[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 23163]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



HONORING THE MEMBERS OF THE CREW OF THE GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER U.S.S. 
``COLE'' WHO WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED IN THE TERRORIST BOMBING ATTACK ON 
                              THAT VESSEL

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 378, submitted by 
Senator Warner for himself and others.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 378) honoring the members of the crew 
     of the guided missile destroyer U.S.S. Cole (DDG-67) who were 
     killed or wounded in the terrorist bombing attack on that 
     vessel in Aden, Yemen, on October 12, 2000, expressing the 
     sympathies of the Senate to the families of those crew 
     members, commending the ship's crew for their heroic damage 
     control efforts, and condemning the bombing of that ship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to 
the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 378) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 378

       Whereas the guided missile destroyer U.S.S. COLE (DDG-67) 
     was severely damaged on October 12, 2000, when a boat bomb 
     exploded alongside that ship while on a refueling stop in 
     Aden, Yemen;
       Whereas the explosion resulted in a 40-by-45 foot hole in 
     the port side of the ship at the waterline and left seven of 
     the ship's crew dead, ten who as of October 17, 2000, are 
     missing and presumed dead, and over three dozen wounded;
       Whereas the U.S.S. COLE had stopped in Aden for routine 
     refueling while in transit from the Red Sea to the Persian 
     Gulf to conduct forward maritime presence operations in the 
     Persian Gulf region as part of the U.S.S. George Washington 
     battle group;
       Whereas the members of the United States Navy killed and 
     wounded in the bombing were performing their duty in 
     furtherance of the national security interests of the United 
     States;
       Whereas United States national security interests continue 
     to require the forward deployment of elements of the Armed 
     Forces;
       Whereas the members of the Armed Forces are routinely 
     called upon to perform duties that place their lives at risk;
       Whereas the crew members of the U.S.S. COLE who lost their 
     lives as a result of the bombing of their ship on October 12, 
     2000, died in the honorable service to the Nation and 
     exemplified all that is best in the American people; and
       Whereas the heroic efforts of the surviving crew members of 
     the U.S.S. Cole after the attack to save their ship and 
     rescue their wounded shipmates are in the highest tradition 
     of the United States Navy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate, in response to the terrorist 
     bombing attack on the U.S.S. COLE (DDG-67) on October 12, 
     2000, while on a refueling stop in Aden, Yemen, hereby--
       (1) honors the members of the crew of the U.S.S. COLE who 
     died as a result of that attack and sends heartfelt 
     condolences to their families, friends, and loved ones;
       (2) honors the members of the crew of the U.S.S. COLE who 
     were wounded in the attack for their service and sacrifice, 
     expresses its hopes for their rapid and complete recovery, 
     and extends its sympathies to their families;
       (3) commends the crew of the U.S.S. COLE for their heroic 
     damage control efforts; and
       (4) condemns the attack against the U.S.S. COLE as an 
     unprovoked and cowardly act of terrorism.

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I will just add that I know how deeply 
Senator Warner feels about this. I am very appreciative that he 
submitted this resolution. Senator Warner served in both the Marines 
and the Navy, serving as Secretary of the Navy, and now serves as 
chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He and a substantial 
delegation of Senators and Congressmen attended the services today for 
those sailors we lost on the Cole.
  We need to remember the Cole, and we need to remember the hundreds of 
thousands of service men and women who are serving us around the globe 
who cannot be fully protected where they are. I think this is an 
important resolution today. It is appropriate that this Senate pauses 
to remember them.

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