[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 18797-18799]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2015
                       GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, SUDAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the Members who have 
participated in the dialogue on what is going on in the Darfur region 
of Sudan.
  Let me thank our leader, Leader Pelosi, for her participation, 
Chairman Watt of the Congressional Black Caucus from North Carolina, 
Congresswoman Kilpatrick from Michigan, Congresswomen Lee, Watson and 
Waters from California, Congressmen Rush and Davis from Illinois, 
Congressman Green from Texas, Congresswoman Moore from Wisconsin, and 
Congressman Jefferson from Louisiana for their participation this 
evening.
  Let me also acknowledge other Members who were not here tonight but 
have been real troopers in this battle for justice. Congressman Capuano 
from Massachusetts, and on the other side of the aisle, this is indeed 
not a partisan issue, because there is no person who has fought harder 
for the last 20 years or so on Sudan than Congressman Wolf from 
Virginia. He is there all of the time.
  Congressman Tancredo from Colorado, Congressman Royce from 
California, Congressman Smith from New Jersey, all Members of the House 
who have said that enough is enough, that we must do more. And so 2 
years ago, we declared genocide in Darfur. And that was 10 years after 
the world ignored Rwanda when genocide went on.
  And had the world done something in Armenia in 1916, when the so-
called young Turks came in and had genocide on the Armenia population, 
perhaps this would not have happened today. Or in 1939 as the German 
Nazis went through Europe and created the Holocaust, perhaps this would 
not have happened.
  If in Cambodia when Pol Pot and his regime killed millions of people, 
perhaps this would not have happened. If in Rwanda, when we saw the 
genocide happen, perhaps it would not be happening in Darfur. But we 
looked the other way in all of those instances and genocide is still 
here today. We must stop the genocide.
  There is no reason for people to still be slaughtered as they are 
being. You have heard the figures, and I will not repeat them. But the 
National Congress Party, formerly the National Islamic Front, cannot 
and should not get away with this campaign of murder and terrorism.
  This government under President Bashir came to power in a bloody coup 
d'etat in 1989. The NIF Government harbored Osama bin Laden for 5 
years, from 1991 to 1996. From there his operatives planned the 
assassination attempt on President Mubarak of Egypt. The NIF Government 
never was held responsible for harboring terrorists.

[[Page 18798]]

