as a political tool in the American presidential campaign.
But the Olympic moments still shine through. Moroccan
Hicham el Guerrouj overcame his Olympic struggles to win two
gold medals. Israeli windsurfer Gal Fridman won the first
gold medal in his country's 52-year Olympic history and said
he would take the medal to the memorial honoring the 11
Israeli Olympians murdered in 1972 and ``show it to them, to
show they are always with us.'' Greeks spontaneously sang the
national anthem when beloved weightlifter Pyrros Dimas won a
bronze.
The hosts were gracious and accommodating. How did such a
small country pull it off? I got a taste of the Greek
approach before the Games ever began.
Traveling with my family to Athens, our ferry from a small
island to the island of Santorini was scheduled to leave at
2:30. Apparently everybody else knew it really left at 4.
When it finally pulled out at 4:15, we were in danger of
missing our flight to Athens and being stranded until
morning.
As we neared Santorini, I spoke with the ship workers. They
shook their heads. Our task would be impossible. There would
be no taxis at the port. The airport is on the other side of
the island.
There was no hope. But they discussed my plight some more,
cited the politics of ferry schedules, pointed out the
beautiful cliff villages and told the story of the volcano
eruption to distract me from my worries.
Finally, they decided it could be done. They helped us with
our luggage. They spotted taxis waiting on shore. They pulled
us off the boat before the gangplank was fully down, shouting
as we dashed for the taxi, ``You'll make it with half an hour
to spare!''
We made it with five minutes to spare.
It's the Greek way, cynical, analytical, taking a break to
appreciate the beauty and history of their land, and then
rallying with complete enthusiasm.
The Olympic flame was extinguished under a full moon that
reflected off the Acropolis and bathed the city in a golden
light. Athena would be proud.
____
[From The State, Aug. 29, 2004]
An Apology--And Thank You, Before Leaving
(By Dave Barry)
Athens.--I'm leaving the Olympics and heading home,
assuming the plane can lift me. This is a concern because
I've gained many kilometers of mass from eating Greek food,
especially ``baklava,'' which is the Greek word for
``carbohydrates.''
But before I leave I have something to say to Greece:
Dear Greece,
I owe you an apology. Every negative thought I had about
you before I got here--every worry, every concern--turned out
to be wrong.
When I got to Greece, I thought you wouldn't be ready for
the Olympics. But you were--more ready than my country was in
1996 when the Olympics came to Atlanta. Your facilities were
finished, or at least finished enough; the buses ran on time;
the phones worked; and an army of ever-cheerful volunteers
stood by to deal with what few glitches there were. The Games
went beautifully. I still don't understand rhythmic
gymnastics, but that's not our fault.
feeling safe
When I got to Greece, I was worried about terrorism. But my
only moments of terror involved public toilets last cleaned
by the Goths, and of course the Athens taxis, which are a
menace to all humanity everywhere. (If we keep sending robots
to Mars, sooner or later one of them will be run over by an
Athens taxi.) But the Games themselves, and your country,
always felt safe. The security, even though there was a lot
of it, never felt oppressive. I wish I felt as safe in my own
country as I did in yours.
When I got to Greece, I was worried about pickpockets. My
company sent me to a scary security-training session that
left me convinced I'd wind up lying in some Athens alley,
stripped of money, clothes and key bodily organs. But nobody
took anything from me. Instead, people kept giving me things:
pins, maps, guidebooks, smiles, and--most precious of all--
directions. Whenever I looked lost--which was often--people
would stop and ask me, in English, if I needed help. Often
they'd walk with me, going out of their way, making sure I
was on the right path, sometimes even handing me off to
another Greek, passing me across Athens, a human baton in the
Clueless American Relay.
a family affair
When I got to Greece, I was worried about bringing my 4-
year-old daughter, Sophie. But you opened your arms to her,
as you do to all children. We couldn't get on a bus without
somebody offering Sophie a seat; we couldn't walk around our
neighborhood without somebody shouting ``Sophie!'' and
running over to say hi to her. At home, I'm a newspaper
columnist; in Greece, I'm the guy who accompanies Sophie.
