[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6962-6969]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONDEMNING MURDER OF ROSEMARY NELSON AND CALLING FOR PROTECTION OF 
                 DEFENSE ATTORNEYS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 128) condemning the murder of human rights lawyer 
Rosemary Nelson and calling for the protection of defense attorneys in 
Northern Ireland, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 128

       Whereas on September 29, 1998, Rosemary Nelson, a prominent 
     defense attorney in Northern Ireland, who testified before 
     the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights 
     of the Committee on International Relations of the House of 
     Representatives, stated that she had been harassed and 
     intimidated by the Northern Ireland police force, the Royal 
     Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in her capacity as a defense 
     attorney, and that she had been ``physically assaulted by a 
     number of RUC officers'' and that the difficulties with the 
     RUC included ``at their most serious, making threats against 
     my personal safety including death threats'';
       Whereas Param Cumarswamy, the United Nations Special 
     Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, also 
     testified before the Subcommittee on International Operations 
     and Human Rights citing the grave dangers faced by defense 
     attorneys in Northern Ireland and stated that ``there have 
     been harassment and intimidation of defense lawyers by RUC 
     officers'' and that ``these harassments and intimidation were 
     consistent and systematic'';
       Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur recommended 
     that authorities other than the RUC conduct ``an independent 
     and impartial investigation of all threats to legal counsel 
     in Northern Ireland'' and ``where there is a threat to 
     physical integrity of a solicitor'' the ``Government should 
     provide necessary protection'';
       Whereas Northern Ireland's Independent Commission for 
     Police Complaints (ICPC) reported ``serious concerns'' about 
     the RUC's handling of the inquiry into the death threats 
     Rosemary Nelson received and described the RUC officers 
     investigating the death threats as ``hostile, evasive and 
     disinterested'' and also noted an ``ill-disguised hostility 
     to Mrs. Nelson on the part of some police officers'';
       Whereas the government, which provided protection for 
     Northern Ireland judges after paramilitary violence resulted 
     in the death of four judges and some family members, should 
     also provide appropriate protection for defense attorneys;
       Whereas despite the threats and the intimidation, Rosemary 
     Nelson courageously continued to represent the rights of 
     Catholic clients in high profile cases, including the 
     residents of Garvaghy road in their bid to stop controversial 
     marches in their neighborhood and the family of Robert Hamill 
     who was beaten to death by a sectarian mob in 1997;
       Whereas, because of her human rights work, Northern Ireland 
     solicitor Rosemary Nelson, the mother of three young 
     children, suffered the ultimate harassment and intimidation 
     and was brutally murdered on March 15th, 1999, by a bomb 
     placed on her car;
       Whereas all those involved in the targeting and killing of 
     defense attorney Rosemary Nelson, including the Red Hand 
     Defenders, a militant loyalist paramilitary group that is 
     opposed to the peace process and that has claimed 
     responsibility for the murder, must be brought to justice;
       Whereas the success of the peace process is predicated on 
     the ability of the people of

[[Page 6963]]

