[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2137-2140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REPORT ON FOREIGN TRAVEL

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to report on a 
trip I made to Europe and the Mideast during the holiday recess, 
December 22 to December 31, 2005. The trip included stops in Brussels, 
Belgium; Tallinn, Estonia; Amman, Jordan; Baghdad, Iraq; Tel Aviv, 
Israel and Frankfurt, Germany.
  This trip enabled me to learn about the important transformations 
countries in Eastern and Western Europe are making as we enter the 20th 
century and away from the Cold War era. Additionally, my travels 
through the Mideast provided me tremendous insight into the evolving 
political structure of the region as well as the United States' 
progress on the war on terror.
  Prior to my departure many interesting and significant events 
occurred which helped shape the focus of my travels including: the 
eventual extension of the PATRIOT Act, the successful elections in 
Iraq, the New York Times disclosure of domestic eavesdropping and the 
tight fiscal budget constraints placed on the Fiscal Year 2006 
appropriations process. The broader implications of these events were 
issues which I frequently encountered in my travels.
  The first full day of my trip, December 23, 2005, began in Brussels, 
Belgium where I met with a number of members of two of the three U.S. 
Missions in Belgium: the U.S. Mission to the European Union, and 
officials from the U.S. Embassy in Belgium. The briefing was provided 
by: Will Imbrie, DCM; Ted Andrews, POL; Mike McKinley, Deputy Head of 
the U.S. Mission to the E.U.; Lee Litzenberger, Political Minister 
Counselor--U.S. Mission to the E.U.; and Dale Bendler, Special Adviser 
to the Ambassador. The discussions focused on a number of issues 
including the war on terror, war crimes, NATO and perceptions of 
President Bush by Belgians. Ambassador Korologus's staff briefed me on 
his efforts to build a strong transatlantic relationship between the 
United States, the European Union, Belgium and NATO. I found it 
interesting that Belgium is the 14th largest trade partner of the 
United States and that the country is making a substantial contribution 
to the war on terror financially. I support Ambassador Korologus's 
efforts and look forward to working with him and his staff in the 
future.
  Mike McKinley informed me that Belgians are unhappy with the war in 
Iraq and that they see a difference with the war waged in Afghanistan. 
It is perceived that the United Nations support of the war in 
Afghanistan, as opposed to Iraq, is the reason the country has sent 
troops to Afghanistan as well as the horrendous acts of terrorism on 9/
11. Mr. McKinley also informed me that the European countries, through 
the EU, will make significant contributions to the rebuilding of 
Afghanistan--5 billion euros over a 5-year period. Mr. Imbrie stated 
that the perception of President Bush in Belgium has

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improved not as a result of his most recent speeches, but because of 
the clear success of elections in Iraq.
  Mr. McKinley also briefed me on the strong relationship the European 
Union has with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with 19 members 
of the E.U. also a part of the 25 nations in NATO. Mr. Imbrie discussed 
the transformation which is being attempted with NATO, forcing its 
member countries to acknowledge that a threat within the NATO states is 
less likely than the threat of terrorism which exists from outside. The 
transformation also asks countries to be postured in such a way that 
deployment of support is quick and efficient. Mr. McKinley stated his 
strong belief that NATO is producing positive results and is essential 
as a vehicle available to deploy resources throughout the region and 
the world.
  A particular issue discussed relevant to my work on the Judiciary 
Committee is that of a law recently changed in Belgium which enabled 
the prosecution of war crimes committed anywhere in the world, at any 
time. The law has been reformed now to state that the person bringing 
the charge must be the offended individual and reside in Belgium. He 
cited two recent examples of the law's successful implementation.
  Of particular interest to me were Mr. Bendler's descriptions of the 
exchange of information between Belgian officials and the U.S. He cited 
a recent case where a Belgian citizen suspected of being a potential 
terrorist was tracked and later lost, only to be found again in Iraq. 
The individual's intention was to be a suicide bomber and to harm U.S. 
forces. With the help of the information provided by Belgians, U.S. 
forces were able to prevent any loss of life to U.S. troops. I believe 
this type of cooperation between nations is an important step forward 
in the war on terror.
  On December 24, 2005, I headed to Tallinn, Estonia, my first trip to 
the Baltic country. I was met by Jeff Goldstein, the Deputy Chief of 
the Mission, and was briefed on the country's history and its future. 
Estonia is a small country of approximately 1.4 million people, with 
nearly 400,000 individuals living in Tallinn. Tallinn is a beautiful 
city with much to offer both culturally and economically. Mr. Goldstein 
addressed a number of significant issues including the country's 
declining birthrate, its high tech economy, its AIDS epidemic, and the 
ability of its residents to receive free schooling in European Union 
countries.