When I got to Greece. I was worried about not understanding
the language. But it turned out the only Greek word I really
needed to know was ``efharisto,'' which means (I hope)
``thank you.'' I said it a hundred times a day.
So, Greece, I apologize. You took on a huge task, and you
did it well, and your competence was matched by your warmth.
You treated my family like your family; we've already decided
we're coming back (after all, Sophie will want to see her
friends).
Until then, Greece, from my heart: efharisto.
[[Page S9293]]
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 428--REAUTHORIZING THE JOHN HEINZ SENATE FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM
Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Hagel)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Rules and Administration:
S. Res. 428
Resolved,
SECTION 1. JOHN HEINZ SENATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
Senate Resolution 356, 102d Congress, agreed to October 7,
1992, is amended by striking section 5 and inserting the
following:
``SEC. 5. FUNDS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the
provisions of this resolution $85,000 for each of fiscal
years 2005 through 2009.''.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to submit a
resolution reauthorizing the John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program. This
Congressional fellowship program, created in 1992, is a fitting tribute
to my late colleague and dear friend, United States Senator John Heinz.
Senator Heinz dedicated his life and much of his Congressional career
to improving the lives of senior citizens. He believed that Congress
has a special responsibility to serve as a guardian for those who
cannot protect themselves. This fellowship program, which focuses on
aging issues, honors the life and continues the legacy of Senator
Heinz.
During his 20 years in the Congress, John Heinz compiled an enviable
record of accomplishments. While he was successful in many areas, he
built a national reputation for his strong commitment to improving the
quality of life of our Nation' s elderly. Pennsylvania, with nearly 2
million citizens aged 65 or older--over 15 percent of the population--
houses the second largest elderly population nationwide. As John
traveled throughout the State, he listened to the concerns of this
important constituency and came back to Washington to address their
needs through policy and legislation.
Senator Heinz led the fight against age discrimination by championing
legislation to eliminate the requirement that older Americans must
retire at age 65, and by ensuring full retirement pay for older workers
employed by factories forced to close. During his Chairmanship of the
Senate Special Committee on Aging from 1981-1986 and his tenure as
Ranking Minority Member from 1987-1991, Senator Heinz used his position
to improve health care accessibility and affordability for senior
citizens and to reduce fraud and abuse within Federal health care
programs. Congress enacted his legislation to provide Medicare
recipients a lower cost alternative to fee-for-service medicine, as
well as his legislation to add a hospice benefit to the Medicare
program.
John also recognized the great need for nursing home reforms. He was
successful in passing legislation mandating that safety measures be
implemented in nursing homes and ensuring that nursing home residents
cannot be bound and tied to their beds or wheelchairs.
The John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program will help continue the
efforts of Senator Heinz to give our Nation's elderly the quality of
life they deserve. The program encourages the identification and
training of new leadership in aging policy by awarding fellowships to
qualified candidates to serve in a Senate office or with a Senate
Committee. The goal of this program is to advance the development of
public policy in issues affecting senior citizens. Administered by the
Heinz Family Foundation in conjunction with the Secretary of the
Senate, the program allows fellows to bring their firsthand experience
in aging issues to the work of Congress. Heinz fellows who are
advocates for aging issues spend a year to help us learn about the
effects of Federal policies on our elderly citizens, those who are
social workers help us find better ways to protect our nation's elderly
from abuse and neglect, and those who are health care providers help us
to build a strong health care system that addresses the unique needs of
our seniors.
The Heinz fellowship enables us to train new leaders in senior
citizen advocacy and aging policy. The fellows return to their
respective careers with a new understanding about how to work
effectively with government, so they may better fulfill their goals as
senior citizen advocates.
The John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program has been a valuable tool for
Congress and our communities since its establishment in 1992. The
continuation of this vital program will signal a sustained commitment
to our nation's elderly. I urge my colleagues to join me in
cosponsoring this resolution, and urge its swift adoption.
