[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14433]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        CONDEMNING THE ATTACKS ON ISRAEL BY HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2006

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the 
terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas and their continuing brutal 
attacks against the people of Israel.
  Hezbollah took the lives of eight Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and 
captured two others on the Israel-Lebanon border earlier this week. 
This is the same terrorist group which took the lives of 257 Americans 
in the bombing of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut 26 
years ago.
  The contrast between Lebanon and Israel is stark. Lebanon not only 
tolerates terrorists, it harbors and supports them. Lebanon has 
blatantly and purposefully disregarded U.N. Resolutions and diplomatic 
requests to disarm Hezbollah and to bring to justice the terrorist 
leaders. On the other hand, Israel has complied with the U.N. charter, 
and has had its forces withdrawn from Lebanon since May 2000. This 
latest attack was completely unprovoked; in fact, Hezbollah leaders 
claimed that it had been planned for months. Clearly, the purpose of 
this latest attack is to perpetuate the violence in the region.
  An estimated 100 million dollars per year in weaponry and other 
support is sent from Tehran through Damascus to supply Hezbollah. The 
government of Lebanon takes a hands-off approach towards this continued 
violence. The Syrian and Iranian governments should be condemned for 
their support of the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organizations.
  It is time for the world community to take action against Hezbollah 
and the nations that support it. The United States must also not allow 
the Iranian government to use this latest bloodshed as a diverting 
tactic against U.S. attention from their unrestricted nuclear program.
  With the killing of Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad 
Shalit by Hamas, the timing of Hezbollah's incursion and kidnapping 
raises grave suspicions and increases the existing tension in the 
region.
  Israel is in a difficult position, for it must deal with state-
sponsored terrorism involving the Palestinian, Lebanese, Iranian and 
Syrian governments. In response to these brutal attacks, Israel clearly 
has the right to defend herseIf. Like every sovereign nation, Israel is 
clearly justified in taking the actions necessary to safeguard its 
territory and its people.
  My thoughts are prayers are with the families/and loved ones of the 
kidnapped Israeli soldiers at this difficult time.

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