IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 218

Concerning the urgent need to establish a cease fire in Afghanistan and

begin the transition toward a broad-based multiethnic government that

observes international norms of behavior.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 12, 1998

Mr. BEREUTER submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the urgent need to establish a cease fire in Afghanistan and begin the transition toward a broad-based

multiethnic government that observes international

norms of behavior.

Whereas peace and stability has not returned to Afghanistan

despite the February 1989 Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan;

Whereas the Department of State’s Country Reports on

Human Rights for 1997 states: ‘‘The overall human

rights situation [in Afghanistan] is poor . . . political

killings, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, looting, abductions and kidnappings for ransom were committed by

armed units, local commanders, and rogue individuals’’;
2

•HCON 218 IH

Whereas the continuing civil conflict in Afghanistan has had

a grievous impact upon the Afghan people, where within

its borders occurs the highest rate of infant, child, and

maternal mortality in the region;

Whereas neighboring countries have provided support in the

form of financial assistance and arms to the different

groups warring in Afghanistan thereby extending the

length and expanding the destruction of this internal conflict;

Whereas due to the chaos and destruction brought about by

the extended conflict, Afghanistan is now one of the

world’s leading producers of opium, and over the past

year alone, the production of opiates in Afghanistan has

jumped 25 percent and resulted in an increase in drug

trade not only in the Central Asian region, but in Russia

and the West as well;

Whereas another byproduct of this conflict is the harboring

of terrorist leaders in Afghanistan including Usama bin

Laden whose group members have been identified as supporting acts of terrorism within their countries of origin;

Whereas continuing instability serves as an obstacle to international investment and the establishment of developmental projects inside Afghanistan, so necessary to Afghanistan’s rejuvenation from years of conflict, and central to promoting political cooperation among Afghan factions;

Whereas the continuing conflict in Afghanistan serves as an

impediment toward securing economic and political wellbeing throughout all of South Asia and the newly independent Central Asian nations as well; and
3

•HCON 218 IH

Whereas despite repeated efforts by the United Nations to

broker an end to continuing warfare among the country’s

warring factions, the absence of peace has prevented Afghanistan from addressing the numerous problems facing

its citizenry: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) acknowledges that through determination,

4 tenacity, and courage, the Afghan people success5 fully waged a war against Soviet expansionism and

6 greatly assisted in bringing an end to the cold war;

7 (2) welcomes the appointment of Ambassador

8 Lakhbar Brahimi as special envoy of the United Na9 tions Secretary General for Afghanistan and sup10 ports his efforts toward attaining a peaceful nego11 tiated settlement with the assistance of the six na12 tions bordering Afghanistan as well as representa13 tives from the United States and Russia;

14 (3)(A) deplores continuing human rights viola15 tions occurring within Afghanistan, such as the con16 tinuing discrimination against women of all ages as

17 well as the discovery of mass graves which contained

18 an alleged 2,000 corpses of prisoners of war and ci19 vilians in Afghanistan; and

20 (B) supports the intention of the United Na21 tions and the International Committee of the Red
4

•HCON 218 IH

1 Cross to continue their investigation into these re2 ported killings;

3 (4) calls upon all warring factions and national

4 powers to participate in intra-Afghan dialogue and

5 in the peace process and to actively cooperate in the

6 acceleration of endeavors for peace;

7 (5) urges the nations of the region to cooperate

8 in the peace process and to end immediately the sup9 ply of arms, ammunition, military equipment, train10 ing or any other military support to all parties to

11 the conflict;

12 (6) urges appropriate parties in the United Na13 tions and Afghanistan to work toward the eradi14 cation of the production of opium linking such ef15 forts to realistic income alternatives;

16 (7) calls upon all parties within Afghanistan to

17 prevent the reoccurrence of actions which impede the

18 ability of humanitarian and international organiza19 tions to move food shipments and other forms of hu20 manitarian assistance into Afghanistan;

21 (8) recognizes the continuing requirement to

22 address the needs of more than 2,000,000 Afghan

23 refugees, three-quarters of whom are women and

24 children;
5

•HCON 218 IH

1 (9) acknowledges the necessity of international

2 efforts to clear the estimated 10,000,000 land mines

3 buried in the Afghan countryside; and

4 (10) calls for the expulsion of all known terror5 ist leaders from Afghanistan and to close down any

6 terrorist training camps operating in the country.

Æ