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 429--ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE
TO INVESTIGATE THE AWARDING AND CARRYING OUT OF CONTRACTS TO CONDUCT
ACTIVITIES IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ AND TO FIGHT THE WAR ON TERRORISM
Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Craig, Mr. Akaka, and Mr. Dayton)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Rules and Administration:
s. Res. 429
Whereas the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have exerted very
large demands on the Treasury of the United States and
required tremendous sacrifice by the members of the Armed
Forces of the United States;
Whereas Congress has a constitutional responsibility to
ensure comprehensive oversight of the expenditure of United
States Government funds;
Whereas waste and corporate abuse of United States
Government resources are particularly unacceptable and
reprehensible during times of war;
Whereas the magnitude of the funds involved in the
reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq and the war on
terrorism, together with the speed with which these funds
have been committed, presents a challenge to the effective
performance of the traditional oversight function of Congress
and the auditing functions of the executive branch;
Whereas the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the
National Defense Program, popularly know as the Truman
Committee, which was established during World War II, offers
a constructive precedent for bipartisan oversight of wartime
contracting that can also be extended to wartime and postwar
reconstruction activities;
Whereas the Truman Committee is credited with an extremely
successful investigative effort, performance of a significant
public education role, and achievement of fiscal savings
measured in the billions of dollars; and
Whereas the public has a right to expect that taxpayer
resources will be carefully disbursed and honestly spent:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
CONTRACTING.
There is established a special committee of the Senate to
be known as the Special Committee on War and Reconstruction
Contracting (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the
``Special Committee'').
SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND DUTIES.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of the Special Committee is to
investigate the awarding and performance of contracts to
conduct military, security, and reconstruction activities in
Afghanistan and Iraq and to support the prosecution of the
war on terrorism.
(b) Duties.--The Special Committee shall examine the
contracting actions described in subsection (a) and report on
such actions, in accordance with this section, regarding--
(1) bidding, contracting, accounting, and auditing
standards for Federal Government contracts;
(2) methods of contracting, including sole-source contracts
and limited competition or noncompetitive contracts;
(3) subcontracting under large, comprehensive contracts;
(4) oversight procedures;
(5) consequences of cost-plus and fixed price contracting;
(6) allegations of wasteful and fraudulent practices;
(7) accountability of contractors and Government officials
involved in procurement and contracting;
(8) penalties for violations of law and abuses in the
awarding and performance of Government contracts; and
(9) lessons learned from the contracting process used in
Iraq and Afghanistan and in connection with the war on
terrorism with respect to the structure, coordination,
management policies, and procedures of the Federal
Government.
(c) Evidence Considered.--In carrying out its duties, the
Special Committee shall ascertain and evaluate the evidence
developed by all relevant governmental agencies regarding the
facts and circumstances relevant to contracts described in
subsection (a).
SEC. 3. COMPOSITION OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
(a) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Special Committee shall consist of 7
members of the Senate of whom--
(A) 4 members shall be appointed by the President pro
tempore of the Senate, in consultation with the majority
leader of the Senate; and
(B) 3 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of
the Senate.
(2) Date.--The appointments of the members of the Special
Committee shall be made
[[Page S9294]]
not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(b) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Special Committee shall
not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner
as the original appointment.
(c) Service.--Service of a Senator as a member, chairman,
or ranking member of the Special Committee shall not be taken
into account for the purposes of paragraph (4) of rule XXV of
the Standing Rules of the Senate.
(d) Chairman and Ranking Member.--The chairman of the
Special Committee shall be designated by the majority leader
of the Senate, and the ranking member of the Special
Committee shall be designated by the minority leader of the
Senate.
(e) Quorum.--
(1) Reports and recommendations.--A majority of the members
of the Special Committee shall constitute a quorum for the
purpose of reporting a matter or recommendation to the
Senate.
(2) Testimony.--One member of the Special Committee shall
constitute a quorum for the purpose of taking testimony.