     Northern Ireland to believe that injustices such as the 
     murder of Rosemary Nelson will be investigated thoroughly, 
     fairly, and transparently;
       Whereas the murder of Rosemary Nelson is reminiscent of the 
     1989 murder of human rights attorney Patrick Finucane, who, 
     according to the United Nations report, had also received 
     numerous death threats from RUC officers;
       Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur reported that 
     since the Patrick Finucane murder, further information that 
     seriously calls into question whether there was official 
     collusion has come to light; and
       Whereas Rosemary Nelson's stated fear of the RUC, the 
     recent release of Northern Ireland's Independent Commission 
     for Police Complaints (ICPC) report, and the United Nations 
     report, all necessitate the establishment of an independent 
     inquiry into Rosemary Nelson's murder in order to foster 
     confidence and credibility in this investigation as well as 
     the peace process: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the historic significance of the 1998 Good 
     Friday Peace Accords and commends the people of Northern 
     Ireland for their commitment to work together in peace;
       (2) condemns all violence committed in violation of the 
     Northern Ireland cease-fire agreement, an agreement that has 
     been largely successful; and
       (3) calls on the Government of the United Kingdom--
       (A) to launch an independent public inquiry for the 
     investigation of the murder of defense attorney Rosemary 
     Nelson so that evidence gathering, witness interviews, and 
     the issuance of a detailed, public report can be based on the 
     work of law enforcement experts not connected to or reliant 
     upon the efforts of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC);
       (B) to institute an independent judicial inquiry into 
     allegations that defense attorneys are systematically 
     harassed and intimidated by security forces; and
       (C) to implement the United Nations Special Rapporteur's 
     recommendation for an independent inquiry into the 
     possibility of collusion in the killing of defense attorney 
     Patrick Finucane.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 128.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith), the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley), and all those on both sides of the aisle for 
working together on this bipartisan resolution on the murder of 
Rosemary Nelson in Northern Ireland that is now before us. It passed 
without objection last week in our committee because we all know what 
is at stake here, the very integrity of the Northern Ireland peace 
process.
  On March 15, in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, Rosemary Nelson, prominent 
Northern Ireland solicitor who had long defended nationalists, 
Catholics, as well as having represented the nearby Drumcree 
nationalist community in the controversy over forced Orange Order 
triumphant marches through their neighborhoods, was murdered. In a 
brutal, cowardly, and professionally done car bomb near her home, this 
mother of three lost both her legs from the bomb and died shortly 
thereafter in the hospital.
  A loyalist group, the Protestant Red Hand Defenders, claimed credit 
for this cowardly terrorist act. Mrs. Nelson was killed solely because 
she was engaged in advocacy and providing vital legal counsel to many 
of those who have little faith in a unionist dominated society, and 
especially the police service, RUC, many fear and want disbanded.
  Just late last September, Mrs. Nelson, who had faced numerous threats 
on her life because of her advocacy and feared the local police as much 
as the loyalist killers, testified before our House Committee on 
International Relations.
  Mrs. Nelson told our committee of her hope in our committee room 
that, as a solicitor engaged in representing her clients, many of whom 
were nationalists, and I quote, ``The test of a new society in Northern 
Ireland will be to the extent to which it can recognize and can respect 
our role and enable me to discharge it without proper interference. I 
look forward to that day,'' said Mrs. Nelson.
  The day, sadly, is not yet here. And the resolution before us is 
intended to help hasten that day. The British Government must establish 
a completely independent inquiry into Mrs. Nelson's tragic murder and 
publicly report its findings. The trust and support of all of the 
people of Northern Ireland in any inquiry into Mrs. Nelson's death is 
essential.
  It is now more important than ever that change must come, and the old 
``business as usual'' is not what the nationalist community needs to 
see in the new north of Ireland. Covering up possible police abuse and 
negligence is not the way to build lasting peace and justice in 
Northern Ireland.
  What we need to see is an overall independent inquiry into the 
intimidation of defense lawyers in Northern Ireland, as the U.N. 
Special Rapporteur called for last year, and told our committee was 
needed the very same day Mrs. Nelson was before us. We have heard all 
sorts of stories so far on what is being done in the Nelson inquiry, 
but none of them are satisfactory.
  First, we heard the FBI would be helping the inquiry, and then the 
Chief Constable of Kent in England would be running the show. Now we 
have another deputy constable brought in from England to run the 
investigation.
  All the time the local RUC in the Portadown region has been involved 
from where some of the threats on Mrs. Nelson's life in fact 
originated. One RUC officer reportedly told another client of Mrs. 
Nelson when he was arrested that, ``Nelson won't help you this time. 
She won't be here that long. She will be dead.''
  Now no objective and fair person would want that police service 
investigating this courageous solicitor's murder. This is one of the 
factors why the original investigation of these RUC threats against 
Mrs. Nelson were referred to the London Metropolitan Police for 
investigation, not the RUC, by the Northern Ireland Independent 
Commission on Police Complaints.
  Yes, a lot rides in how this inquiry is fairly and independently 
handled by the British Government, as well as the future for the north 
of Ireland. There is a point in time when the peace process is stalled.
  Accordingly, I urge the adoption of this important and timely 
bipartisan resolution before us and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' 
