[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                          QUERIA'S TRUE COLORS

  (Mr. PITT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITT. Mr. Speaker, three Americans lost their lives this week in 
Gaza City. Several Palestinians died as well. They were part of a team 
being escorted by Palestinian security forces to bring relief to the 
Palestinian people.
  The Middle East peace process sometimes looks like it will never 
succeed. But as we mourn the death of these Americans, we should keep a 
wary eye on what Arafat's new prime minister said in response to a 
question last week.
  Asked whether he would support the road map and confront and shut 
down the terrorists, he responded, ``I will not listen to the 
Americans. I will listen to our national rights. We will not confront; 
we will not go for a civil war. It is not in our interest. It is not in 
the interests of our people and it is not in the interests of the peace 
process.''
  He is right about a civil war. That is not what we want. But to say 
that he is willing to stand up to the people in his ranks who 
deliberately target and kill innocent people is ridiculous. Too many 
innocent people are dying, Israelis and Palestinians, to avoid direct 
confrontation with the forces that are killing those people.

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