(3) Other business.--A majority of the members of the
Special Committee, or \1/3\ of the members of the Special
Committee if at least one member of the minority party is
present, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of
conducting any other business of the Special Committee.
SEC. 4. RULES AND PROCEDURES.
(a) Governance Under Standing Rules of Senate.--Except as
otherwise specifically provided in this resolution, the
investigation, study, and hearings conducted by the Special
Committee shall be governed by the Standing Rules of the
Senate.
(b) Additional Rules and Procedures.--The Special Committee
may adopt additional rules or procedures if the chairman and
ranking member agree that such additional rules or procedures
are necessary to enable the Special Committee to conduct the
investigation, study, and hearings authorized by this
resolution. Any such additional rules and procedures--
(1) shall not be inconsistent with this resolution or the
Standing Rules of the Senate; and
(2) shall become effective upon publication in the
Congressional Record.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
(a) In General.--The Special Committee may exercise all of
the powers and responsibilities of a committee under rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
(b) Hearings.--The Special Committee or, at its direction,
any subcommittee or member of the Special Committee, may, for
the purpose of carrying out this resolution--
(1) hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and
places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and
administer such oaths as the Special Committee or such
subcommittee or member considers advisable; and
(2) require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and
testimony of such witnesses and the production of such books,
records, correspondence, memoranda, papers, documents, tapes,
and materials as the Special Committee considers advisable.
(c) Issuance and Enforcement of Subpoenas.--
(1) Issuance.--Subpoenas issued under subsection (b) shall
bear the signature of the Chairman of the Special Committee
and shall be served by any person or class of persons
designated by the Chairman for that purpose.
(2) Enforcement.--In the case of contumacy or failure to
obey a subpoena issued under subsection (a), the United
States district court for the judicial district in which the
subpoenaed person resides, is served, or may be found may
issue an order requiring such person to appear at any
designated place to testify or to produce documentary or
other evidence. Any failure to obey the order of the court
may be punished by the court as a contempt of that court.
(d) Meetings.--The Special Committee may sit and act at any
time or place during sessions, recesses, and adjournment
periods of the Senate.
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
(a) Initial Report.--The Special Committee shall submit to
the Senate a report on the investigation conducted pursuant
to section 2 not later than 270 days after the appointment of
the Special Committee members.
(b) Updated Report.--The Special Committee shall submit an
updated report on such investigation not later than 180 days
after the submission of the report under subsection (a).
(c) Additional Reports.--The Special Committee may submit
any additional report or reports that the Special Committee
considers appropriate.
(d) Findings and Recommendations.--The reports under this
section shall include findings and recommendations of the
Special Committee regarding the matters considered under
section 2.
(e) Disposition of Reports.--Any report made by the Special
Committee when the Senate is not in session shall be
submitted to the Clerk of the Senate. Any report made by the
Special Committee shall be referred to the committee or
committees that have jurisdiction over the subject matter of
the report.
SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Special Committee may employ in
accordance with paragraph (2) a staff composed of such
clerical, investigatory, legal, technical, and other
personnel as the Special Committee, or the chairman or the
ranking member, considers necessary or appropriate.
(2) Appointment of staff.--
(A) In general.--The Special Committee shall appoint a
staff for the majority, a staff for the minority, and a
nondesignated staff.
(B) Majority staff.--The majority staff shall be appointed,
and may be removed, by the chairman and shall work under the
general supervision and direction of the chairman.
(C) Minority staff.--The minority staff shall be appointed,
and may be removed, by the ranking member of the Special
Committee, and shall work under the general supervision and
direction of such member.
(D) Nondesignated staff.--Nondesignated staff shall be
appointed, and may be removed, jointly by the chairman and
the ranking member, and shall work under the joint general
supervision and direction of the chairman and ranking member.
(b) Compensation.--
(1) Majority staff.--The chairman shall fix the
compensation of all personnel of the majority staff of the
Special Committee.
(2) Minority staff.--The ranking member shall fix the
compensation of all personnel of the minority staff of the
Special Committee.