on the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support, strong support, of House Resolution 
128 and the work of the gentlemen from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and (Mr. 
Payne) and the work that they have done to honor the memory of Rosemary 
Nelson.
  It is amazingly fitting that we celebrated in the previous resolution 
with the Congressional Gold Medal being given to Rosa Parks, and 
deservedly so. The fact is that Rosemary Nelson was a Rosa Parks in 
Northern Ireland. But she, unlike Rosa Parks, will never see the day 
where she will be so honored in her homeland.
  Mr. Speaker, Rosemary Nelson's death should not have happened. Mrs. 
Nelson dedicated her life to improving human rights in Northern Ireland 
as a defense attorney for the Catholic minority community. Her work 
earned her much respect, as well as enemies.
  In 1998, Congress heard Mrs. Nelson's fear when she testified before 
the subcommittee of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the 
Subcommittee on Human Rights, about her defense

[[Page 6964]]

work in the north of Ireland. She feared for her life because of the 
lack of police protection she and other Catholic defense attorneys 
received or did not receive from the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
  In addition to her own fears, the Independent Commission for Police 
Complaints has reported that the RUC disregarded previous death threats 
against Mrs. Nelson and that RUC officers repeatedly threatened her 
during her course of work.
  Frankly, I believe the RUC itself is partly responsible for the death 
of Rosemary Nelson because of their lack of protection of her and its 
prior history of collusion with loyalist militias.
  This resolution brings justice to Rosemary Nelson and her legacy. 
This resolution calls upon the United Kingdom to carry out an 
investigation, not connected with the RUC, into the death of Rosemary 
Nelson.
  In the past, quasi-independent investigations have not borne any 
fruit and typically have been disregarded, unpublished, and swept under 
the carpet. Reputations have been destroyed and justice has never been 
served.
  In addition, this resolution calls upon investigators to issue a 
detailed report on police harassment of defense attorneys by RUC forces 
and forces it to implement the United Nations Special Rapporteur's 
recommendation for an independent inquiry into the death of defense 
attorney Patrick Finucane.
  This Thursday, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), two great friends of human 
rights and the peace process in the north of Ireland, are holding 
hearings in the Committee on International Relations, which I have the 
pleasure of sitting on, about the reconstitution of the RUC and police 
reform in Northern Ireland.
  The RUC is made up of a force which is over 92 percent Protestant and 
100 percent loyalist to the British Government. They have 
systematically denied basic judicial and human rights to the Catholic 
minority in Northern Ireland, and have no respect in the Catholic 
community or in the world community at large. In fact, due to their 
abysmal human rights record, there is a ban on weapons sales to the 
Royal Ulster Constabulary by the Government of the United States.
  I look forward to working with all my colleagues on both the 
Committee on International Relations and in the House to work with the 
international community in creating a police force which more 
accurately reflects the religious makeup of Northern Ireland, a force 
which all Irish can be proud of.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues in Congress to 
stand up for human rights in the north of Ireland and to honor the 
legacy of Rosemary Nelson.
  Again, I want to thank my co-chairs of the Congressional Ad Hoc 
Committee for Irish Affairs, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), along with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), for their work in 
bringing attention to and making a difference on Irish issues and human 
rights in the north of Ireland.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the distinguished chairman of 
our Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Gilman) for his fine work on this resolution and for 
helping us when we got to the full committee, and also the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Crowley) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne), as was mentioned, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), 
one of the cosponsors. We have worked as a team, and I think this is a 
very important resolution for House consideration today.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today condemns the brutal 
murder of Northern Ireland defense attorney Rosemary Nelson and calls 
for the British Government to launch an independent inquiry into 
Rosemary's killing.
  The resolution also calls for judicial inquiry into the allegations 
of official collusion in the 1989 murder of defense attorney Patrick 
Finucane and an independent investigation into broader allegations of 
harassment of defense attorneys by Northern Ireland's police force, 
known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary or the RUC.
  Rosemary Nelson was a champion of due process rights and a 
conscientious and courageous attorney in Northern Ireland. She was the 
wife of Paul Nelson and the mother of three young children: Sara, 
Gavin, and Christopher.
  Her murder, Mr. Speaker, on March 15, 1999, was a cowardly act by 
those who are the enemies of peace and enemies of justice in Northern 
Ireland. Her death is a loss felt not just by her family and friends 
but by all who advocate fundamental human rights.
  Consideration of this resolution today is particularly timely, as 
officials in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the U.K. 
continue to question the ability of the RUC to properly conduct this 
murder investigation.
  In fact, last week the European Parliament passed its own resolution, 
offered by Dublin's representative Bernie Malone, which calls for ``a 
fully independent team of investigators to conduct the inquiry as a 
means of securing confidence and objectivity.''
  Anyone who knows anything about human rights in Northern Ireland 
would have little confidence that the RUC could produce a credible or a 
transparent or thorough investigation of the murder of a Catholic 
defense attorney. The history of intimidation of defense attorneys by 
the RUC has been documented by my subcommittee as well as by the United 
Nations Commission on Human Rights.

