The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SENATE RESOLUTION 241--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S12471 on Oct. 3, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SENATE RESOLUTION 241--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 241
Whereas the Palestinian people have a right to live in peace with the Israeli people in a free and independent Palestinian state;
Whereas the leadership of both these peoples must be committed to moving the peace process forward;
Whereas violence undermines the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian state;
Whereas violence in Israel and the occupied territories effects the stability of the entire region;
Whereas Yasser Arafat has taken insufficient action as Chairman of the Palestinian Authority to reduce violence and terrorist acts;
Whereas Chairman Arafat has established ties to those responsible for the violence;
Whereas high level officials in Chairman Arafat's administration and Chairman Arafat himself have illegally imported weapons and, according to the Department of State, sponsored a ship bringing more than 50 tons of weapons, including rockets, explosives, and assault rifles, to the Palestinian Authority;
Whereas Chairman Arafat's administration is demonstrably corrupt, as proven by the findings of the International Monetary Fund with respect to the actions of Chairman Arafat to redirect $900,000,000 in government revenue to private bank accounts between 1995 and 2000;
Whereas the Palestinian Authority supports Hamas, an organization that is committed to the destruction of the state of Israel, and which threatens in its Covenant that
``Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it'';
Whereas the Palestinian Authority has supported Hamas and Islamic Jihad;
Whereas Chairman Arafat consistently refuses to accept a two-state solution to the violence between Israelis and Palestinians;
Whereas the Palestinian people need a strong leader capable of controlling militant groups; and
Whereas the Palestinian people need a strong leader committed to negotiating a peace for them and their neighbors: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) Chairman Yasser Arafat is not an agent for peace, and the United States should not continue dialogue with Chairman Arafat regarding the establishment of a peace between Israelis and Palestinians; and
(2) the United States should consider reducing future financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority if the Palestinian Authority continues to fail to control groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad whose goal is to destroy both Israel and the peace process.
____________________