(3) Nondesignated staff.--The chairman and ranking member
shall jointly fix the compensation of all nondesignated staff
of the Special Committee, within the budget approved for such
purposes for the Special Committee.
(c) Reimbursement of Expenses.--The Special Committee may
reimburse the members of its staff for travel, subsistence,
and other necessary expenses incurred by such staff members
in the performance of their functions for the Special
Committee.
(d) Payment of Expenses.--There shall be paid out of the
applicable accounts of the Senate such sums as may be
necessary for the expenses of the Special Committee. Such
payments shall be made on vouchers signed by the chairman of
the Special Committee and approved in the manner directed by
the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
Amounts made available under this subsection shall be
expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION.
The Special Committee shall terminate on February 28, 2007.
______
SENATE CURRENT RESOLUTION 137--CALLING FOR THE SUSPENSION OF SUDAN'S
MEMBERSHIP ON THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Nelson of
Nebraska) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
considered and agreed to:
S. Con. Res. 137
Whereas, in Darfur, Sudan, more than 30,000 innocent
civilians have been murdered, more than 400 villages have
been destroyed, more than 130,000 men, women, and children
have been forced from their villages into neighboring
countries, and more than 1,000,000 people have been
internally displaced;
Whereas the United States Government has been, and remains
as of September 2004, the largest contributor of assistance
to the people of Darfur, having provided over $200,000,000 in
assistance, which constitutes more than 70 percent of the
total assistance provided to that region;
Whereas the United States has pledged $299,000,000 in
humanitarian aid to Darfur through fiscal year 2005, as well
as $11,800,000 in support of the African Union mission in
that region, and is likely to provide support in excess of
those pledges;
Whereas United States citizens and private organizations,
as well as the United States Government, have admirably
worked, at great risk and through great effort, to ease
suffering in Darfur, Sudan, and in eastern Chad;
Whereas, based on credible reports, Congress determined in
late July 2004 that acts of genocide were occurring in
Darfur, Sudan, and that the Government of Sudan bears direct
responsibility for many of those acts of genocide;
Whereas, expressing its grave concern at the ongoing
humanitarian crisis and widespread human rights violations in
Darfur, including continued attacks on civilians that place
thousands of lives at risk, the United Nations Security
Council on July 30, 2004, unanimously adopted Security
Council Resolution 1556, which called upon the Government of
Sudan to fulfill immediately its obligations to facilitate
humanitarian relief efforts, to take steps to disarm
immediately the Janjaweed militias responsible for attacks on
civilians and bring the perpetrators of such attacks to
justice, and to cooperate with independent United Nations-
sponsored investigations of human rights violations;
Whereas the Government of Sudan has failed to take credible
steps to comply with the demands of the international
community as expressed through the United Nations Security
Council;
Whereas, according to press reports, reports from
nongovernmental organizations,
[[Page S9295]]
first-hand accounts from refugees, and other sources, the
Janjaweed attacks on the civilians of Darfur continue
unabated as of September 2004;
Whereas there are credible reports from some of these same
sources that the Government of Sudan is providing assistance
to the Janjaweed militias and, in some cases, that Government
of Sudan forces have participated directly in attacks on
civilians;
Whereas the United States Government, after conducting more
than 1,000 interviews with survivors and refugees, has
determined that genocide has occurred in Darfur, that it may
still be occurring, and that both the Janjaweed and the
Government of Sudan bear responsibility for these acts;
Whereas the Secretary of State has determined that the
attacks by the Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed on the
non-Arab people of Darfur and their villages are based on
race, not religion;
Whereas the United States has recently introduced a new
resolution in the United Nations Security Council that calls
for the Government of Sudan to cooperate fully with an
expanded African Union force and for a cessation of Sudanese
military flights over Darfur;
Whereas the introduced resolution also provides for
international overflights of the Darfur region to monitor the
situation on the ground and requires the United Nations
Security Council to review the record of compliance of the
Government of Sudan to determine whether the United Nations
should impose sanctions on Sudan, including sanctions
affecting the petroleum sector in that country;
Whereas the resolution also urges the Government of Sudan
and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement to conclude
negotiations on a comprehensive peace accord and, most
important, calls for a United Nations investigation into all
violations of international humanitarian law and human rights
law that have occurred in Darfur in order to ensure
accountability;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1556, emphasized that the
