Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza). (Mr. CARDOZA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is my resolution; and I strongly support it.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), the ranking Democrat on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. (Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bell), a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. BELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution which condemns the recent wave of terrorism inflicted on Israel and expresses solidarity with the people of Israel in their heroic fight against terrorism. First, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for the gentleman's cooperation in bringing this resolution to the floor. I also want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), the Republican leader, for his principled support, and to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the minority leader, for her valued cosponsorship. The fact that these three leaders of the House have cosponsored my resolution is a powerful indication that it has strong bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, I introduced this resolution with one basic conviction, that Israel has as much right to fight against suicide bombers and ruthless terrorists as any other free and democratic nation. At the recent Aqaba Summit, the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Sharon, made some extraordinary and historic statements. He called for a democratic state living at peace with Israel with mutual respect and shared prosperity. In less than a week of the Prime Minister's landmark speech, 22 innocent Israeli men, women and children fell victim to suicide bombings and over 100 were wounded. Israel's response to this unprovoked carnage was the only response a self-respecting democratic state could offer. When Israel responds with counterterrorist operations against suicide bombers, some criticize it for provoking a cycle of violence. This is an absurd and sinister argument. Let us be clear about one thing. As our resolution states, Israel would not conduct counterterrorist operations if Palestinian counterterrorism would cease. The bloodshed, the violence, the tragedy would end. The term ``cycle of violence'' must be permanently retired from the lexicon of Middle East politics since it preposterously implies moral equivalence between suicide bombers and the justified response of a free and democratic nation. Based on comparative populations, the 22 Israelis who were murdered in the days following the Aqaba Summit are the equivalent of 1,100 Americans. Were al Qaeda again to murder over a thousand Americans, we would demand that our government take strong measures to eliminate the threat they pose. None of us would tolerate our government waiting while someone pleads with the terrorists for a temporary cease-fire. In my recent meeting with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Abu Mazen in Ramallah, he told me that he is opposed to terrorism. Subsequently he repeated his statement to President Bush and many others, but Abu Mazen's effectiveness as a leader will not be judged by his words, but by his deeds. Abu Mazen's political situation is unquestionably complex; but if he continues to refuse to use force against murderous terrorists, he will soon become irrelevant and his political demise will be sure to follow. But should he choose to take bold action against terrorism, he will deserve and he will receive the support of this body and the American people. Mr. Speaker, my resolution underscores the obvious. Israel's fight against terrorism is one of the front lines of the global war against terrorism. Israel's enemies are motivated by a hate-filled, sick, totalitarian ideology, as are our terrorist foes. Israel's enemies are ruthless and bloodthirsty, just like ours. If the Palestinian Authority will not or cannot destroy and defeat Palestinian terrorist groups, Israel has no choice but to take matters into its own hands. We are fighting our enemies relentlessly. Israel, under infinitely less favorable circumstances, can do nothing less. Mr. Speaker, it is universally accepted that it is the right of all states, including the democratic state of Israel, to make the defense of its citizens its number one priority. This is the bedrock of my resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting for it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1\3/4\ minutes. Mr. Speaker, all of us in this House are passionately committed to peace, and all of us in this House are passionately committed to justice. The Palestinian people are certainly entitled to an infinitely better life than what they have had for many years. The blame clearly lies with the surrounding Arab states which failed to allow them to establish civilized communities or to absorb them. Other societies have done that. The Greeks of Cyprus absorbed the Greeks from northern Cyprus, and the people of Israel absorbed millions of their fellow nationals from all over the world. There was a cynical attempt to perpetuate the misery of the Palestinians in refugee camps. Hopefully, with the President's vision, we will now see an end to this long, painful, tragic, misery-filled process. To embark on that road, we must see the end of terrorism. There is no road map unless terrorism ceases, and if it does, the road map, in fact, will be implemented. I congratulate the President for having the vision of recognizing that two states can live side by side in peace, with mutual respect and prosperity, but only if terrorism ends. Abu Mazen, the new Prime Minister, has repeatedly indicated his opposition to terrorism. We have to help him to put an end to terrorism. He must gain control of the territory in Gaza, first in the north, then in central Gaza, then in southern Gaza and then on the West Bank, town by town, and as he does so, we will move towards peace, and the Israeli and the Palestinian people at long last will live in a civilized region. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the resolution.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), the ranking Democrat on the Middle East and Central Asia Subcommittee.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sandlin). (Mr. SANDLIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished Democratic whip.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, since there are colleagues on various sides of this issue who wish to speak and, given the time limits, they no longer would have the opportunity, I ask unanimous consent that each side be given an additional 20 minutes.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), my friend, the distinguished senior member of the Committee on International Relations.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), the distinguished ranking Democratic member of the Helsinki Commission, who has demonstrated a passionate commitment to human rights and on all of the issues that that commission works with.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Alabama asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), a distinguished fighter for human rights.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has been a champion not only of the fight against anti-Semitism but on behalf of all human rights causes.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano), who has worked so hard on this resolution.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume, and I rise in strong support of this resolution. First, Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International Relations, for moving this resolution forward so expeditiously, but I particularly want to commend my dear friend and distinguished colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) for his outstanding leadership on this resolution and indeed on all human rights issues. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before the House addresses one human rights case that is unfortunately part of a much larger trend in modern day China. Over the past several years, the Chinese government has deliberately targeted naturalized Americans born in China and Chinese citizens permanently residing in the United States for harassment and imprisonment in the People's Republic of China. Instead of, as one would expect, welcoming Chinese-American talent, the People's Republic of China is sending the message to the Chinese diaspora that it returns to China at its own considerable risk. Mr. Speaker, in the case addressed in this resolution, Dr. Yang Jianli is a scholar and a leader of a prominent human rights organization. He is a permanent legal resident of the United States. He returned to the People's Republic of China in April of last year, and he has been detained incommunicado ever since that time. He has a wife and two children in the United States, all of whom are American citizens, and he has been unable to communicate with his family since the moment of his detention. He has been denied access to legal counsel. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that Dr. Yang be released and allowed to return to his family in the United States as soon as possible. I would also urge the executive branch of our government to make his release a priority. Until Dr. Yang is released, an ominous shadow will lie over U.S.-Chinese relations. It is absolutely incomprehensible and insane that this great nation of 1.2 billion people should keep an American citizen, the father of two small American children, incommunicado in a Communist prison in China. I commend the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) for introducing this resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), the author of this resolution and one of the most indefatigable fighters for human rights in this body.