  They were responsible for millions of deaths before and they continue 
now to do this in Darfur. We must hold them accountable. There has been 
an authorization of 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers to go into Darfur. The 
government says no. We must, as President Bush said at the United 
Nations yesterday, we can no longer allow this to go on.
  The U.N. must go into Darfur to help the 7,000 AU troops who cannot 
handle this job alone. I was quite pleased that President Bush was 
forceful in his remarks yesterday at the 61st United Nations General 
Assembly.
  President Bush said, ``If the Sudanese Government does not approve 
this peacekeeping force quickly, the United Nations must act.''
  He then stated that, ``the UN's credibility was on the line.'' 
President, Mr. Bush, I agree. And we must add that the credibility of 
the United States Government is also on the line. We cannot allow 
genocide to continue.
  I welcome the appointment of Andrew Nazios as the Presidential envoy 
for Sudan. We look forward to working with him. But he must have a 
robust mandate. He must have the proper staff. He must have access to 
the White House. He must have leadership in the State Department if we 
are going to have a success.
  Finally, countries with influence in Khartoum must be used to urge 
the Government of Khartoum to stop the genocide.
  China, who our country, with the balance of trade to them, have made 
them a robust country with 500 million middle-class people as a result 
of their selling their products to us, must tell the Government of 
Sudan that they must stop what they are doing.
  We should be able to force China to get involved and say that enough 
is enough. And Russia must continue, must be stopped from selling arms 
to Sudan.
  The Arab League must step up to the plate. And Egypt that gets $2 
billion a year from the United States taxpayers must stand up and tell 
their neighbors, their friends, the Government of Sudan, that enough is 
enough. We must hold our so-called friends accountable.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate having the opportunity for us to have this 
discussion. We look forward to our government stepping up to the plate. 
Once again, enough is enough. It should really be ``never again.''
  Let me just conclude by thanking the Metro West and the Jewish 
community in the State of New Jersey and throughout the United States 
who have come up and have been so supportive. And we are getting many 
more groups getting involved.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to say, that as world 
leaders meet in New York this week to determine next steps on the 
Darfur crisis, we here in the U.S. Congress must commit to finding ways 
to break the current deadlock and lead new international action to stop 
the ongoing genocide.
  We need to begin an all-out diplomatic offensive on Darfur in order 
to prepare the way for a peacekeeping force that can ensure protection 
for the people of Darfur.
  The Coalition for International Justice estimated that 450,000 people 
in Darfur have died since the deadly genocide began some three years 
ago.
  International attention to the Darfur conflict largely began with 
reports by the advocacy organizations, Amnesty International, in July 
2003, and the International Crisis Group in December 2003.
  Since then, countless organizations have put in untold hours trying 
to stop the carnage and human suffering. Groups like: International 
Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, World Vision, SAVE 
DARFUR--an alliance of more than 100 faith-based, humanitarian, and 
human rights organizations, including: Amnesty International USA, 
International Crisis Group, American Jewish World Service, NAACP, 
American Society for Muslim Advancement, United States Conference of 
Catholic Bishops, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Church World 
Service.
  In all, dozens upon dozens of groups and organizations have 
prioritized stopping the killing in Darfur before there is no one left 
to be killed. It is high time that we, the U.S. Congress, join our name 
to that list.
  We've done it before.
  When the U.S. Congress decided in 1986 that South Africa's ways of 
Apartheid could no longer be ignored, the 99th Congress jumped in and 
passed of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act was won over a 
presidential veto. The bill imposed sweeping economic sanctions against 
South Africa, divesting capital from the government, and authorized 
several measures to assist the victims of apartheid.
  Virtually every member of Congress felt pressure from their home 
districts to do something about apartheid and cities and colleges in 
their districts were divesting, and the bi-partisan vote led the way 
ending an oppressive regime.
  We are at the point with Darfur.
  I continue to hope and pray that the Bush Administration makes this a 
top priority in New York this week, and to pressure Sudan and its 
allies, particularly Russia and China, to accept the will of the 
international community for an international force to protect civilians 
in Darfur.
  In the meantime, I hope that we all gather in support of 
Congresswoman Lee's Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act, DADA, of 
2006. Divestment worked to end Apartheid and it can work in this 
instance.
  We can make a difference. We can save lives. We can stop the 
genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, I recently took two actions regarding the genocide in 
Darfur that I wanted to bring to your attention.
  At the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the president of 
Sudan claimed that the genocide in Darfur is a myth propagated by 
Jewish organizations raising money for Israel.
  President Omar Hassan al-Bashir remarked that those ``who made the 
publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably, are Jewish 
organizations.''
  This statement is unconscionable and demands a vigorous response. 
Such Anti-Semitic remarks have no place in our world, let alone at the 
U.N. General Assembly.
  Furthermore, the mass killings, rapes and displacement of innocent 
civilians in Darfur are tragically well documented. The United States 
Holocaust Museum has issued a Genocide Emergency for Darfur.
  Today I signed a letter with several other Members of Congress 
demanding that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan retract his 
baseless remarks. The letter calls on the Sudanese government to abide 
by the Darfur Peace Agreement and the will of the U.N. Security 
Council.
  A copy of this letter is reprinted below for your information.
  In addition, I am an original co-sponsor of the Darfur Accountability 
and Divestment Act of 2006.
  This legislation will ban federal contracts going to corporations 
doing business in Sudan that directly or indirectly support the 
genocide.
  Countless organizations have dedicated untold hours to stopping the 
carnage and human suffering in Darfur.
  These organizations include the American Jewish World Service, 
Amnesty International, International Committee of the Red Cross and the 
NAACP.
  The U.S. Congress must enact the Darfur Accountability and Divestment 
Act of 2006 and join this list of international groups working to end 
the genocide in Darfur.
  Sundown on Friday night marks the start of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, 
the Jewish New Year 5767, thus beginning a 10-day period of personal 
reflection and contemplation for Jews around the world.
  This is a moment in human history when the poignant expression 
``Never Again'' must be repeated over again, coupled with real action 
to end this tragic period of human suffering.

     President Omar Hassan al-Bashir,
     President of Sudan,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear President al-Bashir: We were shocked to hear your 
     comments on Tuesday, September 20th, at the U.N. General 
     Assembly where you stated that reports of deaths and refugees 
     in Darfur are ``fictions,'' and that those ``who made the 
     publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably, are Jewish 
     organizations.''
       Many of us have traveled to Darfur and seen the death, 
     destruction, and misery of the innocent civilians in Darfur 
     with our own eyes. The last 3 years of violence in Darfur 
     have resulted in the death of an estimated 200,000 people and 
     millions have been forced from their homes. This atrocity has 
     been encouraged and facilitated by your government.
       We are grateful that the American Jewish community as well 
     as other faith communities have made a priority of raising 
     the issue of genocide in Darfur. Instead of using the ancient 
     technique of making the Jewish community the scapegoat for 
     your failures, we hope that you will take a close look at 
     your own actions. In direct violation of the Darfur Peace 
     Agreement and the will of the U.N. Security Council, your 
     government has recently deployed approximately 26,000 troops 
     and attack helicopters to the Darfur

[[Page 18799]]

     region. Your actions have directly resulted in an increase of 
     attacks on civilians and humanitarian aid workers.
       Mr. President, we call on you to apologize for and retract 
     your dangerous and fictitious accusations directed towards 
     the Jewish community. We also demand that you work to uphold 
     the Darfur Peace Agreement, and actively and immediately 
     strive to end the genocide within your borders. Finally, we 
     encourage you to work closely with Special Presidential Envoy 
     Andrew Natsios who is ready to aid your nation to achieve a 
     final peace. Rather than fanning the flames of conflict, we 
     hope you will act to save lives.

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