[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2414-2419]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER RAFIK 
                                 HARIRI

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 91) honoring the life and legacy of former Lebanese 
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 91

       Whereas on February 14, 2005, a bomb exploded in Beirut, 
     Lebanon, killing at least 15 people, including Rafik Hariri, 
     former Prime Minister of Lebanon, and wounding at least 100 
     people;
       Whereas Rafik Hariri, a leader and public servant, was 
     believed to be the target of the attack;
       Whereas on June 14, 2003, the Future TV studio in Lebanon, 
     which is owned by Rafik Hariri, was targeted by a rocket 
     attack;
       Whereas Rafik Hariri, born into a humble family in Sidon, 
     Lebanon, on November 1, 1944, became a successful businessman 
     and politician who served the people of Lebanon in numerous 
     roles;
       Whereas Rafik Hariri contributed to the mediation between 
     Lebanese militias during the Lebanese civil war and was a 
     primary architect of the 1989 Taif Accords, which put an end 
     to the Lebanese civil war;
       Whereas Rafik Hariri contributed to the economic 
     development and post-war reconstruction of Lebanon, 
     attracting foreign investments from throughout the world;
       Whereas Rafik Hariri founded several philanthropic, 
     humanitarian, and educational foundations to provide 
     assistance to needy individuals;
       Whereas Rafik Hariri was respected by the international 
     community, as exemplified by the international community's 
     support for the Paris II conference on relieving Lebanon's 
     debt in November 2002;
       Whereas the assassination of Rafik Hariri should not be 
     allowed to discourage participation and open debate in 
     Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections, which the United 
     States expects to take place in the spring of 2005 as 
     scheduled and be credible, democratic, and free of foreign 
     interference;
       Whereas in response to the terrorist bombing attack, 
     President George W. Bush stated: ``Mr. Hariri was a fervent 
     supporter of Lebanese independence, and worked tirelessly to 
     rebuild a free, independent, and prosperous Lebanon following 
     its brutal civil war and despite its continued foreign 
     occupation. His murder is an attempt to stifle these efforts 
     to build an independent, sovereign Lebanon free of foreign 
     domination.''; and
       Whereas President Bush further stated: ``The people of 
     Lebanon deserve the freedom to choose their leaders free of 
     intimidation, terror, and foreign occupation, in accordance 
     with UN Security Council Resolution 1559. The United States 
     will consult with other governments in the region and on the 
     Security Council today about measures that can be taken to 
     punish those responsible for this terrorist attack, to end 
     the use of violence and intimidation against the Lebanese 
     people, and to restore Lebanon's independence, sovereignty, 
     and democracy by freeing it from foreign occupation.'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the 
     terrorist bombing attack that occurred on February 14, 2005, 
     in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed former Lebanese Prime 
     Minister Rafik Hariri and killed and wounded others;
       (2) extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the 
     families of all the victims in this terrorist attack and to 
     the people of Lebanon in this moment of tragedy;
       (3) recognizes the significant contributions made by Rafik 
     Hariri during his lifetime;
       (4) reaffirms the right of the people of Lebanon to choose 
     their leaders in a manner that is free of intimidation, 
     terror, and foreign occupation in accordance with United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004); and
       (5) urges all members of the international community to 
     facilitate any investigation into this terrorist attack and 
     help bring the perpetrators to justice.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Issa) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on H. Res. 91, the resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of House Resolution 91, 
introduced by the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) on February 
14, 2005, that condemns the terrorist bombing attack that occurred in 
Beirut, Lebanon, which killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik 
Hariri and killed and wounded over 100 others. I and my cosponsors had 
a hard time writing this resolution with the gentleman from West 
Virginia, not because there was not an abundance of material, not 
because the attack was not heinous, but because it is so hard to 
summarize in a few words on the House floor the devastating effect that 
his assassination has already had on the people of Lebanon and on this 
troubled region. As we speak, day after day, the people of Lebanon 
march in the streets and they chant, ``Syria out. Syria out. Syria, 
who's next?''
  There is no proof that Syria is directly responsible for this 
assassination, but there is no doubt that Syria has remained in Lebanon 
far longer either than their mandate or than the agreements under the 
Taif Accords of 1989. Syria has claimed to be the responsible party in 
Lebanon for security. Yet even after warnings of the possibility of an 
attack on these and other leaders who have voiced their opposition to 
the continued presence of Syria in Lebanon, this heinous attack was 
allowed to occur.
  This resolution calls on all foreign forces in Lebanon to leave the 
country. This resolution calls on many things. But for today, I would 
like all of us to remember it calls on a remembrance of the life of a 
man who had great personal wealth, who had great success, who had been 
granted even the citizenship of another country in which he had worked 
but returned to Lebanon, and, at his own expense and at his own peril, 
campaigned tirelessly for Lebanese citizenship, Lebanese nationality, 
Lebanon for the Lebanese.
  There is little more that we can say. I would hope that all of us 
would not forget today, and that day after day and month after month we 
would return to this body and deal with his legacy until his dreams 
become a reality.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 91, condemning the monstrous terrorist 
bombing in Beirut, Lebanon that killed the late Prime Minister of 
Lebanon, Rafik Hariri, and killed and wounded many others. I want to 
commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for bringing this matter 
to the floor in such a timely fashion, and I want to thank the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and all other colleagues who 
have worked on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I met the late Prime Minister Hariri on many occasions. 
Although I did not always agree with him, I held him in the highest 
regard because I recognized in him a man who was a true patriot, 
single-mindedly devoted to healing his nation after 15 years of a 
bloody civil war. He was a man not only of charm and drive but of 
vision. He worked a minor miracle in reviving downtown Beirut, and it 
was characteristically cynical that the murderers chose that particular 
area of the city as the site for their cruel crime.

