WELCOMING HAMID KARZAI AND SUPPORTING
STRONG AND ENDURING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UNITED STATES
AND AFGHANISTAN
The United States House of Representatives
05/23/2005
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res.
153) welcoming His Excellency Hamid Karzai, the President of
Afghanistan, on the occasion of his visit to the United States
in May 2005 and expressing support for a strong and enduring
strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 153
Whereas Afghanistan, a great nation located at
the crossroads of many civilizations, has suffered the ravages
of war, foreign intervention, occupation, and oppression;
Whereas the Afghan people courageously resisted
the decade-long occupation of their country by the former Soviet
Union, forcing a Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and thereby contributing
to the end of the Cold War;
Whereas following the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan
went through a period of chaos and conflict, exacerbated by
insufficient attention from the international community, during
which time the Taliban militia seized control of much of the
country and provided a base of operations to Al Qaeda and other
terrorist elements;
Whereas following the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom,
liberating the Afghan people from tyranny, transforming Afghanistan
from a haven for terrorists into a strategic partner in the
struggle against international terrorism, and helping Afghans
build a democratic government;
Whereas the Afghan Constitution, drafted by a
broadly representative Loya Jirga, or Grand Council, and enacted
on January 4, 2004, provides for equal rights for and 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 all types of terrorist activity and the
production and trafficking of narcotics;
Whereas more than 10.5 million Afghan men and
women voted in national presidential elections in October 2004,
demonstrating commitment to democracy, courage in the face of
threats of violence, and a deep sense of civic responsibility;
Whereas Hamid Karzai, formerly the interim President,
was elected to a five-year term as Afghanistan's first democratically-elected
President in the country's history;
Whereas nationwide parliamentary elections are
planned for September 18, 2005, and further demonstrate the
Afghan Government's commitment to adhere to democratic norms;
Whereas the Government of Afghanistan has demonstrated
a firm commitment to halting the cultivation and trafficking
of narcotics and has cooperated fully with the United States
and its allies on a wide range of counter-narcotics initiatives;
Whereas in addition to military and law enforcement
operations, President Karzai welcomes the United States and
the international community to assist Afghanistan's counter-narcotics
campaign by supporting programs to provide alternative livelihoods
for farmers, sustained economic development, and governmental
and security capacity building;
Whereas recognizing that long-term political stability
requires sustained economic security, Afghanistan is striving
to create an economic base to provide meaningful livelihoods
for all of its people, and the United States has a cooperative
interest in helping Afghanistan achieve this goal;
Whereas section 101(1) of the Afghanistan Freedom
Support Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 7511(1)) declares that the ``United
States and the international community should support efforts
that advance the development of democratic civil authorities
and institutions in Afghanistan and the establishment of a new
broad-based, multi-ethnic, gender-sensitive, and fully representative
government in Afghanistan'';
Whereas on June 15, 2004, during President Karzai's
visit to the United States, President George W. Bush stated:
``Afghanistan's journey to democracy and peace deserves the
support and respect of every nation. . . . The world and the
United States stand with [the people of Afghanistan] as partners
in their quest for peace and prosperity and stability and democracy.'';
Whereas on June 15, 2004, in his address to a
joint meeting of Congress, President Karzai stated: ``We must
build a partnership that will consolidate our achievements and
enhance stability, prosperity and democracy in Afghanistan and
in the region. This requires sustaining and accelerating the
reconstruction of Afghanistan, through long-term commitment.
. . . We must enhance our strategic partnership. The security
of our two nations are intertwined.'';
Whereas on April 13, 2005, while receiving the
visiting United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld,
President Karzai, in expressing the desire of the Afghan people
for a long-term strategic partnership with the United States,
stated: ``They want this relationship to be a wholesome one,
including a sustained economic relationship, a political relationship,
and most important of all, a strategic security relationship
that would enable Afghanistan to defend itself, to continue
to prosper, to stop interferences, the possibility of interferences
in Afghanistan.''; and
Whereas the people of the United States, and their
elected representatives, are honored to welcome President Karzai
back to the United States in May 2005 on a visit that will further
advance the close partnership between the United States and
Afghanistan: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the
Senate concurring), That--
(1) Congress welcomes the first democratically-elected
President of Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, as an
honored guest and valued friend upon his visit to the United
States in May 2005; and
(2) it is the sense of Congress that--
(A) a democratic, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan
is a vital security interest of the United States; and
(B) a strong and enduring strategic partnership
between the United States and Afghanistan should continue to
be a primary objective of both countries to advance a shared
vision of peace, freedom, security, and broad-based economic
development between the two countries and throughout the world.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule,
the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Engel) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
GENERAL LEAVE
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within
which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous
material on the concurrent resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to
the request of the gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
It is a pleasure to welcome His Excellency Hamid
Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, to the United States and
[Page: H3736]
to underscore the growing and strong friendship between our
two nations.
As we continue to lead the fight against the forces
of terror and oppression, we are joined by courageous leaders
such as President Karzai, and we are motivated and strengthened
by the strong will of the Afghan people, who experienced, firsthand,
what it is to live under these dual threats.
Despite the Taliban's brutality and intolerable
injustices that comprise the Taliban's legacy, their removal
from power has generated clear and evident signs that the future
of Afghanistan holds great promise. Millions of Afghans, once
oppressed by the Taliban's terrorist regime, cast their ballots
in their country's free elections in October of 2004 and elected
Hamid Karzai as their leader.
A defender of freedom, President Karzai has worked
tirelessly to unite and rebuild Afghanistan during this time
of transition and has strived to bring security and stability
while working to improve daily life.
