WELCOMING HIS EXCELLENCY HAMID KARZAI,
THE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN
The United States Senate
05/23/2005
Mr. BURNS. I ask unanimous consent the Senate
now proceed to consideration of S. Res. 152, which was submitted
earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the
resolution by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 152) welcoming His Excellency
Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, and expressing support
for a strong enduring strategic partnership between the United
States and Afghanistan.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded
to consider the resolution.
Mr. BURNS. I ask unanimous consent the resolution
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider
be laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is
so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 152) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follow:
S. RES. 152
Whereas Afghanistan has suffered the ravages of
war, foreign occupation, and oppression;
Whereas following the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom,
which helped to establish an environment in which the people
of Afghanistan are building the foundations for a democratic
government;
Whereas, on January 4, 2004, the Constitutional
Loya Jirga of Afghanistan adopted a constitution that provides
for equal rights for full participation of women, mandates full
compliance with international norms for human and civil rights,
establishes procedures for free and fair elections, creates
a system of checks and balances between the executive, legislative,
and judicial branches, encourages a free market economy and
private enterprise, and obligates the state to prevent terrorist
activity and the production and trafficking of narcotics;
Whereas, on October 9, 2004, approximately 8,400,000
Afghans, including nearly 3,500,000 women, voted in Afghanistan's
first direct Presidential election at the national level, demonstrating
commitment to democracy, courage in the face of threats of violence,
and a deep sense of civic responsibility;
Whereas, on December 7, 2004, Hamid Karzai took
the oath of office as the first democratically elected President
in the history of Afghanistan;
Whereas nationwide parliamentary elections are
planned in Afghanistan for September 2005, further demonstrating
the Afghan people's will to live in a democratic state, and
the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to democratic
norms;
Whereas the Government of Afghanistan is committed
to halting the cultivation and trafficking of narcotics and
has pursued, in cooperation with the United States and its allies,
a wide range of counter-narcotics initiatives;
Whereas the United States and the international
community are working to assist Afghanistan's counter-narcotics
campaign by supporting programs to provide alternative livelihoods
for farmers, sustainable economic development, and capable Afghan
security forces; and
Whereas, on March 17, 2005, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice said of Afghanistan ``this country was once
a source of terrorism; it is now a steadfast fighter against
terrorism. There could be no better story than the story of
Afghanistan in the last several years and there can be no better
story than the story of American and Afghan friendship. It is
a story of cooperation and friendship that will continue. We
have a long-term commitment to this country'': Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) welcomes, as an honored guest and valued friend
of the United States, President Hamid Karzai on the occasion
of his visit to the United States as the first democratically
elected President of Afghanistan scheduled for May 21 through
25, 2005;
(2) supports a democratic, stable, and prosperous
Afghanistan as essential to the security of the United States;
and
(3) supports a strong and enduring strategic partnership
between the United States and Afghanistan as a primary objective
of both countries to advance their shared vision of peace, freedom,
security and broad-based economic development in Afghanistan,
the broader South Asia region, and throughout the world.
END