  The issue of a declining birthrate in Estonia is one of tremendous 
importance. With a country of only 1.4 million people, the decline is 
being felt and the country is forced with the prospect of having to 
close some of its schools. To address this problem the Estonian 
government is seeking an aggressive strategy to reverse this decline. 
Specifically, the government is offering parents 15 months of paid 
maternity leave--a rate not to exceed three times the national average 
salary. Additionally, the employer is required to hold the mother's 
position open for up to three years. This aggressive strategy is 
expected to result in nearly 300 more births from last year's total.
  While in Estonia, I was fortunate to examine the country's rich 
cultural heritage. On December 25, 2005, I was provided a guided 
walking tour of Tallinn by a local guide, Stanislav Lomunov. This 
nearly 2-hour tour included a stop in the Alexander Nevsky Russian 
Orthodox Church. Following the tour, I met with Rabbi E. Shmuel Kot, 
the Chief Rabbi of Estonia, and participated in the Jewish communities 
lighting of the first Chanukah candle. This ceremony was followed by a 
tour of the local Jewish Community Center and site of a new temple 
already under construction. I later spent the evening with the Rabbi 
and his family, including four beautiful children, for a candle 
lighting ceremony at his home accompanied with potato latkes made by 
his wife.
  One of the most interesting aspects of Estonia is its economy. Mr. 
Goldstein explained to me that the economy is very focused on the high-
tech sector and is one of the original producers of software allowing 
consumers to make phone calls over the internet, Kazza and internet 
gambling. The country has a tremendous tourism industry with nearly 
3,000 hotel rooms to be built by 2007. Additionally, the country serves 
as an exit port for much of Russia's oil. What I found most interesting 
is the country's implementation of a 22 percent flat tax since 1996.
  I departed from Estonia for Jordan on December 26, 2005, arriving 
nearly 1 hour late due to snow in Estonia. I was met at the airport by 
U.S. Ambassador David Hale and immediately proceeded to a meeting with 
King Abdullah at his private residence. Ambassador Hale described 
Jordan's reaction to the recent bombings of hotels in the country, 
stating the Nation had never been more unified and that the terrorist 
attacks caused the country to review its security measures and civil 
liberties. The increased security was visible with armed guards and 
roadblocks at hotels throughout the city.
  During my meeting with King Abdullah, the focus of our discussions 
was on the future of Iraq and terrorism. The King expressed to me the 
need for the Iraqi government to be moderate and not extremist. He 
believes a moderate government will provide the Iraqi people something 
to build upon and help provide a stable country.
  Regarding Iran's progress towards acquiring nuclear capabilities, the 
King expressed the view that the international community as a whole 
needs develop a plan to address the issue.
  I brought up the recent Judiciary Hearing I held to examine Saudi 
Arabia's promotion of radical Islam. The King said that the difference 
comes down to ideology and the he is trying to stamp out fear. The 
Saudi government is not addressing the issue of ideology, and an 
interpretation of the Koran, that promotes the use violence. It was 
encouraging to learn, though, that the Saudi government is beginning to 
base its educational model on that of Jordan's. He stated another way 
to promote reform is to hold the Saudis to task and require 
transparency in their actions.
  Immediately following my meeting with the King, I proceeded to the 
office of Jordan's Prime Minister Maruf al-BAKHIT, who served in 
Jordanian Army for 35 years and is former Jordanian National Security 
Advisor. We began our discussion with the topic of Iraq. The Prime 
Minister believes that it would be disastrous for Iraq if the U.S. were 
to pull out. He is hopeful that soon the Iraqi forces will be able to 
defend themselves. The elections went well in his opinion and hopefully 
this is a positive sign that the process is moving forward.
  We discussed Jordan's judicial system. He explained to me that the 
country's judicial system has moved away from military courts to a 
civil court system with one mixed civil/military court. The system is 
not a jury system but a inquisitorial system where the judge may call 
any consultant he/she desires. Judges go through a 2-year training 
program before they are selected to preside over a court. Currently, 
the country is continuing a plan to upgrade the courts and expedite its 
cases. The Prime Minister believes that good progress has been made in 
the last 2-3 years of this plan which includes new technology.