[[Page 2415]]

  I knew that part of Beirut very well. I first visited it in 1956 and 
it was one of the gems of the Middle East. The late Prime Minister 
Hariri returned that portion of Beirut to its former outstanding 
aesthetic qualities. Given his immense wealth, he could be alive right 
now, living the good life somewhere on the French Riviera with a 
mansion and a private beach. Instead, he threw himself into the 
treacherous world of Lebanese politics, Lebanese politics played out 
under a menacing Syrian shadow, and like so many before him, he paid 
the ultimate price.
  Among Mr. Hariri's most impressive attributes was his capacity for 
growth. Over time, he evolved from a Lebanese leader who was close to 
the Syrians, into one who was wary of them, and finally, in his last 
days, into one who outright opposed them. Of course it is a near 
certainty that it was that evolution, particularly the final stage, 
that led to his demise. A long time ago in a private talk with the 
President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, he taught me a lesson. He said, 
``Every country has its exports and Syria exports trouble.'' No wiser 
words were ever said in connection with this latest tragedy.
  Mr. Speaker, as I stand here, I do not know for certain who murdered 
Rafik Hariri. I only know that this thuggish action bears all the 
hallmarks of infamous Syrian-inspired assassinations in Lebanon's past, 
going back to the then-shocking killing of Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt 
in 1977. I also know that Syria makes little effort to hide the fact 
that these assassinations are intended to intimidate other potential 
opponents.
  Bashar al-Assad was supposed to represent a new, more humane Syria, 
but that unfortunately has not been the case at all, and certainly not 
in Lebanon. Just this past fall, a pro-Hariri cabinet minister who 
resigned his post over Syrian manipulation of Lebanese politics was the 
victim of a shooting widely believed to be inspired by Syria.
  Mr. Speaker, Lebanese politics is highly complex, but I do know that 
when Rafik Hariri turned decisively against Syria, he cast his lot with 
the opposition in recent months. Damascus had plenty of reasons to be 
concerned. With international respect and domestic popularity, and with 
Lebanese parliamentary elections on the horizon for this spring, Hariri 
was just the sort of opponent who could make life very uncomfortable 
for the Syrian occupying overlords.
  So is Syria guilty of the murder of Rafik Hariri? None of us is 
certain at this moment, Mr. Speaker, but I share the sentiments of the 
late Mr. Hariri's son, Saad Eddeen, who when asked why his father was 
killed replied simply, ``It's obvious, isn't it?'' I believe it is 
obvious, Mr. Speaker.
  We do not yet know for certain who is responsible for the brutal 
assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri, but that brutal act is 
all too reminiscent of similar murders of Lebanese political leaders by 
Syrian henchmen over the past three decades, and we cannot ignore the 
similarities.
  Our Department of State, Mr. Speaker, took exactly the right step 
yesterday in recalling our Ambassador from Damascus. And I find myself 
in the rare position of agreeing with the French, who said that there 
should be an international investigation of this crime, because I am 
certain that we cannot trust the Syrian-dominated Lebanese Government 
to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry.
  Whether through international investigation or through other means, 
Mr. Speaker, the culprits of this heinous crime and their sponsors and 
their masters must be found and brought to justice and the Lebanese 
people must now act decisively to truly take their future into their 
own hands.
  Mr. Speaker, Syria has an international legal obligation to remove 
its troops and its security forces from Lebanon. When I met with the 
Syrian President some time ago, I reminded him of this obligation. So 
did former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Removing the boot of Syria 
from the neck of Lebanon would unleash the talents and resources of 
this beautiful and potentially rich country which has suffered 
unspeakably under the Syrian yoke.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution and I call on all my 
colleagues to support it as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), someone whose ancestry is from 
Lebanon, someone who has been a student of Lebanon, and someone who was 
in periodic communication directly and indirectly with the former Prime 
Minister.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding me this time. I thank him for the resolution. I thank my 
friend from West Virginia who called me on Monday to talk with me about 
the terrible events that took place and the idea of quickly introducing 
a resolution so that we could honor the Prime Minister. I thank the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for his good words.
  A few hours ago, the people of Lebanon laid to rest their former 
Prime Minister. They laid him to rest in a place in Lebanon that he 
rebuilt. Ten years ago I had the privilege of going to Lebanon for the 
first time and over the last 10 years I have been to Lebanon at least 
once a year. Every time I have been there I have been warmly welcomed 
by the Prime Minister.
  Ten years ago when I visited Lebanon, it was a war-torn country and 
Beirut was a war-torn city, a lot of burned-out buildings, a lot of 
areas where you could see the remnants of a war that took place. Today 
it is a beautiful city. Today it has been rebuilt thanks almost in 
large part to the efforts of former Prime Minister Hariri. It was 
rebuilt with his own resources, rebuilt with his own ingenuity, rebuilt 
by his ability to bring people together.
  Today he was laid to rest there in an area called Solidaire which he 
designed and built as the business center for Beirut, a magnificent 
area. The Prime Minister was able to make Beirut what it was once known 
as, the Paris of the Middle East. If you go there today, you will 
recognize that immediately.
  When he would come to the United States and visit with our Presidents 
or our Secretaries of State or the Speaker of the House or the minority 
leader or Members of Congress, he would always talk about how do we get 
more people to come to Lebanon, how do we get more people from this 
country to go there and understand the complexities of the country?
  He was a man who brought people together, whether it be in his own 
country or in our country. He was a uniter, not a divider. He certainly 
did not deserve what he got and what was delivered to him a few days 
ago when he was assassinated. He did not deserve that. I hope that we 
are able to find those that perpetrated this terrible, terrible event 
against him that took his life and those of others that were in his 
entourage.
  Rafik Hariri is a world leader. He was a peacemaker. He was one that 
was able to really bring people together. He was responsible for the 
Taif Agreement. He was the one that kept speaking out for people to 
really come together in his own country. He provided over 2,000 
scholarships to students not only in Lebanon, but around the world, so 
they could go to school because he knew the importance of education.
  He contributed so much to so many ordinary Lebanese citizens, 
contributed so much to rebuilding the country. I considered him a very, 
very dear friend. I had many opportunities to visit with him when he 
was in this country, to get to know his family, his children, his two 
sons, and they hopefully will be able to continue some of the work that 
he began a long time ago.

