[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 120 (Tuesday, August 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECENT KILLINGS OF HUMANITARIAN WORKERS IN AFGHANISTAN

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                          HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 10, 2010

  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I am profoundly saddened by the recent 
killings of humanitarian workers in Afghanistan on August 5, 2010.
  We've seen many acts of terror by the Taliban, starting in the 1990s 
with public executions in soccer stadiums, brutal attacks against girls 
attending school, attacks against Afghans who did not live exactly as 
the Taliban dictated, and many other terrible actions. These terrorists 
have now escalated their brutality by burning down schools, engaging in 
suicide attacks, attacking civilians, and attacking humanitarian aid 
workers.
  Many knew the lifelong service of Tom Little and Dan Terry, the two 
men heading the unarmed delegation of mostly medical workers returning 
from their humanitarian work in Northeastern Afghanistan. These two men 
were deeply dedicated to serving the health needs of Afghans, 
particularly those in remote areas, who had no access to medical care. 
These two men made their lives in Afghanistan, raised their families 
there, spoke local languages fluently, and knew the local culture. 
These two men, and the other members of this brutally murdered 
delegation, were committed humanitarian workers.
  Many Afghans and non-Afghans who have known their work for years and 
have interacted with members of the delegation have come forward to 
talk of their passion for helping the Afghan people.
  From my district, in Lancaster, PA, Glen Lapp came to Afghanistan in 
2008 for a short-term assignment, but decided to remain, leaving his 
life in Pennsylvania behind, in order to serve as manager of a much-
needed provincial eye care program in Afghanistan. Glen wrote that his 
hope was to ``continue to help this country work towards peace on many 
different social, ethnic, and economic levels.''
  Sadly, there have been accusations by some against this delegation 
regarding their humanitarian work. And, unfortunately, the Taliban's 
false accusations against them have been repeated by some who clearly 
do not know the facts. It is important for the world to note that the 
organization that sponsored these humanitarians signed the ``Principles 
of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent for NGOs 
and Disaster Response Programmes'' which states that ``aid will not be 
used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.''
  It is deeply disturbing when a horrific attack against humanitarian 
workers, such as this one, is used for propaganda purposes by the 
Taliban and is then reinforced by some of their apologists.
  Afghanistan's precarious stability means aid workers have played a 
vital role in serving the Afghan public over the last three decades. 
While in the past many aid workers were able to assist the Afghans and 
were given safe passage in conflict areas, sadly, in recent months, the 
Taliban have escalated their brutality by breaking this long-standing 
custom and resorting to targeting even those that are conducting 
humanitarian assistance programs.
  It's obvious that the Taliban in Afghanistan are not only against 
progress for the Afghan people, but have also decided to attack anyone 
assisting the Afghans in achieving progress and bettering their lives, 
whether that be related to medical issues, education (especially for 
girls), the economy, or even Afghans expressing their culture, such as 
kite-flying competitions.
  In light of this violent attack, there must be a joint investigation 
with the Afghan authorities so that those who perpetrated this horrific 
execution of innocent aid workers are brought to justice, no matter 
where they might be hiding or receiving sanctuary. From various 
reports, there are strong indications that the attackers were not local 
and some were speaking non-Afghan languages.
  Given the location of the attack, the proximity to Taliban 
strongholds in Nuristan, a province that borders volatile areas of 
Pakistan, and given the cross border nature of the Afghan insurgency, I 
strongly urge the government of Pakistan to do its utmost to cooperate 
in rooting out extremism on its soil, in particular the safe havens 
that exist on the Pakistani side that have been the source of many acts 
of violence in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The safe havens for the 
Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani network must end. And, the U.S. 
government must finally add the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, 
and the Haqqani Network to the Foreign Terrorist Organization list. 
This attack, which has been called by some observers ``the worst attack 
on humanitarian aid workers in three decades of conflict in 
Afghanistan,'' as coupled with numerous other horrific acts of terror 
perpetrated by these groups against Afghan and American civilians and 
military personnel, warrant the addition of these groups to the Foreign 
Terrorist Organization list.
  In addressing the wider context of these brutal attacks against 
humanitarians, we must not forget the tragic impact on the families of 
those killed. I would like to thank Tom Little, Dan Terry, Glen Lapp, 
Thomas Grams, Cheryl Beckett, Brian Carderelli, Karen Woo, Daniela 
Beyer, Mahram Ali, and Ahmed Jawed and their families, as well as all 
the other aid workers in Afghanistan who have been so committed to 
serving the Afghan people.
  My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these heroes and 
quiet leaders, as well as with the Afghan people who have suffered so 
many decades of conflict and loss.

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