[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONDEMNING TERRORIST ATTACKS IN KAMPALA, UGANDA

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                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 2010

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 1538, which condemns the terrorist attacks that took place on July 
11, 2010, in Kampala, Uganda. This terrorist behavior is simply 
unacceptable and our nation must express our disapproval of the 
responsible parties who committed these horrible attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, the situation in East Africa is grave. Unfortunately, 
the situation isn't getting any better either, given that this is the 
worst terrorist attack that this region has witnessed since 1998. The 
responsible party for these horrifying terrorist attacks is the hard-
line Somali militant group, al-Shabab. Even more frightening is the 
fact that this group has threatened further attacks, if Uganda and 
Burundi continue to supply troops to an African Union peacekeeping 
force in Somalia. This continued threat of terrorist attacks is not 
only a dire concern in this area of East Africa, but also for our 
nation. Uganda, a key U.S. ally, is also a training ground for soldiers 
for Somalia's transitional government, the government which al-Shabab 
is seeking to overthrow. Both the United States and the United Kingdom 
support this mission. Consequently, we have responsibility to support 
and protect the peacekeeping forces that are working to provide 
stability in Somalia. In order for strength to be restored in the 
failing state of Somalia and the surrounding countries like Uganda, we 
must also find a way to remove the terrorist group al-Shabab from its 
destabilizing role.
  Mr. Speaker, as the trend in globalization continues to increase, the 
connections among nations become more and more intertwined. Therefore, 
as Representatives of Congress, we must pass this resolution to call on 
our administration to work with the international community to address 
the security threat emanating from Somalia. This will hopefully ensure 
that this violence doesn't overspill more into other nations.
  Again, I fully support this resolution and I urge my colleagues to 
support it as well.

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