                              {time}  1445

  I am not going to take the time to try to lay blame. I think we 
should be here to honor this great man, this great leader, the great 
peacemaker, the uniter of people, the one that has brought people 
together around the idea that Lebanon is a country that deserves 
attention, a country that has not always gotten the attention that it 
deserved.
  And so in urging Members to vote for this resolution, we say, job 
well done,

[[Page 2416]]

good work, we thank those who have made this resolution possible today, 
and God speed to Rafik Hariri for his efforts to try to unite the 
Middle East to bring our fellow Lebanese people together as he has 
visited this country and to rebuild the beautiful city of Beirut. We 
have lost a great leader. We will remember him.
  As Members vote for this resolution, I hope they will also remember 
him and his family in their thoughts and prayers.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), the principal author of this 
resolution we are considering.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding me this time, and I thank him for his help on this resolution.
  I thank as well the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the chairman 
of the full committee; the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), 
subcommittee chairwoman; and especially the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Issa) for his invaluable help in drafting this resolution. I thank 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Dingell), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), my initial 
co-sponsors, for their quick action as well following the events of 
Monday morning this week.
  Mr. Speaker, both of my grandfathers were born in Lebanon. It is a 
heritage of which I am proud. I am proud as well about the relationship 
between our two countries. I am proud of the Lebanese people. I am 
proud of the contributions that the Lebanese society has given to not 
only America but to the world and vice versa. We can look across all 
sectors of American life, cultural, educational, medical, and see 
examples of where our two people have worked closely for the betterment 
of humankind. And that relationship is strong. It has been strong over 
decades and decades, and it will continue to be strong.
  I have traveled Beirut a number of times. I was there at the height 
of the Israeli bombardment in July/August of 1982. I have been in 
Lebanon at the height of the fighting, at the height of the hostage 
taking. I have been in Lebanon in peaceful times. Recently, I have seen 
the reconstruction and the beauty that has returned and the safety and 
security that has returned to that city and most all of the country. 
And that has made me proud of the land of my grandfathers. It has made 
me proud of the Lebanese people, the dedication they have.
  They have been through a lot, there is no doubt about it. The civil 
war took its toll on the country. During that time, we saw Lebanon 
serve as the chessboard for many outside foreign forces to play their 
power games upon the land of Lebanon. The government was weak then. 
They could not control their borders. They could not control the 
outside forces that came into Lebanon to play their deadly, deadly 
games.
  But in 1990 that civil war came to an end. It came to an end with the 
tremendous help of the former Lebanese prime minister, he was not prime 
minister at that time, Rafik Hariri. He was born in Lebanon but raised 
and made most of his fortune in Saudi Arabia. He represented that 
country as well as Lebanon in bringing the various militias together to 
end the civil war in the early 1990s time frame. He also used his 
personal wealth to rebuild that country, as has already been stated on 
the floor today.
  Solidaire, the reconstruction company that rebuilt downtown Beirut, 
did it in a fashion that much of ancient history was preserved at the 
same time that Beirut looked forward to the future. And it was done in 
a way that had to reconcile many factions within Beirut itself. So 
Rafik Hariri spent not only his personal fortune in this rebuilding, 
but he put his life on the line for his native country of Lebanon.
  The fate that he suffered this past Monday morning is a fate that no 
