[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 173 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6843-S6844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SOMALIA TERRORIST ATTACK

  Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I rise to talk about the recent terrorist 
attack in Somalia.
  On October 14, a truck filled with explosives detonated in a crowded 
district in Mogadishu--Somalia's capital. The blast was especially 
devastating because the truck blew up next to a fuel tanker, causing a 
massive fireball and leveling structures, including the nearby Safari 
Hotel, which collapsed and trapped many people under its rubble. 
According to Somali authorities, the target of the attack may have been 
the city's international airport which also houses many Embassies.
  This is the worst terrorist attack in Somalia's history. Three 
hundred fifty-eight people were killed, hundreds have been injured, and 
dozens are still missing.
  As a Minnesota Senator, I represent the largest Somali-American 
population in the Nation. For Minnesota, this wasn't just a massive 
attack overseas. It affected every one of my estimated 74,000 Somali-
American constituents.
  Among those killed is Ahmed Eyow. He was from Bloomington, MN. He had 
attended Normandale Community College and Metropolitan State 
University. He left behind his wife and three children.
  Another Somali-American who was killed in the blast was Mohamoud 
Elmi. He had lived in Ohio and had moved back to Somalia about 2 years 
ago. He was a young man with a bright future, working at the Ministry 
of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in Somalia.
  There was Abukar Mohamed. He lived in Virginia before moving back to 
Somalia, where he worked in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He 
was killed along with his wife, Shadiye Hassan. They left behind seven 
children who are between the ages of 3 and 20.
  Hundreds of others perished in that heinous attack. They all have 
their own stories. They left behind their wives, their husbands, their 
children, their friends, their parents.
  Somalia is one of the most, if not the most, fragile nations on 
Earth. It has been an incredibly difficult country to

[[Page S6844]]

govern ever since the civil war tore the country apart in 1991. It 
suffers from the massive displacement of people, hundreds of thousands 
of refugees, lack of sufficient public services, and warring factions 
and clans. To make matters worse, a severe drought has ravaged Somalia, 
leaving 6 million people--half of the nation's population--facing food 
shortages. The combination of instability, lack of security, and 
shortage of goods and services has enabled terrorist groups like al-
Shabaab--widely believed to be the culprit in this attack--to gain a 
foothold in Somalia.
  We have to have a comprehensive strategy to help the people of 
Somalia. One component of that strategy is to help Somalis root out 
terrorism. The Government of Somalia has announced its intent to step 
up the fight against al-Shabaab. The United States has and will 
continue to aid those efforts, as will the African Union Mission in 
Somalia--a multinational peacekeeping force that is supported by the 
United States.
  At the same time, we have to erode and eliminate the conditions that 
enable terrorist groups to thrive. That means redoubling our efforts to 
help stabilize fragile nations. That means supporting good governance, 
reducing extreme inequality, and helping marginalized, disenfranchised 
individuals who are preyed upon time and again by terrorist recruiters.
  It is more important than ever that we fully fund our international 
programs that support these efforts, for humanitarian and security 
reasons. Unfortunately, the administration's 2018 budget proposal does 
the opposite. It includes a 30-percent cut to programs that seek to 
bring stability, rule of law, and humanitarian assistance to places 
that need it the most. The administration's budget is making the world, 
and us, less safe. And I want to urge the President to rethink his 
approach to foreign aid.
  My colleagues, Senators John McCain and Tim Kaine, put it this way in 
a recent op-ed they coauthored, saying:

       Today, 80 percent of our assistance provides relief and 
     promotes stability in conflict zones and states on the verge 
     of collapse. There are U.S. Agency for International 
     Development programs in many of the countries most plagued by 
     terrorism, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mali, 
     Yemen and Somalia. We're saving lives and creating partners 
     to help address the instability that produces the threats our 
     military risks life and limb to fight.

  In conclusion, I urge my colleagues and the American people to not 
forget about the terrible tragedy in Somalia. I urge everyone to keep 
Somali victims and other victims of terror acts throughout the world in 
their thoughts and prayers.
  The world needs to know that the United States will continue to 
support Somalia and other nations that are fighting those who are 
wreaking havoc on their nations. But we have to remember that we will 
all be more successful when we combine military efforts with diplomatic 
and humanitarian ones. While we cannot bring back those who perished, 
if we focus on rooting out the conditions that give rise to terrorism, 
we can have a shot at averting the next one.
  Thank you.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Fischer). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Capito). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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