[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24281-24282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE IN SUPPORT OF A REINVIGORATED UNITED 
   STATES VISION OF FREEDOM, PEACE, AND DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 477, which was 
submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 477) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate in support of a reinvigorated United States vision of 
     freedom, peace, and democracy in the Middle East.

  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 matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 477) was agreed to.

[[Page 24282]]

  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 477

       Whereas the President articulated to the world on November 
     12, 2004, a vision of freedom, peace, and democracy for the 
     broader Middle East;
       Whereas this vision was also shared and expressed by Prime 
     Minister Blair of the United Kingdom;
       Whereas that vision includes a just and peaceful resolution 
     of the Arab-Israeli conflict based on 2 democratic States, 
     Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and 
     security;
       Whereas the President again stated his commitment to the 
     security of Israel as a Jewish State;
       Whereas the road map, endorsed by the United States, the 
     United Kingdom, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the 
     European Union, Russia, and the United Nations, remains a 
     realistic and widely recognized plan for making progress 
     toward peace;
       Whereas the international community should support 
     Palestinian efforts to build the necessary political, 
     economic, and security infrastructure essential to 
     establishing a viable, democratic state;
       Whereas there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East 
     without a Palestinian State that is democratic, free, and 
     based on the rule of law, including free press, free speech, 
     an open political process, and religious tolerance;
       Whereas the Palestinian leaders must meet their commitments 
     under the road map to fight terrorism and dismantle terrorist 
     organizations;
       Whereas the Palestinian Authority will need a credible and 
     unified security structure capable of providing security for 
     the Palestinian people and fighting terrorism;
       Whereas Palestinian leaders, with help from the 
     international community, must also develop effective and 
     transparent financial structures that provide for the 
     economic and social needs of the Palestinian people;
       Whereas the President stated that now is the time to seize 
     the opportunity of new circumstances in the region to 
     redouble our efforts to achieve this goal;
       Whereas achieving the goals of peace, security, and 
     stability will require the United States, its international 
     partners, and the parties involved to take the following 
     steps articulated in a Joint Statement by President Bush and 
     Prime Minister Blair on November 12, 2004:
       (1) recommit to the overarching 2-State vision set out by 
     President Bush in his statement of June 24, 2002 and repeated 
     in the road map;
       (2) support the Palestinians as they choose a new President 
     within the next 60 days, and as they embark upon an electoral 
     process that will lead to lasting democratic institutions;
       (3) mobilize international support behind a plan to ensure 
     that the Palestinians have the political, economic, and 
     security infrastructure they need to create a free, viable, 
     and democratic State, including free press, free speech, an 
     open political process, and religious tolerance;
       (4) support the disengagement plan of Prime Minister Sharon 
     from Gaza and stipulated parts of the West Bank as part of 
     this overall plan; and
       (5) recognize that these steps lay the basis for more rapid 
     progress on the road map as a reliable guide leading to final 
     status negotiations;
       Whereas the United States will join with others in the 
     international community to foster the development of 
     Palestinian democratic political institutions, support the 
     new leadership of the Palestinians that is committed to those 
     institutions, assist in the reconstruction of civic 
     institutions, promote the growth of a free and prosperous 
     economy, and endorse the building of capable security 
     institutions dedicated to maintaining law and order and 
     dismantling terrorist organizations; and
       Whereas in order to promote a lasting peace, all States in 
     the region must oppose violence and terrorism, foster the 
     development of democratic political and civic institutions, 
     support the emergence of a peaceful and democratic Palestine, 
     and state clearly that they will live in peace with Israel: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved that the Senate--
       (1) endorses the Joint Statement made by President Bush and 
     Prime Minister Blair on November 12, 2004, expressing a 
     shared vision of freedom, peace, and democracy in the broader 
     Middle East and supports a reinvigorated and concerted United 
     States-led international effort to achieve that vision;
       (2) supports explicitly the steps presented by President 
     Bush and Prime Minister Blair in that Joint Statement as the 
     basis for more rapid progress on the road map as a reliable 
     guide leading to final status negotiations;
       (3) reaffirms its commitment to a vision of 2 democratic 
     States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace 
     and security as the key to peace; and
       (4) expresses its commitment to the road map, which was 
     endorsed by the United States, Israel, the Palestinian 
     Authority, the European Union, Russia, and the United 
     Nations, as a realistic and widely recognized plan for making 
     progress toward peace.

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