                              {time}  1600

  Thus, Mr. Speaker, there is little reason to believe that Rosemary 
Nelson, who was mistreated by members of the RUC throughout her 
professional life as an attorney, would now be treated respectfully and 
justly in death.
  I first met Rosemary Nelson in Belfast a few years ago when she 
shared with me her genuine concern for the administration of justice in 
the Northern Ireland. She explained how, as an attorney, she had been 
physically and verbally assaulted by RUC members and how they sent 
death threats to her through her clients. Many of her clients were 
harassed as well.
  Notwithstanding these threats, Rosemary still carried an exhaustive 
docket which included several high-profile political cases, such as 
representing the family of Robert Hamill, who was beaten to death by a 
sectarian mob and representing the residents of Garvaghy Road in their 
bid to stop controversial marches through the neighborhood. Through her 
work, she became an international advocate for the rule of law and the 
right of the accused to a comprehensive defense and an impartial 
hearing of their case.
  For this, however, Rosemary was often the subject of harassment and 
intimidation. For her service to her clients, Rosemary Nelson paid the 
ultimate price with her life, the victim of a car bomb.
  Mr. Speaker, in September of last year, just 7 months ago, Rosemary 
testified before my subcommittee. She told us how she feared, she 
feared the RUC. She reported that she had been, quote, and I quote from 
her testimony, ``physically assaulted by a number of RUC officers'' and 
that the harassment included ``threats against my personal safety, 
including death threats.'' She said she had no confidence in receiving 
help from her government, because in the end her complaints about the 
RUC would be investigated by the RUC.
  Testifying along with Rosemary Nelson was a man by the name of Mr. 
Cumaraswamy, a U.N. Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges 
and lawyers, who led an extensive human rights investigative team to 
the UK and published a report in 1998. Mr. Cumaraswamy stated that he 
found evidence, and I quote him, of ``consistent and systematic,'' 
close quote, RUC harassment and intimidation of defense lawyers in 
Northern Ireland. His report was quite critical of

[[Page 6965]]