Government of Sudan bears primary responsibility for
respecting human rights and protecting the people of Sudan;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1556
calls upon the Government of Sudan to cooperate with the
United Nations;
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Commission,
established in 1946 and given the responsibility of drafting
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is responsible for
promoting respect for and observance of, human rights and
fundamental freedoms for all;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares
that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and
rights, that everyone is entitled to all the rights and
freedoms set forth in the Declaration regardless of race,
color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
or national or social origin, property, birth, or other
status that everyone has the right to life, liberty and
security of person, that no one shall be held in slavery or
servitude, and that no one shall be subjected to torture or
to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment;
Whereas the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
Genocide, done at Paris on December 9, 1948 (hereafter in
this resolution referred to as the ``Genocide Convention''),
delineates the criteria that constitute genocide and requires
parties to prevent and punish genocide;
Whereas Sudan is a state party to the Genocide Convention
and remains a member of the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights;
Whereas the Secretary of State determined that, according
to United States law, the Government of Sudan is a state
sponsor of terrorism and has been since 1993 and therefore
remains ineligible for U.S. foreign assistance;
Whereas, due to the human rights situation in Darfur, it
would be consistent with United States obligations under the
Genocide Convention for the Secretary of State and the United
States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to seek
the immediate suspension of Sudan from the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights and, in the event a formal
investigation results in a determination by the UN that
genocide has occurred in Darfur, the ultimate removal of
Sudan from such Commission; and
Whereas it is a mockery of human rights as a universal
principle, a challenge to the United Nations as an
institution, and an affront to all responsible countries that
embrace and promote human rights that a government under
investigation by the United Nations for committing genocide
against, and violating the human rights of, its own citizens
sits in judgment of others as a member in good standing of
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That Congress--
(1) recognizes and approves of the findings of the
Secretary of State that genocide has occurred and may still
be occurring in Darfur, Sudan, and that the Government of
Sudan bears responsibility for such acts;
(2) supports the Secretary of State's call for a full and
unfettered investigation by the United Nations into all
violations of international humanitarian law and human rights
law that have occurred in Darfur, with a view to ensuring
accountability;
(3) supports the resolution introduced by the United States
Government in the United Nations Security Council on
September 9, 2004, with regard to the situation in Darfur;
(4) calls upon the Secretary of State and the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to take
immediate steps to pursue the establishment of a formal
United Nations investigation, under Article VIII of the
Genocide Convention, to determine whether the actions of the
Government of Sudan in Darfur constitute acts of genocide;
(5) calls upon the Secretary of State and the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to take
immediate steps to pursue the immediate suspension of Sudan
from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights;
(6) calls upon the Secretary of State and the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to take
further steps to ensure that the suspension of Sudan from the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights remains in effect
unless and until the Government of Sudan meets all of its
obligations, as determined by the United Nations Security
Council, under United Nations Security Council Resolution
1556 of July 30, 2004, and any subsequent United Nations
Security Council resolutions regarding this matter;
(7) calls upon the Secretary of State and the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to take steps
to ensure that, in the event that the formal investigation of
acts of genocide in Sudan results in a determination by the
UN that genocide has occurred or is occurring in Darfur, the
United States Government takes appropriate actions to ensure
that Sudan is removed from the United Nations Human Rights
Commission;
(8) calls upon the member states of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights to convene an immediate special
session to consider the urgent and acute human rights
situation in Sudan for the purpose of considering whether
Sudan should be suspended from membership in such Commission;
and
(9) expects the Secretary of State to report to Congress on
progress made toward taking the actions and accomplishing the
objectives outlined in this resolution not later than 60 days
after the date on which Congress agrees to the resolution.
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