  The following morning, Tuesday, December 27, I flew into Iraq. After 
a 2-hour flight on a C-130 and a 10 minute flight on a helicopter, 
including 35 pounds of body armor and a helmet, I arrived in Baghdad. I 
immediately proceeded to a meeting with MG Tim Donovan, chief of staff, 
Multinational Force-Iraq. General Donovan explained that U.S. forces in 
Iraq had significantly hindered al-Qaida and other insurgents ability 
to operate in Iraq. Additionally, he described the hope that in 2006 
the United States will serve a more supporting role than it currently 
does. I asked him what the U.S.'s role will be as the Iraqi security 
force continues to increase. General Donovan explained to me that the 
U.S. should serve a reduced role as Iraqi security forces increase and 
that they are currently working on more U.S. reductions.

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  The general assesses the future of Iraq's democracy as developing and 
expressed his view that Iraqis need to move beyond cultural divides. He 
emphasized that the country needs to develop a middle class to make 
democracy succeed.
  I inquired about the status of Iraq's oil industry. He explained that 
the industry is old and so is its infrastructure. Currently, they are 
able to export 3 million barrels a day. But in order for them to expand 
upon their capacity there will need to be an investment in technology 
and infrastructure.
  Following my meeting with General Donovan, I proceeded to have lunch 
with Brenda Zollinger, a Horsham, PA native. She described to me her 
work in the Army over the last 8 years. What I took away most from our 
conversation is her belief that the military is doing a good job taking 
care of our troops.
  After lunch I met with officials involved in the Department of 
Justice's Regime Crime Liaison's Office, RCLO; Mr. Kevin Dooley, CAPT 
Stephen Burris, USN, and Mr. Eric Blinderman. The RCLO was created by a 
National Security Presidential Directive in 2004, and serves to assist 
the Iraqi High Tribunal and to provide security and support for the 
Tribunal. In the briefing I learned that the judicial system is an 
inquisitorial system based on a five-judge panel which needs a simple 
majority to adjudicate. Additionally, the court has no burden of proof 
beyond a reasonable doubt.
  I expressed the view that Saddam has committed so many atrocities 
that the trial should be very simple if the evidence was put forward in 
an organized and methodical way. This can not be done with Saddam 
controlling the microphone to make speeches. I think it is a shame that 
the trial could not have been held sooner.
  Mr. Dooley and Captain Burris accompanied me to the courthouse and 
provided me a tour of both Saddam's cell and the courtroom. I also 
viewed the security control room where all actions of the courthouse 
are monitored.
  Following the tour, I proceeded to meet with members of Saddam's 
trial including: the Presiding Judge Rizgar, the Chief Prosecutor 
Jafaar and the Chief Investigating Judge Ra-id.
  I asked Presiding Judge Rizgar how Saddam could be controlled. He 
gave me the answer that a doctor deals with the patient, not the 
individual illness. He elaborated by stating that it is the job of 
every judge to respect all parties in a case. Additionally, he voiced 
his opinion that Iraq is on the doorstep of a new life and a careful 
image of its judicial system must be projected. With respect, I stated 
my concern to the Presiding Judge that Saddam is a vicious, evil man 
and that is not coming out in the trial. The Judge explained that he is 
following Iraqi law and judicial procedures. He explained to me that 
the court would decide Saddam's fate and that more testimony needed to 
be heard.
  The chief prosecutor explained to me his work on the case, stating 
the prosecution of Saddam will be long and detailed. He believes that 
documents and evidence provided to the court and the judges should be 
given to the public for all to see.
  I proceeded from the courthouse back to the U.S. Headquarters for a 
meeting with LTG Martin Dempsey, Commander, Multinational Security 
Training Corps--Iraq. Much of what we discussed was of a classified 
matter, however I can share information about the goals of the 
Multinational Security Training Corps. First, they are working to build 
and sustain the Ministries of Interior and Defense's institutional 
capabilities. Additionally, they are working to generate capable forces 
and develop those forces in a professional manner. Finally, they are 
working on the transition and transformation of multinational units to 
Iraqi security forces.
  Lieutenant General Dempsey stressed to me the need for Iraqis to 
demonstrate strong leadership because it is that leadership that will 
be the key enabler to develop the security ministries. Currently, there 
are 223,000 Iraqis in their security services, 75,000 of which serve as 
police officers in Iraq. The U.S. is currently assisting Iraq in 
producing 3,500 qualified police officers a month. As of March 14, 
2005, 3 out of the 45 Iraqi battalions were leading the efforts to 
secure their nation. Presently, there are 45 of the 100 Iraqi 
battalions leading the efforts to secure their nation. This is a 
tremendous increase in only a 9-month period.
  Lieutenant General Dempsey echoed the remarks of Major General 
Donovan in stating the Iraqis must achieve government unity by setting 
aside their cultural differences and uniting as a country.