the excessive authority granted to the RUC by the so-called ``emergency 
laws,'' and he expressed dismay that the government had not moved 
decisively to protect lawyers that were under threat.
  Mr. Cumaraswamy recommended a judicial inquiry into the threats and 
the intimidation of Rosemary Nelson and other defense attorneys. Last 
week at the UN Commission on Human Rights at their annual summit in 
Geneva, Mr. Cumaraswamy reported that in the years since the release of 
his report about the great dangers facing Northern Ireland's defense 
attorneys that the RUC had shown, and these are his words, ``complete 
indifference.'' He accused the RUC chief, Constable Ronnie Flanagan, 
and I quote him again, of ``allowing the situation to deteriorate,'' 
and like the rest of us, the Special Rapporteur says he has, and these 
are his words again, ``a nagging feeling that the RUC involvement in 
what is now a murder investigation could affect and taint the 
impartiality and the credibility of that investigation.''
  And yet, our friends in the Blair government seem unmoved.
  Despite Rosemary Nelson's testimony, her concerns and the concerns 
now raised by human rights experts around the world, the British 
Government has forfeited the investigation of Rosemary Nelson's murder 
to the very agency she feared and mistrusted the most. It does not seem 
to phase them that a report just released by Northern Ireland's police 
watchdog, the government's Independent Commission for Police 
Complaints, the ICPC, said that RUC investigators investigating the 
death threats against Rosemary Nelson were themselves evasive and 
disinterested. It also found an ill-disguised hostility to Mrs. Nelson 
on the part of some police officers.
  Astonishingly, even the police from the bereaved family, even the 
pleas from the father himself, the husband and father of the three 
children, Paul Nelson; he went to Geneva just the other day, and his 
quote:
  ``If the ICPC had no confidence in the ability of the RUC to 
investigate the death threats against Rosemary, how can my family,'' he 
says, ``be expected to have confidence in their ability, indeed their 
willingness, to effectively investigate her murder?''
  Mr. Speaker, the bill before us, the resolution before us today, 
truly captures Mr. Nelson's sense of despair and reflects the growing 
international consensus that the British Government needs to act 
decisively and remove any and all doubts about the investigation into 
Rosemary Nelson's murder. RUC Ronnie Flanagan has rejected the call for 
an RUC-free investigation and has instead been spinning his wheels 
trying to create the image of impartiality and external influence on 
his investigation.
  It does not cut, nobody is buying it, and we need now an RUC-free 
investigation.
  Let me just conclude, Mr. Speaker, by noting that the major 
international human rights organizations, including Amnesty 
International, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, British/Irish 
Human Rights Watch, the Committee for the Administration of Justice, 
Human Rights Watch and the Geneva-based Commission of Jurists all 
support the call for an independent inquiry. That is what we tried to 
do in this resolution. The time is long past for this to happen, and I 
hope we get the full support of this body in support of this 
resolution.
  The resolution before us today condemns the brutal murder of Northern 
Ireland defense attorney Rosemary Nelson and calls on the British 
Government to launch an independent inquiry into Rosemary's killing.
  The resolution also calls for a judicial inquiry into allegations of 
official collusion in the 1989 murder of defense attorney Patrick 
Finucane and an independent investigation into broader allegations of 
harassment of defense attorneys by Northern Ireland's police force, the 
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).
  Rosemary Nelson was a champion of due process rights and a 
conscientious and courageous attorney in Northern Ireland. She was the 
wife of Paul Nelson and the mother of three young children: Sarah (8), 
Gavin (11), and Christopher (13). Her murder on March 15, 1999, was a 
cowardly act by those who are the enemies of peace and justice in 
Northern Ireland. Her death is a loss felt not just by her family and 
friends, but by all who advocate fundamental human rights.
  Consideration of this resolution today is particularly timely as 
officials in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the United 
Kingdom continue to question the ability of the RUC to properly conduct 
this murder investigation. In fact, last week, the European Parliament 
passed its own resolution--offered by Dublin's representative, Bernie 
Malone (MEP)--which calls for ``a fully independent team of 
investigators'' to conduct the inquiry as a means of securing 
confidence and objectivity.
  Anyone who knows anything about human rights in Northern Ireland 
would have little confidence that the RUC could produce a credible, 
transparent, thorough investigation of the murder of a Catholic defense 
attorney. The history of intimidation of defense attorneys by RUC 
members has been documented by my subcommittee, as well as by the 
United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Thus, there is little reason 
to believe that Rosemary Nelson, who was mistreated by members of the 
RUC throughout her professional life as an attorney, would now be 
treated respectfully and justly in death.
  I first met Rosemary Nelson in Belfast a few years ago, when she 
shared with me her genuine concern for the administration of justice in 
Northern Ireland. She explained how, as an attorney, she had been 
physically and verbally assaulted by RUC members and how they sent 
death threats to her through her clients. Many of her clients were 
harassed as well.
  Notwithstanding these threats, Rosemary Nelson still carried an 
exhaustive docket which included several high profile political cases, 
such as representing the family of Robert Hamill, who was beaten to 
death by a sectarian mob, and representing the residents of Garvaghy 
Road in their bid to stop controversial marches in their neighborhood. 
Through her work, she became an international advocate for the rule of 
law and the right of the accused to a comprehensive defense and an 
impartial hearing.
  For this, however, Rosemary Nelson was often the subject of 
harassment and intimidation. For her service to her clients, Rosemary 
Nelson paid the ultimate price with her life--the victim of a car bomb.
  In September 1998--just 7 months ago--Rosemary testified before our 
subcommittee. She told us she feared the RUC. She reported that she had 
been ``physically assaulted by a number of RUC officers'' and that the 
harassment included, ``threats against my personal safety including 
death threats.'' She said she had no confidence in receiving help from 
her government because, she said, in the end her complaints about the 
RUC were investigated by the RUC.
  Testifying along with Rosemary Nelson was Mr. Param Cumaraswamy, the 
U.N. Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, who 
led an extensive human rights investigative mission to the United 
Kingdom and published a report in 1998. Mr. Cumaraswamy stated that he 
found evidence of ``consistent and systematic'' RUC harassment and 
intimidation of defense lawyers in Northern Ireland. His report was 
quite critical of the excessive authority granted to the RUC through 
the so-called ``emergency laws'' and he expressed dismay that the 
government had not moved decisively to protect lawyers under threat.
  Mr. Cumaraswamy recommended a judicial inquiry into the threats and 
intimidation Rosemary Nelson and other defense attorneys had received. 
He endorsed the establishment of a police ombudsman and he called on 
the British government to provide protection for defense attorneys who 
had been harassed. Today, it is hard not to wonder: if only the British 
Government had taken the Special Rapporteur's recommendations more 
seriously, Rosemary Nelson might have been better protected and still 
with us today.
  But last week, at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights annual summit 
in Geneva, Mr. Cumaraswamy reported that in the year since the release 
of the UN report about the grave dangers facing Northern Ireland's 
defense attorneys, the RUC has shown ``complete indifference.'' He 
accused RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan of ``allowing the situation 
to deteriorate.'' And like the rest of us, The Special Rapporteur says 
he has a ``nagging feeling'' that RUC involvement in what is now a 
murder investigation ``could affect and taint the impartiality and 
credibility of the investigation.''
  And yet, the our friends in the Blair government seem unmoved.
  Despite Rosemary Nelson's testimony, her concerns, and the concerns 
now raised by human rights experts the world over, the British 
government has forfeited the investigation of Rosemary Nelson' murder 
to the very agency she feared and mistrusted most, the RUC.