human being on the face of the Earth should suffer. It was a criminal 
act; it was a heinous act of terrorism from those who do not have the 
courage to work through the political systems or differences. I do not 
know who is to blame. Certainly there are enough outside forces in the 
region that once again are looking at Lebanon to play their ugly, 
deadly games. It is well known Rafik Hariri's background with the Saudi 
royal family. They have enemies in the region. Certainly we know that 
al Qaeda would use every chance to strike at the Saudi royal family.
  Much has been said about the Syrian influence. Syria is a neighborly 
Arab country, a brotherly country to Lebanon; and it certainly has its 
interest in that country, as two neighbors always will have.
  But that is beside the point today. As the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. LaHood) said today, we honor the legacy and the presence of a man 
who was huge in Lebanon, but huge in the world as well. He was a friend 
to many in this country, including the current occupant of the White 
House. When Rafik Hariri would come to Washington, D.C., he was 
received with respect, and he was received with hospitality by many of 
my colleagues and by many around this country.
  So today to his widow, to his sisters and brothers, to his children, 
we extend our deepest sympathy; and we know that his presence is big in 
Lebanon and around this world and is big in this Congress of the United 
States because he had many friends here, and we pay our respects to him 
today.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cox).
  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding me this time. And I want to thank the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rahall) for bringing this resolution to the floor today.
  The former prime minister of Lebanon, who died so tragically, was a 
visionary for his country, for the region, for the world. He was an 
entrepreneur who understood the importance of markets and a free 
economy to the future of Lebanon and the future of the Middle East. He 
was a philanthropist, who, from his personal fortune, personally paid 
for so many to be educated both in this country and around the world, 
with only one condition, that they come back to Lebanon and help build 
a free democratic society there.
  His murder on Tuesday in Beirut was a loss for Lebanon to be sure, 
for the Middle East as well, but also for the international community, 
for everyone in the world who loves freedom and democracy. We are 
gathered today to honor his memory and to call for the swift pursuit 
and punishment of those responsible. More importantly, we are here to 
do justice to Mr. Hariri's dreams of a free, independent, and sovereign 
Lebanon.
  I first met Rafik Hariri during a visit to Lebanon 12 years ago. He 
was impressive because, as someone from the private sector, he 
dedicated himself, at great risk in the midst of civil war, to bringing 
warring factions together. He was, as has been stated here, a principal 
architect of the Taif Accords. As prime minister, he put in place the 
kinds of initiatives that would make Jack Kemp proud, recognizing the 
power of incentives, recognizing that if people could be given reason 
to share the Lebanese hope that reconstruction was possible to invest 
their money not just from Lebanon but from around the world, that even 
in those horrible ashes of war, we could see spring up new 
entrepreneurship, new hope, and new opportunity.
  His tireless work on behalf of peace in a country that was wracked by 
a vicious civil war and his diligent pursuit of freedom and 
independence for his countrymen, all at great risk to himself and to 
his family, was always inspiring. His broader work to open the Middle 
East to enterprise and economic prosperity should serve as an example 
to people throughout the Middle East and around the world that the path 
to prosperity requires free minds and free markets. It is time that we 
help bring his dreams to fruition.
  I had the opportunity to meet more recently, in December of 2003, 
with President Basheer Assad of Syria; and I shared with him our 
concerns, our American concerns, about the continued military 
occupation in Lebanon

