[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 97 (Friday, July 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONDEMNING THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, today the House is considering H. Res. 
921, a resolution condemning the recent attacks against the State of 
Israel.
  The resolution focuses on the attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah on 
Israel and expresses its condolences to all families of innocent 
victims of the recent violence. While the resolution is not perfect, it 
does call on the international community to cooperate to bring an end 
to the violence in the region.
  The two sides cannot resolve this by themselves, and it is clear that 
only a diplomatic track will help to address the wide-spread unrest in 
the Middle East. Believing that, I would prefer the resolution do more 
to solidify the U.S. as an honest broker in the conflict.
  It is unfortunate that while the violence has continued for more than 
a week now, Secretary of State Rice still has failed to travel to the 
region. Even further, she has declined to send a Special Envoy to focus 
exclusively on the crisis. This is yet one more example of the Bush 
Administration's failure on the foreign policy front.
  The Administration must become engaged with the international 
community in pursuing a peaceful and just resolution to this on-going 
crisis instead of standing by while innocent civilians are killed. 
President Bush's stubborn involvement in Iraq has made it difficult for 
the U.S. to focus on this and other conflicts in the region. Instead of 
bringing parties to the negotiating table, President Bush and Secretary 
Rice have ignored the region while it has literally gone up in flames.
  History has shown that the U.S. is most successful when it supports 
evenhanded, diplomacy-based foreign policy. This can be achieved by 
supporting and implementing the legislation I introduced earlier this 
year, SMART (H. Con. Res. 158). SMART steps include:
  1. Preventing future acts of terrorism by strengthening international 
institutions and respect for the rule of law;
  2. Reducing the threat and stop the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction;
  3. Addressing the root causes of terrorism;
  4. Shifting U.S. budget priorities to more effectively meet our 
national security needs; and
  5. Pursuing to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
  Until the Bush Administration adopts principles like these in the 
Middle East, and throughout the world, the cycle of unrest will 
continue.
  Unlike previous Congressional acts, SMART strives to achieve a 
balance of support for all parties and puts the U.S. in the role of a 
partner for peace in Middle East.
  With my constituents and colleagues, I call on the President to 
dedicate himself fully to the peace process and to guarantee the safety 
and well-being of all innocent civilians involved in the chaos in the 
Middle East.

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