[[Page 6966]]

It doesn't seem to faze them that a report just released by Northern 
Ireland's police watchdog, the government's Independent Commission for 
Police Complaints (ICPC), said that RUC officers investigating the 
death threats against Rosemary Nelson were themselves ``evasive and 
disinterested.'' It also found an ``ill-disguised hostility to Mrs. 
Nelson on the part of some police officers.''
  Astonishingly, even the pleas of the bereaved family have fallen on 
deaf ears at Stormont Castle. As a result, Rosemary Nelson's husband, 
Paul, went to Geneva last week to gain outside help in his push for an 
independent investigation into the murder of his wife. He has said very 
simply, ``if the ICPC had no confidence in the ability of the RUC to 
investigate the death threats against Rosemary, how can my family be 
expected to have confidence in their ability--indeed their willingness 
to effectively investigate her murder?''
  The bill before us today captures Mr. Nelson's sense of despair and 
reflects the growing international consensus that the British 
Government needs to act decisively to remove any and all doubts about 
the investigation into Rosemary Nelson's murder. RUC Chief Ronnie 
Flanagan has rejected the call for an RUC-free investigation and has 
instead been spinning his wheels trying to create an image of 
impartiality and external influence in his investigation.
  But, it's all an illusion.
  While the Chief Constable's diversionary tactics have flattered 
some--even one or two in our own FBI--the people in the affected 
community have not been fooled. This week, both the Irish News and the 
Irish Times reported that despite Mr. Flanagan's posturing about 
external influences on the investigation, community witnesses ``have 
been reluctant to talk to the police.''
  And who can blame them?
  Local residents remain skeptical of the RUC's window dressing and 
have no confidence in an investigation that has already swapped one 
non-RUC lead investigator for another.
  They don't buy an investigation that advertises itself as a 50-member 
``outside'' investigate force even though 40 members of the team are 
RUC and only 10 are not.
  They have low expectations and little trust in an ``investigative 
team'' that tells people its working hard on the crime but can't get 
the date of the murder right and issues a telephone hotline number 
that's already been disconnected or never put in service.
  The camouflage on Mr. Flanagan's so-called independent, outside 
inquiry has already worn thin. Because of the documented, open 
hostility that RUC officers displayed towards Rosemary Nelson, the RUC 
simply does not have the credibility to answer the burdensome 
questions: Who killed Rosemary Nelson? Who ordered her murder? And did 
the RUC officers who threatened her life in the past either instigate, 
condone, or cover-up her killing?
  In order for this investigation to be beyond reproach, and to have 
the confidence and cooperation of the Catholic community that Rosemary 
Nelson adeptly represented, it must be organized, managed, directed and 
run by someone other than the RUC. Anything short of that may have 
surface appeal, but it still leaves too much of the grueling 
investigation under the charge of an organization of which the murder 
victim herself was extremely suspect, and to whom the local people are 
afraid to talk.
  The major international human rights groups, including Amnesty 
International, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, British/Irish Human 
Rights Watch, the Committee for the Administration of Justice, Human 
Rights Watch and the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurist 
support the call for an independent inquiry.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the major tenets of the 1998 ``Good Friday 
Agreement'' is its promise of an acceptable police force that will 
secure due process rights--rather than thwart them--for members of both 
communities in Northern Ireland. The success of the peace process is 
predicated on the government's ability to deliver on a police force 
that will protect fundamental human rights and to demonstrate to the 
people of Northern Ireland that injustices such as harassment of 
defense attorneys and the murders of Patrick Finucane and Rosemary 
Nelson will be investigated by top-notch, dedicated and impartial 
personnel.
  For these reasons, I urge final passage of this bill.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Vento).
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and join my colleagues in 
lamenting the assassination of Rosemary Nelson. With the prospect of 
the Good Friday Accords in Northern Ireland and the fact that they are 
still being pursued, and we are hopeful that they will be brought to 
resolution, clearly this action against such a high-profile defense 
lawyer and defense representative in Northern Ireland was calculated 
to, in fact, stop those peace accords from going through, as other 
actions that have taken place have also been aimed at that; and I think 
all of us are hopeful that the Northern Ireland Government, the 
Government in the UK will recognize that the objectivity of the Royal 
Ulster Constabulary to in fact do this investigation has been forfeited 
because of the events that have occurred in the recent past and 
certainly with regards to Rosemary Nelson obviously, the testimony 
here, the fact that she feared them and so forth, I think is a 
statement that demonstrates that they have, in fact, compromised their 
neutrality in terms of being able to go forward with such 
investigation.
  I think that the government structure clearly want to and hope that 
they would like to get to the bottom of this, and so I think we must 
find an objective investigation that is independent to get to the 
bottom of it; and I think we should get to the bottom of it and 
prosecute those that are guilty of this assassination and proceed with 
the business at hand.
  I think that events in Northern Ireland are pretty clear. Recently I 
had the privilege to travel and participate in Northern Ireland with 
Habitat for Humanity, the Belfast celebration providing homes to both 
Catholics and Protestants. The economy of all of Ireland is on the 
upswing, employment and opportunities are growing, and hopefully the 
discrimination that has persisted in the past can now finally be laid 
to rest. It has taken hundreds of years to get to where we are, but 
these are, this type of behavior is learned behavior, and I think that 
the human spirit certainly can rise above it, and we have seen some 
pretty good examples of that in the past year.
  The electoral process has been successful, and while outstanding 
issues exist, I am optimistic that the Clinton administration, the 
former Senator, George Mitchell-led Good Friday Peace Accord Agreement 
of 1998 will be implemented, and that the IRA decommissioning and 
reform at the RUC will be achieved.
  I commend the leadership of the republic's Prime Minister Ahern, Mr. 
Trimble and Jerry Adams, who are attempting to bring to conclusion and 
completion the goals of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
  This horrific murder of the attorney, Rosemary Nelson, represents a 
sad day in the long peace process in Northern Ireland, but hopefully it 
will not be the last chapter. Hopefully, the last chapter will be one 
with this type of symbolic action of this outstanding personality and 
person, that this will be one in which this loss of life will help to 
push us and push these governments to a point of reconciliation and 
building the type of community and the type of understanding that will 
settle this matter for decades into the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in lamenting the 
plight of Rosemary Nelson. Sadly, Rosemary, a leading Catholic human 
rights attorney and campaigner, was murdered by a car bomb in Lurgen, 
Northern Ireland on March 15, 1999. This cowardly act is believed to 
have been orchestrated by an outlaw band of extreme Protestant Red Hand 
Defenders who claimed responsibility for the killing.
  Rosemary's commitment to social justice and defense of nationalist 
activities in high-profile cases throughout Northern Ireland led to 
intimidation tactics by the Protestant-dominated police force, the 
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and several death threats by unionist 
para-militaries. Nelson, who was married and the mother of three 
children aged 8 to 13, represented the Catholic residents of Carvaghy 
Road, who refused to allow a Protestant fraternal organization to 
parade past their homes in annual sectarian commemorations that 
prompted province-wide violence. She also defended the family of Robert 
Hamill, who was the victim of the ``Portadown kicking'' incident, while 
RUC police officers did not address this atrocity. Unfortunately, due 
to Rosemary's death, this case is still pending.
  Rosemary made a very impressive and powerful impact when she 
testified before the