[[Page 2417]]

which Rafik Hariri worked diligently to bring to an end.
  Mr. Hariri's funeral in part turned into a protest against the 
continued Syrian occupation. The 200,000 people participating in the 
procession make it clear to the rest of us around the world that those 
in Lebanon, just as we here in America and in nations around the world, 
deserve the right to self-determination. For 25 years Lebanon and its 
people have been denied this freedom.
  This resolution honors a great leader of Lebanon whose principles 
are, first of all, fundamentally consonant with Lebanon and the 
Lebanese spirit and culture, but, second and equally importantly, 
completely consonant with what we every day in this United States 
Congress fight for for our fellow Americans and for people around the 
world.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to honor Mr. Hariri 
and to support the people of Lebanon.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Engel), the distinguished senior member of the Committee 
on International Relations.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very distinguished friend from 
California for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution. I think that 
it is very important that we state that we will not tolerate this kind 
of violence and that the United States Congress is going to come out 
squarely in opposition to this kind of violence.
  Mr. Speaker, I am the author of the Syria Accountability Act; and I 
think that it is clear to me, and all the evidence is being gathered, 
but I suspect that this assassination has some ties to Damascus, to the 
regime in Damascus. There have been all kinds of allegations, and one 
thing I know for sure is that the Syrians have allowed Lebanon to 
destabilize, and this is part and parcel of the result.
  Prime Minister Hariri in recent months had grown more and more 
critical of the Syrian occupation, and I say occupation because it is, 
of Lebanon. And in the past months, he objected to Syrian interference 
in the running of Lebanon's affairs. The bottom line here is that 
Lebanon needs to be free and independent and make its own decisions and 
not be held under the yoke of Syria. Syria needs to get out of Lebanon. 
I have many, many Lebanese American friends with whom I am very close, 
work with me, the Syria Accountability Act, and all feel strongly that 
they want their country, their former country and the country to which 
they have ties, to be free.
  Syria now has 15,000 troops in Lebanon. I was pleased to see the 
United States and France collaborate on Security Council Resolution 
1559, which pointedly calls for all foreign troops to leave Lebanon and 
which clearly says that the Lebanese ought to run their own show. Syria 
has allowed various terrorist militias to run free. Hezbollah, the 
southern border of Lebanon, northern border of Israel wreaks havoc with 
Damascus's blessing.
  So at this time, when we pay tribute to Prime Minister Hariri, I also 
want to call on words of a former prime minister, General Michel Aoun, 
who came right here to Washington just a year ago, and said, ``You 
know, in Lebanon Syria likes to play the game they are the arsonist and 
the fireman.

                              {time}  1500

  They start the fire and then they want accolades and credit for 
putting it out.'' Because General Aoun came here to Washington and 
testified before Congress, he was indicted in Lebanon and it is 
virtually impossible for him to go back to his country. This is what we 
are dealing with.
  So in certifying and supporting this resolution today, we recall the 
life of Prime Minister Hariri, and nothing could be a more fitting 
tribute to Prime Minister Hariri than having the Syrians leave Lebanon. 
I will double my efforts to do all I can under the Syria Accountability 
Act, talking to the President and seeing what we in Congress can 
continue to do to put pressure on Syria to leave Lebanon.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in 
voting for this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, many people today have spoken and many more will insert 
into the Record their comments on the devastation to the Lebanese 
people of this assassination. I suspect all of us can only sit by in 
horror and imagine the effect if one of our heads of state running to 
regain, in this case equivalency of the Presidency in many ways, were 
to be assassinated by parties unknown who opposed his politics, what a 
chilling effect that would have on elections.
  Mr. Speaker, this spring there will be elections in Lebanon. If I may 
speak for a moment as best I can, as though I were Rafik Hariri, what 
would he say here today in order to protect the country he loved so 
well? I suspect that he would say, ``To the people of the world, to the 
people of this country, make those elections this spring free and fair. 
Empower the Lebanese people and their candidates not to be chilled by 
this terrible event.'' And as the prime mover of the Tai'f Accord, a 
man who came as a Sunni Muslim to a troubled region and said it does 
not matter if you are Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Orthodox or Maronite, we must 
come together, we must put behind us the many sins of the past.
  I believe that Prime Minister Hariri would not say ``Do not find out 
who killed me,'' not for a moment. But I think what he would say is, 
``The best memory that you can have, the best way to eulogize me, is to 
make my country free. Have all foreign forces leave my country, 
including their secret police. Allow my country to be what it once was 
and would be again, given the opportunity to be free of foreign 
influence.''
  Mr. Speaker, I believe very strongly that those words, and more, 
would be from this great man, who cared more about freedom for his 
people and about peace than he cared about vengeance.
  So as Americans we must demand to know who killed this great leader, 
this selfless servant of the people. But in his name we must also make 
sure that those elections go forward in a way that presently they will 
not. We must take the steps to make sure that we do that. I look 
forward to working on a bipartisan basis to craft such legislation or 
to urge the administration to bring such sanctions and such force to 
bear that will cause that to happen.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. 
Kaptur).
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding me time, and rise with my colleagues to support this 
resolution recognizing the life of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. We 
condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist bombing attack 
that occurred February 14, 2005, in Beirut, which took his life, killed 
so many others and wounded dozens and dozens of people.
  Let me just say that Prime Minister Hariri, when he first took office 
in the early 1990s himself pledged to lead his country in what he 
called a quantum leap forward to resurrect it from the civil war that 
it had endured, a tragedy of over a decade. He said ``I want to go down 
in the history books as the man who resurrected Beirut.'' And as a 
Member of this Congress who traveled to see part of that resurrection 
in Solidaire and the rebuilding of that war-torn country, it goes to 
show how one person's vision can literally transform a corner of the 
world.
  When I think about our conversations with him, I would have to say he 
was a man who was very measured. He was someone who actually did not 
have to be doing what he was doing in the political realm because he 
was so financially wealthy. He did not need any of this. He did not 
have to give his life for the country he so deeply loved.
  He founded the Hariri Foundation. Through that foundation he helped 
to support so many young people for their education, for their future, 
for health care, indeed all of the charitable works for which the 
Hariri Foundation has been responsible to pull the people of Lebanon 
forward.
  The son of a grocer, someone with humble roots, he had an incredible 
career as a construction magnate in the

