[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H6822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, SUDAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the Members who have 
participated in the dialogue on what is going on in the Darfur region 
of Sudan.
  Let me thank our leader, Leader Pelosi, for her participation, 
Chairman Watt of the Congressional Black Caucus from North Carolina, 
Congresswoman Kilpatrick from Michigan, Congresswomen Lee, Watson and 
Waters from California, Congressmen Rush and Davis from Illinois, 
Congressman Green from Texas, Congresswoman Moore from Wisconsin, and 
Congressman Jefferson from Louisiana for their participation this 
evening.
  Let me also acknowledge other Members who were not here tonight but 
have been real troopers in this battle for justice. Congressman Capuano 
from Massachusetts, and on the other side of the aisle, this is indeed 
not a partisan issue, because there is no person who has fought harder 
for the last 20 years or so on Sudan than Congressman Wolf from 
Virginia. He is there all of the time.
  Congressman Tancredo from Colorado, Congressman Royce from 
California, Congressman Smith from New Jersey, all Members of the House 
who have said that enough is enough, that we must do more. And so 2 
years ago, we declared genocide in Darfur. And that was 10 years after 
the world ignored Rwanda when genocide went on.
  And had the world done something in Armenia in 1916, when the so-
called young Turks came in and had genocide on the Armenia population, 
perhaps this would not have happened today. Or in 1939 as the German 
Nazis went through Europe and created the Holocaust, perhaps this would 
not have happened.
  If in Cambodia when Pol Pot and his regime killed millions of people, 
perhaps this would not have happened. If in Rwanda, when we saw the 
genocide happen, perhaps it would not be happening in Darfur. But we 
looked the other way in all of those instances and genocide is still 
here today. We must stop the genocide.
  There is no reason for people to still be slaughtered as they are 
being. You have heard the figures, and I will not repeat them. But the 
National Congress Party, formerly the National Islamic Front, cannot 
and should not get away with this campaign of murder and terrorism.
  This government under President Bashir came to power in a bloody coup 
d'etat in 1989. The NIF Government harbored Osama bin Laden for 5 
years, from 1991 to 1996. From there his operatives planned the 
assassination attempt on President Mubarak of Egypt. The NIF Government 
never was held responsible for harboring terrorists.
  They were responsible for millions of deaths before and they continue 
now to do this in Darfur. We must hold them accountable. There has been 
an authorization of 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers to go into Darfur. The 
government says no. We must, as President Bush said at the United 
Nations yesterday, we can no longer allow this to go on.
  The U.N. must go into Darfur to help the 7,000 AU troops who cannot 
handle this job alone. I was quite pleased that President Bush was 
forceful in his remarks yesterday at the 61st United Nations General 
Assembly.
  President Bush said, ``If the Sudanese Government does not approve 
this peacekeeping force quickly, the United Nations must act.''
  He then stated that, ``the UN's credibility was on the line.'' 
President, Mr. Bush, I agree. And we must add that the credibility of 
the United States Government is also on the line. We cannot allow 
genocide to continue.
  I welcome the appointment of Andrew Nazios as the Presidential envoy 
for Sudan. We look forward to working with him. But he must have a 
robust mandate. He must have the proper staff. He must have access to 
the White House. He must have leadership in the State Department if we 
are going to have a success.
  Finally, countries with influence in Khartoum must be used to urge 
the Government of Khartoum to stop the genocide.
  China, who our country, with the balance of trade to them, have made 
them a robust country with 500 million middle-class people as a result 
of their selling their products to us, must tell the Government of 
Sudan that they must stop what they are doing.
  We should be able to force China to get involved and say that enough 
is enough. And Russia must continue, must be stopped from selling arms 
to Sudan.
  The Arab League must step up to the plate. And Egypt that gets $2 
billion a year from the United States taxpayers must stand up and tell 
their neighbors, their friends, the Government of Sudan, that enough is 
enough. We must hold our so-called friends accountable.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate having the opportunity for us to have this 
discussion. We look forward to our government stepping up to the plate. 
Once again, enough is enough. It should really be ``never again.''
  Let me just conclude by thanking the Metro West and the Jewish 
community in the State of New Jersey and throughout the United States 
who have come up and have been so supportive. And we are getting many 
more groups getting involved.

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