Afghanistan has made great strides with respect
to democracy, to reform, and to political openness. The women
of Afghanistan, once forced to live as subhumans under a shroud
that served as both a physical and symbolic instrument of the
Taliban's oppression, are now vibrant and active participants
in Afghan society. Afghans enjoy restored liberties and opportunities
that were unheard of in recent memory. Schools have been reopened.
A new banking law is in place. Businesses are blossoming around
the country. But most importantly, there is hope for a better
future.
The United States has stood by the Afghanistan
dilemma during this critical time. We have stood by the Afghan
people, helping them with the construction of centers for women,
schools, building up their infrastructure, providing assistance
to promote political participation, and to improve human rights
for all. The United States must continue to fulfill its role
as a friend to Afghanistan by providing resources and expertise
and assistance to the people and the government of Afghanistan
as they struggle to reconstruct themselves socially, economically,
and politically.
I, therefore, Mr. Speaker, urge my colleagues
to support this important resolution and clearly demonstrate
to the people and the Government of Afghanistan that the United
States stands firmly with them.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I, first, again would like to commend
the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), my good friend,
and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), the Chair and
ranking member of the Middle East and Central Asia Subcommittee,
for introducing this important resolution.
[Time: 17:00]
Mr. Speaker, Afghanistan has made real progress toward becoming
a stable, peaceful, and democratic state. The Taliban has been
forced from power. The presidential election last October was
an unqualified success with a massive turnout among men and
women in defiance of Taliban threats, and progress has been
made in restoring the basic human rights of Afghan women.
Before we even heard about the Taliban, Mr. Speaker,
I was talking about them when they were in control when they
were denying religious freedom to Hindus and others and talking
about some of their despicable acts which, unfortunately, the
world had then come to know.
But even today, Afghanistan is far from out of
the woods. The Taliban and al Qaeda remnants have used recent
events to further their agenda of undermining the peace and
stability that President Karzai aims to bring to Afghanistan
and its people. Progress in reconstruction and development,
which is crucial to bringing economic opportunity and hope to
millions, is painfully slow. But the biggest obstacle to democracy
and development is the unprecedented scale of opium cultivation
and narco-trafficking.
Mr. Speaker, in the face of these obstacles, President
Karzai has remained steadfast and determined to bring democracy,
prosperity, and security to the people of Afghanistan; and the
United States must help President Karzai achieve this goal.
This resolution welcomes President Karzai upon
his visit to the United States this week and recognizes that
a democratic, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan is a vital
national security interest of the United States. The resolution
wisely states that a strong and enduring partnership between
our two countries must remain a primary objective.
President Bush met today with President Karzai
in the Oval Office. I am sure the President continued to offer
the strong support of the American people to President Karzai.
It is my hope that President Karzai offered his thoughts on
how efforts against illegal drugs can and will be intensified.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow Afghanistan to lapse
into chaos, war, and ruin once again. The United States must
demonstrates its long-term commitment to a strong and enduring
partnership with Afghanistan. President Karzai is Afghanistan's
best chance at achieving peace, and we must do everything to
help him realize this goal.
I had the pleasure of meeting President Karzai
when he was last in town and met with members of the Committee
on International Relations, and I must also add on a personal
note that a very good friend of mine is a first cousin of his,
so he does have strong family ties to the United States as well.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
resolution.
[Begin Insert]
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud
cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 153, which welcomes His Excellency
Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, on the occasion
of his visit to the United States in May 2005 and expresses
support for a strong and enduring strategic partnership between
the United States and Afghanistan. As the Co-Chair for the Congressional
Afghan Caucus along with my colleague Chairman NEY, I am proud
to welcome President Karzai back to the United States. I want
to thank my colleague Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for introducing this
appropriate concurrent resolution.
While there will be those who have the view that
the war in Afghanistan is over and we should shift our view,
the truth is that Afghanistan is as vital to our nation now
as it was shortly after September 11th. Operation Enduring Freedom
was a success in removing the Taliban leadership and giving
the Afghan people new hope, however our work there is far from
done. We must ensure that Afghanistan has a bright and productive
future ahead of itself, in which peace and prosperity, will
be possible. We can not make the same mistake we made in Afghanistan
after the conclusion of the Cold War. The brave Afghan warriors
defeated the Red Army, stopping them for completing another
brutal assault upon an innocent nation. However, we rewarded
their bravery by ignoring Afghanistan and allowing it to be
a place where extremists like the Taliban and Al Qaeda could
take refuge and indeed have sanctuary to build upon. We can
not allow ourselves to make that same mistake again, we must
show the Afghan people that we stand with them even after our
own short term interests have been fulfilled. I have traveled
to Afghanistan on a couple different occasions and I have seen
the faces of the Afghan people and I know they are ready to
embrace us, if only we can really support them for the long
term.
I want to applaud President Karzai; he is a man
of courage and vision. More than 10.5 million Afghan men and
women voted in national presidential elections in October 2004,
again giving credence to the fact that they have embraced democratic
reform. The Afghan people have chosen Hamid Karzai, formerly
the interim President, for a five-year term as Afghanistan's
first democratically-elected President. I congratulate President
Karzai for this victory, his job has not been easy and surely
there were few who would have been willing to assume the burden
of leadership that he did. His goals and aspirations will be
for the long term health and security of Afghanistan and to
get to that point he needs and deserves the full support of
our nation.
Again, let me welcome President Karzai back to
the United States, I stand among many Members who admire his
will and resolve on behalf of his people. His accomplishments
despite all the obstacles are certainly praiseworthy and deserving
of recognition from the United States Congress. Let us all hope
that this pattern of progress and success continues for President
Karzai and Afghanistan as we move forward.
[End Insert]
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further
speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.
[Page: H3737]
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California).
The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 153.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having
voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent
resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
END