[[Page 2418]]

Middle East. Really his power in the current Parliament in Lebanon was 
sufficient that he could have blocked actions by other leaders in that 
country, but he chose not to do so. He believed very much in peaceful 
evolution. He was the architect really of the rebirth of modern 
Lebanon.
  I feel so sorry that this has happened, because truly he is someone 
who would not want to incite more violence in that very troubled part 
of our world. I understand that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
LaHood) was down here a little bit earlier talking about the letter we 
signed to the Bush administration. It urges that in order to help to 
try to keep the calm in that region, to use our commodity programs 
through the U.S. Department of Agriculture more effectively, especially 
at this time, throughout that region, in order to turn food into 
development assistance. We should aim to keep the calm in a very tender 
and difficult moment in history.
  I truly extend deepest sympathy and condolences to the family and to 
all the victims of this terrorist attack. I shall miss his counsel and 
his measured strength, as he came here to advise not just about 
Lebanon, but about many topics of concern to fair-minded people of the 
world.
  I would hope that the world community would not be too quick to judge 
who is responsible for this murder. In fact there should be teams set 
up to actually investigate and to try to ascertain who might have been 
involved. Let us not be too quick to point fingers at who might have 
done this, because in fact Mr. Hariri himself would never have done 
that. He would have gotten to the bottom of any situation.
  Again, I thank the gentleman for rising in support of this very 
important resolution to honor the life of former Prime Minister of 
Lebanon, Mr. Rafik Hariri.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 
91 honoring the life and legacy of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq 
Hariri. Extremely well thought of by the international community, Mr. 
Hariri's tragic and untimely death is a great loss to us all.
  Mr. Hariri was born in Southern Lebanon in 1944 to a family that was 
neither political nor powerful. Mr. Hariri attended the Beirut Arab 
University where he was trained as a teacher. After leaving the 
University, however, Mr. Hariri went abroad to seek his fortune. He 
found that fortune in Saudi Arabia, where he established his own 
construction firm. Mr. Hariri became the personal contractor to Prince 
Fahd, who later became king of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Hariri's company, 
Oger, became one of the region's largest and most profitable 
construction companies. Mr. Hariri amassed a fortune that propelled him 
into Forbes richest 100 people in the world, with an estimated net 
worth of $4 billion.
  While Mr. Hariri's rags to riches story is noteworthy, it is not what 
he will be most remembered for. Mr. Speaker, Rafiq Hariri loved 
Lebanon. He genuinely wanted to give something back and to serve his 
country. During the civil war he mediated between rival militia groups. 
And in 1989, Mr. Hariri was a primary architect of the Taif Accords, 
which finally put an end to that war. In 1992, Mr. Hariri returned to 
Lebanon to serve as a Member of Parliament, and was appointed Prime 
Minister. The first order of business for Prime Minister Hariri was to 
restore the Lebanese economy and rebuild the country after the 15 year 
civil war. Mr. Hariri left office in 1998 and returned as Prime 
Minister again in 2000. During his tenure, he was successful in 
attracting foreign investment, rebuilding Beirut and reviving Lebanon's 
tourism industry.
  I would be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I did not mention Rafiq Hariri's 
humanitarian work. Over the course of his life he found several 
philanthropic, humanitarian and educational foundations which aided 
poor Lebanese with schools, healthcare and college tuition. In the 
midst of the civil war, during cease-fires, he sent Oger trucks into 
Beirut's streets to clear away the rubble.
  Mr. Speaker, the death of Rafiq Hariri leaves a void in Lebanon, a 
void that will not be easily filled.
  I would like to take this opportunity to urge the international 
community to fully investigate this act of terror. In addition, I 
advise the United States to offer forensic assistance to Lebanon. We 
have vast experience with bomb investigations, and I feel confident 
that our expertise could be used to help identify those responsible for 
this assassination, and bring them to justice.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life and legacy of 
Rafiq Hariri, extending our deepest sorrow to the Lebanese people, both 