[[Page 6967]]

House Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, on 
September 29, 1998. Her testimony exposed the harassment and 
intimidation of defense lawyers representing nationalists in political 
cases in Northern Ireland. She accused the RUC of making death threats 
against her and her family through clients as well as sending 
threatening telephone calls and letters directly to her. In addition, 
it is also alleged that the RUC made similar threats against the safety 
of other defense attorneys in Northern Ireland. I would point out that 
10 years ago, prominent Catholic defense attorney Patrick Funucane was 
murdered by an alleged loyalist death squad. To this day, no one has 
every been charged with that crime. Further allegations suggests that 
the RUC has conducted searchers without warrants, arrested and detained 
suspects without providing access to legal council. These allegations 
clearly violate international civil rights laws and compromise the 
neutrality of the RUC to enforce the law.
  The murder of Rosemary Nelson has the potential to uproot and 
undermine last year's historic Good Friday peace agreement. Further 
retaliation from nationalist paramilitary forces could take the British 
province back toward a state of sectarian warfare that has regrettably 
prevailed for 30 years.
  In response to Rosemary's murder and the past and current 
intimidation tactics, I rise in strong support of H. Res 128, which 
condemns all violence committed in violation of the largely successful 
Northern Ireland cease-fire agreement. Specifically, this measure 
condemns the murder of Rosemary and calls on the British government to 
overturn its decision to allow the RUC to investigate Rosemary's death. 
While the objectivity of the RUC is under question, the investigation 
will not be accepted. H. Res 128 rightly urges the British government 
to conduct an independent inquiry and issue a detailed public report on 
the car bombing which killed Rosemary Nelson. Furthermore, this 
important measure requests the British government to conduct a judicial 
investigation of the treatment of defense attorneys by the RUC and 
continue to investigate the death of Patrick Finucane.
  Recently, I had the privilege to travel and participate with Habitat 
for Humanity in a Belfast celebration of providing homes for both 
Catholics and Protestants. The economy of all Ireland is on the 
upswing, employment opportunities are growing and hopefully the 
discrimination that has persisted in the past can now finally be laid 
to rest. The electoral process has been successful and while 
outstanding issues exist, I am optimistic that the Clinton 
administration and the former Senator George Mitchell-led Good Friday 
peace agreement of 1998 will fully be implemented and IRA 
decommissioning and reform of the RUC achieved. I commend the 
leadership of the Republic's Prime Minister Ahern, Mr. Trimble and 
Jerry Adams, who are attempting to bring to conclusion and completion 
the goals of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
  The horrific murder of attorney Rosemary Nelson represents a sad day 
in the long peace process in Northern Ireland. The role of defense 
attorneys in any democracy and in Northern Ireland is vital. The test 
of a new society in Northern Ireland will be to recognize and respect 
such roles without any intimidation or improper interference. We must 
all look forward to that day by building a truly democratic society, 
brick by brick, and building a community which respects one another.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation 
before us in honor of Rosemary Nelson who gave her life on Monday, 
March 15. It is so ironic that today we also honor Rosa Parks. Rosa 
Parks and Rosemary Nelson have a lot in common. They both stood up for 
injustices in the world. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at the 
front of a bus in Selma, Alabama, and did not give in to intimidation 
of police.
  Like Mrs. Rosa Parks, continents away, Rosemary Nelson continued to 
receive death threats from those who continue to see Catholics as 
second-class citizens.
  In the shadow of peace talks, I know that Prime Minister Tony Blair 
and Irish Premier Bertie Ahern met yesterday for 5 hours at Downing 
Street. Although the parties showed little outward signs of progress, I 
do believe that they must continue.
  But let me say this. The peace process is in serious trouble if 
perpetrators of Mrs. Nelson's death do not come forward. To date, the 
RUC has yet to bring anyone accused of any crime associated with the 
killings of the minority Catholic community. How do they have no 
indictments or imprisonments over several years of sustained and 
continued intimidation and abuse?
  There is something wrong with this picture. The investigation into 
the assassination of not only Rosemary Nelson is disturbing, but the 
death of Pat Finucane as well. I have asked for an independent 
investigation, one that is totally independent of RUC involvement. 
Since there is well-founded evidence that there was collusion by the 
RUC in both these murders, it is imperative that the investigation be 
totally delinked.
  Last year, the United Nations Rapporteur called for an independent 
investigation and pointed specially to look at the harassment of civil 
rights attorneys in the north of Ireland. Many lawyers on behalf of 
residents in Ireland are routinely excluded from interviews with their 
clients and are detained in holding centers.
  The troubles in the north of Ireland did not begin with this one 
courageous woman's death. We must also investigate Bloody Sunday which 
began on Easter Sunday in 1972. Two years ago I went to the Pat 
Finucane Center in West Belfast and met with Miss Ruth Taillon of the 
West Belfast Economic Forum. While there, I also met with the wife of 
imprisoned lawyer, Colin Duffy, and Oliver Kearney, Chairman of the 
Fair Employment Group of Equity and relatives of the Justice Committee. 
The Justice Committee sent me a letter, and I quote: ``It would be 
untenable for RUC to have the inquiry.''
  Moved by what I saw, I came back to the States committed to seeing 
that justice is done. I introduced legislation that will call for full 
disclosure of the inquiry reports of both Pat Finucane and the Nelson 
case, and it also calls on the United Nations to form an independent 
inquiry into the long-term harassment of these individuals. I have 
worked with the sponsors of this bill, and I believe my concerns have 
been incorporated in the bill.
  It is public knowledge that Mrs. Nelson's life was threatened on 
several occasions by the RUC Special Branch. Mrs. Nelson testified 
before the Committee on International Relations' Subcommittee on 
International Operations and Human Rights on September 29 of last year 
that she had been threatened by the RUC officials. Rosemary Nelson lost 
both of her legs and suffered extensive abdominal injuries in the blast 
and died despite intensive medical efforts to save her life. Ms. Nelson 
was a prominent Armagh County human rights attorney and was a defender 
of the basic principles that this country has fought for during the 
height of the civil rights movement and continues to fight for today, 
the equality of mankind.
  She died to enable our world to live more amply with greater vision 
and finer spirit of hope and achievement. We impoverish her memory if 
we forget the task at hand.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address the House and 
ask for passage of this legislation.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for all his work 
for all concerned not only in Northern Ireland and around the world, 
but particularly for his work and his effort in the north of Ireland. 
We thank him.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. Neal).