  Before leaving Iraq, I met with the following U.S. Embassy Officials; 
David Litt, Major General Harris, James Yellin, RADMR Scott Van 
Buskirk, Tom Delare, John Smith, Michael Oreste, Don Allegro, Don 
Brady, Minnie Wright, Captain Stephen Burris, Kevin Dooley, Liz Colton 
and Eric Blinderman to discuss Iraq's future and how the Embassy was 
helping to create a more stable society. It was stated that the odds 
are good for achieving a collective party in the Iraq elections. I was 
informed that there are many criminal cases waiting for investigation 
and prosecution in the judicial system. However, the detention 
facilities are not adequate and the police do not have enough room for 
the criminals. On the economic front, the U.S. is working to set the 
stage for the International Monetary Fund agreement and is working to 
create a system which prevents corruption. The consensus view seems to 
be that success of an Iraqi nation depends on the strength of the 
Iraqis themselves.
  The flight out of Iraq was identical to the flight in with the 
significant exception that the C-130 taking me back to Amman was once 
stationed at Willow Grove Air Base and was named the Spirit of 
Philadelphia.
  I arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel on December 28, 2005. My first meeting 
was with Peter Vrollman, Gene Cretz, William Weinstein, Peter Hussee, 
Jim Beaver, and William Clark of the U.S. Embassy. The discussion began 
with an analysis of the state of play in Israeli politics. It is 
expected that Sharon, whose health does not seem to be a major concern, 
will win the March elections and work in some form of coalition 
government with the Labor party. With respect to Hamas, it is thought 
there is a possibility that it could win nearly 3 percent or even 
outright in the Palestinian elections creating complicated policy 
questions for Israel. Hamas is described as a sophisticated, strategic 
and organized while Fattah is in some disarray nor do they have the 
resources necessary to get votes on certain demographics. One of the 
reasons that Hamas is doing so well in these elections is their 
municipality leaders are well respected members of the community and 
have done good work for those communities. If Hamas does win and Israel 
is forced to deal with them there are actions that can hinder Hamas 
economically such as revenue collected by Israel at the customs boarder 
which is provided to the Palestinian Authority.
  It appears that the economy is improving in Israel and this may be a 
result of the decline in terrorist events.
  I met with Ehud Barak later that afternoon; I was honored to see a 
copy of my book, ``Passion for Truth'' on his bookshelf. Barak told me 
that Ariel Sharon has changed the political map of Israel in a positive 
way for Israelis and his decisions are slowly moving Israel in the 
right direction. Barak described the political landscape in Israel like 
musical chairs, you can defeat people but everyone is still around, 
they do not go away. Barak asked me about the situation in the United 
States, particularly about NSA's wiretapping. I explained to him that 
the Judiciary Committee plans to hold hearings on the issue. He also 
asked me about the visit to Iraq the day before and my outlook for the 
country. I explained to him that there are a number of highly qualified 
men and women working there and that I am hopeful 2006 will be a year 
the Iraqi's take on more responsibility .
  Continuing our discussion on Iraq, Barak conveyed to me his opinion 
that the United States should stay the course in Iraq, and not to would 
cause devastating consequences not only for

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Iraq, but also for the Middle East and the World. He did state the view 
that the President must continue to project a positive image because a 
compromised image can create problems itself. Additionally, the U.S. 
must focus on training Iraq security services and reducing the 
visibility of its own units.
  Immediately following my meeting with Barak I proceeded to meet with 
Shimon Peres. Accompanying Peres was his friend Rishon Lezion Mayor 
Meir Nitzan, who was there to describe the ever changing dynamic of 
Israeli politics.
  I asked Peres about the new party Kadima and he explained to me that 
the new party would be the largest party and would control the 
government. He went on to describe Israel's changing political dynamic 
by the demise of the right wing, an extremist wing. Additionally, he 
described the Labor party's belief that the economy is writing policy. 
But to him, a modern economy needs to be open to social change and not 
be driven by economic factors.
  We went on to discuss the Palestinian Authority and he said if Hamas 
were to win it would be a wasted victory because Hamas is a religious 
based group and therefore there is no room to compromise.
  Peres also believes President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq 
was the right thing to do and that the President was the victim of an 
intelligence mistake. This marks the third leader to support President 
Bush's decision to seek a regime change in Iraq. He added that Saddam 
accepted the U.N. resolutions following the first Gulf War but chose to 
ignore them.
  Before the meeting ended I asked Peres if he was really smiling the 
in picture where he is shaking hands with Yasser Arafat. He recalled 
the moment and stated that without Arafat there would have been no 
agreement but with Arafat the agreement would never be fulfilled.
  After an overnight rest stop in Frankfurt, Germany, we returned to 
the United States.

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