in Lebanon and around the world on their loss, and in condemning the 
heinous act that cut short this still promising life. I would also ask 
that my colleagues join me in offering our deepest condolences to the 
families of all those killed and our prayers for the swift recovery of 
the wounded.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to extend my deepest 
sympathy for the untimely death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. 
Mr. Hariri's death is a tremendous loss not only to Lebanon, but to the 
global community as well. His efforts to restore peace and prosperity 
to his homeland after emerging from brutal civil war have earned him 
the great esteem of both myself and many of my House colleagues.
  Mr. Hariri began his career as a civil servant at a time when his 
country was in desperate need of rehabilitation. In 1990 Lebanon had 
just emerged from a 15-year civil war an exhausted nation with an 
uncertain future. As Prime Minister, Mr. Hariri worked tirelessly to 
restore the nation's economic and political health. By establishing 
stable loan programs with various foreign powers, Mr. Hariri secured 
much needed reconstruction funds with which he rebuilt Lebanon's 
infrastructure. He oversaw the higher education of tens of thousands of 
Lebanese students and put forth a sizeable proportion of his own 
fortune toward social, education, and transportation projects. Mr. 
Hariri worked for a unified Lebanon, free from the social divisions of 
war and restored to its former state of health and stability.
  As a descendent of Lebanese immigrants, I retain a deep personal 
interest in the welfare of my ancestral country. I followed Mr. 
Hariri's struggles as Prime Minister to put Lebanon back on firm 
footing and admired his determination. Now that Mr. Hariri has passed 
away, I can only hope that his cause will continue to be carried out by 
those who must now fill his place.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, 
offered by Representative Rahall of West Virginia, condemning the 
terrorist attack of February 14, 2005, that killed former Lebanese 
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and to honor the life and legacy of the 
former Prime Minister.
  Born in Sidon, Lebanon, in 1944, Rafik Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, was 
not born into wealth, but into a farming family. In 1965, seeking a 
better life, he moved to Saudi Arabia where he worked as a 
schoolteacher and accountant before starting his own business. Through 
hard work and particular skill in the construction industry, former 
Prime Minister Hariri acquired what many have estimated to be a fortune 
in excess of $2 billion.
  Mr. Hariri began his involvement in the political and economic life 
of Lebanon long before he became prime minister. As a Lebanese 
businessman living in Saudi Arabia, he played a behind-the-scenes role 
as a mediator, advisor and promoter of cease-fires and agreements to 
end the civil war that ravaged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. He invested 
his time and extensive contacts throughout the world to bring peace to 
his war-torn country.
  In 1984, Mr. Hariri participated in the Geneva and Lausanne 
conferences to bring about political reconciliation in Lebanon and 
helped broker initiatives to put an end to the civil war.
  In 1989, Mr. Hariri was the power behind the Taif Agreement, which 
succeeded in ending the war and the drafting of a new constitution for 
Lebanon. This agreement was the political contract that laid down the 
principles of national reconciliation that ended a dark chapter in 
Lebanon's history.
  In 1992, he returned to his home country to assume office as prime 
minister after 28 years of living and working in Saudi Arabia. He 
formed his first government on October 22, 1992.
  He immediately began an ambitious rebuilding program whose crown 
jewel was the rebuilding of Beirut's war torn central district. Today, 
this district is a vibrant and beautiful center of commerce and culture 
that rivals that of the world's other great cities.
  Rafik Hariri was a man of peace and a man of diplomacy. He was the 
kind of man the United States and our allies need as we seek to spread 
freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East.
  I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hariri on a number of occasions. He 
was a kind and humble man and the extent of his generosity towards the 
people of Lebanon, and those throughout the world, may never be fully 
known. He used his own personal wealth to give thousands of students 
the opportunity to gain a college education that they would have 
otherwise been unable to afford.