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by commending 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and certainly the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Gilman), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) 
and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and people who have been 
so faithful to this cause for so long.
  For the better part of two decades I have been immersed in the 
details of what life is like in Northern Ireland, particularly for the 
nationalist community, and we are reminded today that this conflict 
represents the longest standing political dispute in the history of the 
Western world.

[[Page 6968]]

  Once again, on occasions like this we are also reminded that it is 
the United States that lights the way for hope in terms of man and 
womankind. It is the United States, and its ability to shed light on 
inequities and injustices in other parts of the globe, that calls 
attention to events like the murder of Rosemary Nelson.
  I had the opportunity to meet Rosemary Nelson, and I can say that in 
an unbridled manner she was the champion of the rights of the 
nationalist community to stand in front of a court system that they do 
not always trust, but nonetheless to be treated in a manner that was 
fair and equitable.
  The killing of Rosemary Nelson reinforces my belief and the belief of 
millions of Americans that the criminal justice system in the north of 
Ireland, including policing, is in need of dramatic change and indeed 
reform and perhaps even abolition.
  Just last week, the United Nations' special investigator released a 
report that raises serious questions about the professional integrity 
and independence of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The report documents 
cases of collusion between the RUC and the paramilitary groups.
  Let me picture this for the American people: The policing 
organization tips off members of the paramilitary loyalist groups who 
then, once the individual is fingered as a suspect, is not only subject 
to verbal intimidation and harassment, but as is the case of Rosemary 
Nelson, one may well be murdered for their beliefs.
  It draws attention to the fact that solicitors who choose to 
represent individuals in the nationalist community, like Rosemary 
Nelson and another friend of mine through his family, Pat Finucane, 
were always the targets of harassment and intimidation by the Royal 
Ulster Constabulary.
  Following the recommendations of organizations such as the British-
Irish Watch, Amnesty International, and the Lawyers Committee for Human 
Rights, the U.N. Special Investigator demanded independent judicial 
inquiries into the deaths of Rosemary Nelson and Patrick Finucane.
  Mr. Speaker, if we do not say something in this Chamber, if we do not 
say something in the halls of this Congress, then typically these 
events are brushed under the carpet. It is only the United States, in 
its ability to call attention to these inequities, that in the end 
causes us to travel down the path of what might be a satisfactory 
system of justice.
  Ireland is closer today than it has been at any time in this century 
to the settlement of peace; as John Hume and Jerry Adams frequently 
say, an agreed upon Ireland. That should be the goal of all of us. We 
cannot have one part of the community, the policing organization, being 
seen as being part of the occupying force, and expect the minority or 
the nationalist community to accept that judgment.
  It is people like John Hume and Jerry Adams who for the better part 
of 30 years have stood for the rights of people in the nationalist 
community, to ensure that when someone stands in front of a judge, that 
they are not found guilty because of their religious beliefs or because 
of their ethnicity. That is what Jefferson and Madison gave us in 
America and that is what we ought to attempt, wherever we can, to 
export to the rest of the world.
  I must say that it will be the United States in the end that calls 
attention to these injustices, that could lead to a conclusion of swift 
justice to bring the perpetrators of the murderer of Rosemary Nelson 
and Patrick Finucane to the bar of justice.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, without question, we must all condemn the murder of 
Rosemary Nelson in the strongest terms. She was a remarkable woman who 
fought for justice, human rights and respect for the law in the north 
of Ireland.
  I once again commend my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Smith), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), and all the 
sponsors of this resolution. The facts surrounding the Nelson murder 
and investigation demonstrate the need for overall police reform in 
Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland must have a police force that all of 
its citizens, all of its citizens, can have confidence in.
  The reason the RUC had to call in an independent investigator was 
because they lacked credibility to conduct this investigation. The 
degree to which lower level RUC officers were involved in the murder of 
Ms. Nelson must be explored. We must have an independent entity direct 
this investigation, which produces a public and transparent report, 
finding out all the facts, all of the facts, behind the Rosemary Nelson 
murder. It must be a prelude to radical and thorough police reform in 
Northern Ireland and cannot have any substitute. I urge my colleagues 
to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Without objection, the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) will control the time allocated to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Crowley) for his good, strong statement and for his work on this 
resolution.
  Let me close very briefly. British justifications for not having an 
independent inquiry were further undercut by the Northern Ireland 
Independent Commission on Police Complaints, which expressed doubts 
that the RUC could objectively address Mrs. Nelson's earlier 
allegations of police harassment and threats.
  The commission, after initially watching the RUC's investigation of 
itself, concluded that the RUC did not inspire confidence. The 
commission noted the need for independence and referred the matter to 
the metropolitan police in London for investigation even before Mrs. 
Nelson's tragic murder.
  That referral report has leaked out since Mrs. Nelson's murder, and 
it is a scathing indictment of the RUC and its indifference to her 
safety. For example, the report says that of the RUC officers involved 
in the investigation, that there was, ``observable hostility, 
evasiveness and disinterest. One officer attended the interview 45 
minutes late without explanation and smelled of alcohol.''
  It is time now to act independently, to encourage real independence 
in this investigation and Pat Finucane and for protection of all the 
defense attorneys in Northern Ireland. That is why this resolution 
sends that clear message to the British.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. 
Gejdenson).
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), and others who have been 
working on this for some time.
  For those in this country that have come to expect a judicial system 
that is fair, that is honest, police investigations that we can put our 
faith in, sometimes it is hard to understand when a country's entire 
respect for law is adversely affected by concerns about the honesty of 
investigations and police activities.
  This Congress time and time again has led the fight for fair justice 
for all citizens of every country. That is what we are doing here 
today. Again, I commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), and in particular my good 
friend, the gentleman from Springfield, Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), for 
the efforts they have made fighting for justice here again.
  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, last week, during consideration of the 
State Department reauthorization bill in the House International 
Relations Committee, I rose with Congressman Menendez to present an 
amendment to that bill. Its purpose was to ban the further training of 
members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary by the FBI at their National 
Academy in Quantico, Virginia. There were many reasons why we 
introduced that amendment, but one of the most compelling was the 
suspicion of RUC complicity in the assassination of Rosemary Nelson.

[[Page 6969]]

  Accusations of RUC support for the murder of Catholic leaders 
abounds. Rosemary Nelson appeared before the International Relations 
Committee and testified that she had received death threats from 
members of the RUC.
  The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers 
has found that the RUC is engaged ``in activities which constitute 
intimidation, harassment, [and] hindrance'' of defense lawyers [in 
Northern Ireland] in the course of their professional duties. He also 
labeled the RUC's intimidation of defense lawyers in Northern Ireland 
as, and I quote, ``consistent and systematic.''
  This is not acceptable. There must be an independent investigation 
into the murder of Rosemary Nelson to determine who is responsible. 
Those who are responsible must be brought to justice. If members of the 
RUC are confirmed to have been involved, the RUC should be disbanded 
and a new police force created.
  Mr. Speakers, Northern Ireland needs a police force for all the 
people. Defense attorneys in Northern Ireland must be protected so that 
they can do their jobs. I support H. Res. 128 and I urge my colleagues 
to do so as well.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House 
Resolution 128, a resolution which condemns the brutal murder of 
Northern Ireland human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson and calls for an 
independent inquiry into her death.
  Ms. Nelson's murder was truly a tragedy--a cowardly act by those who 
are enemies of peace and justice in Northern Ireland.
  Rosemary Nelson spent her life trying to help others. She was a 
champion of human rights worked tirelessly to protect ensure these 
basic rights for her fellow countrymen. Ultimately, she was killed 
because of her work.
  We must not allow her death to be in vain--we must not allow the 
enemies of peace to win. We have all worked too long and hard to 
achieve peace and the people of Ireland deserve no less.
  Today, I join with my colleagues and call for an independent 
investigation into the death of Rosemary and all human rights attorneys 
in Northern Ireland who have lost their lives in the pursuit of helping 
others.
  We owe it to the memory of these courageous individuals--and we owe 
it to the cause of peace and justice, both in Ireland and throughout 
the world.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time and urge a ``yes'' vote.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 128, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that, I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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