[[Page 2419]]

  Mr. Speaker, it is my expectation that a thorough and internationally 
validated investigation will uncover many facts about the assassination 
of Lebanon's former Prime Minister who remained a sitting member of 
parliament. Rafik Hariri was the leader of a political faction that 
many thought would take back control of Lebanon's government in 
parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in May. I know, from my 
personal meetings with Prime Minister Hariri, that he held deep 
reservations and misgivings about the continued presence of Syrian 
troops and Syrian secret police in Lebanon. Most often, it was not what 
he said, but what he indicated he could not talk about that most 
starkly expressed the reservations he had about Syria's role in 
Lebanon.
  Following this national tragedy, Lebanon must now try to hold free 
and fair parliamentary elections in May. It is my fear that the 
assassination of Mr. Hariri, and the many other past assassinations 
that have too often gone without significant investigation in Lebanon, 
will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and those who would 
vocally criticize the continued Syrian presence.
  To say it plainly, it is time for Syrian troops and all the Syrian 
secret police to leave Lebanon. The security that Syria once provided 
is no longer needed and having security only for those who ally 
themselves with the continued Syrian presence is incompatible with 
democracy in Lebanon.
  Mr. Speaker, I support UN Resolution 1559 that demands a, ``strict 
respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political 
independence of Leanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the 
Government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon,'' and for all, ``foreign 
forces to withdraw from Lebanon.''
  Rafik Hariri fought for a democratic and prosperous Lebanon. The 
United States, even after his death, should continue to press for Prime 
Minister Hariri's vision for Lebanon and a better Middle East.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing condolences 
to the family of Mr. Hariri, the families of others killed in the 
attack that took Mr. Hariri's life, and the people of Lebanon. While I 
support this legislation expressing sorrow over the murders, I do have 
some concerns that H. Res. 91 is being waved as a red flag to call for 
more U.S. intervention in the Middle East.
  It is unfortunate that tragic occurrences like these are all too 
often used by those who wish to push a particular foreign policy. We 
don't really know who killed Mr. Hariri. Maybe an agent of the Syrian 
government killed him. Then again any of several other governments or 
groups in the Middle East or even beyond could be responsible. But 
already we are hearing from those who want to use this murder to 
justify tightening sanctions against Syria, forcing Syrian troops to 
leave Lebanon immediately, or even imposing U.S. military intervention 
against Syria. Just yesterday we heard that the U.S. ambassador to 
Syria has been withdrawn.
  The problem is that these calls for U.S. intervention ignore the 
complexities of Lebanon's tragic recent history, and its slow return 
from the chaos of the civil war--a revival in which Mr. Hariri played a 
praiseworthy role. We should remember, however, that it was the 
Lebanese government itself that requested assistance from Syria in 
1976, to help keep order in the face of a civil war where Maronite 
Christians battled against Sunnis and Druze. This civil war dragged on 
until a peace treaty was agreed to in 1989. The peace was maintained by 
the Syrian presence in Lebanon. So, while foreign occupation of any 
country against that country's will is to be condemned, it is not 
entirely clear that this is the case with Syrian involvement in 
Lebanon. Hariri himself was not a supporter of immediate Syrian 
withdrawal from Lebanon. What most won't say here is that Syria has 
indeed been slowly withdrawing forces from Lebanon. Who is to say that 
this is not the best approach to avoid a return to civil war? Yet, many 
are convinced that we must immediately blame Syria for this attack and 
we must ``do something'' to avenge something that has nothing 
whatsoever to do with the United States.
  So, while I do wish to express my sympathy over the tragic death of 
Rafik Hariri, I hope that my colleagues would refrain from using this 
tragedy to push policies of more U.S. interventionism in the Middle 
East.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay homage and tribute to Rafik 
Hariri, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon who was brutally 
assassinated and just recently laid to rest. Yesterday, the House of 
Representatives passed House Resolution 91 recognizing and celebrating 
his life of dedicated public service. His public as well as private 
contributions to his country were enormous. I commend all the members 
of Congress who worked quickly to develop this resolution, particularly 
members such as Mr. LaHood and Mr. Issa. I am sure the people of the 
United States and the people of Lebanon will miss Mr. Hariri greatly. 
Yet again, the Middle East has incurred a tragic loss of a world class 
leader who stood for peace and a better way of life for all the people 
of Lebanon. As we ask questions about his death and pursue the 
perpetuators of this act of terror, let us forever be inspired by how 
he led his life and made this world a better place.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and our 
Nation in honoring the life and legacy of former Lebanese Prime 
Minister Rafik Hariri and to express our condolences to his family and 
the people of Lebanon.
  A true patriot and dedicated public servant, Prime Minister Hariri 
devoted his life to his country and his people, working to rebuild 
Lebanon after its civil war and contributing millions to programs to 
improve the lives of the Lebanese people.
  He was well-respected by the international community for his efforts 
to build a free and independent Lebanon as evidenced by the United 
Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 affirming the right of the 
people of Lebanon to choose their leaders free from intimidation, 
terror and foreign occupation. Sadly he will not see his hope realized.
  On behalf of the people of Guam, I extend our deepest sympathy to the 
families of the victims of the February 14th attack.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rehberg). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 91, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. ISSA. 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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