April 24, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— SENATE S5565 

Judiciary Committee will support the 

President, the Attorney General, Director Freeh, and the hundreds of law 

enforcement officials involved in this 

effort. We will provide them with any 

assistance, legislative or otherwise, 

that they may need in that regard. I 

want to compliment each and every 

one of them, especially Director Freeh 

and the FBI, for their leadership in the 

work they have done in uncovering all 

the things they have, thus far. 

President Clinton was correct when 

he described the terrorists who committed this act as ‘‘evil cowards.’’ If 

the barbaric individuals responsible for 

this venomous, wicked act believe they 

could intimidate, punish, or coerce the 

United States of America, they were 

wrong. Dead wrong. We must and we 

will guarantee that any terrorist, be he 

domestic or international, know that 

our Nation’s policy will be one of swift 

and effective retribution. 

For years, many in Congress have 

been fighting for passage of legislation 

aimed at enhancing our domestic and 

international counterterrorism efforts. 

I have been one of those. Much of this 

legislation is embodied in the DoleHatch crime bill that was introduced 

on the first day of this Congress. Recently, the administration forwarded 

to Congress its own counterterrorism 

bill that is similar to the Dole-Hatch 

proposal. 

Since the tragic incident of last 

week, Senator DOLE and I have been 

working with Senators NICKLES and 

INHOFE on a comprehensive bill that 

will combine the better provisions 

from both the Dole-Hatch and administration bills into a single vehicle. Although this legislation is ready, we 

will delay its introduction until we can 

incorporate the additional provisions 

the President referred to last evening 

in his 60 Minutes interview. We will 

also hold hearings in the Judiciary 

Committee later this week to determine what can be done to fight terrorism. 

The heinous attack on innocent men, 

women, and children underscores the 

need for tough, effective laws to fight 

the scourge of terrorism. We must ensure that Federal law enforcement officials have the tools to prevent and detect future terrorist attempts. Legislation is needed, and it is needed now, to 

give them those tools. 

In addition to whatever recommendations the President may promulgate, 

our bill will certainly do the following: 

It will increase the penalties for committing terrorist acts here in the 

United States; 

Our legislation will add the crime of 

conspiracy to terrorism offenses, thus, 

permitting the Federal law enforcement agencies to stop terrorist organizations at their formation rather than 

waiting until after they have committed their terrorist acts; 

Although the tragedy in Oklahoma 

appears to have been committed by individuals who are from the United 

States, it is important that we protect 

our citizens from foreign terrorists as 

well. Our bill will provide law enforcement and courts the tools they need to 

quickly remove alien terrorists from 

our midst without jeopardizing national security or the lives of law enforcement personnel; 

Our legislation also seeks to prevent 

individuals who support or engage in 

terrorist activities from ever entering 

the United States. The bill would permit the Secretary of State to withhold 

visas from certain individuals who 

come from nations that sponsor terrorism, or from individuals who are 

members of organizations suspected of 

terrorist activities; 

Our bill further includes provisions 

making it a crime to knowingly provide material support to groups designated by a Presidential finding to be 

engaged in terrorist activities; 

Finally, our bill provides for numerous other needed improvements in the 

law to fight the scourge of terrorism. I 

would note that many of the provisions 

of this bill enjoy broad bipartisan support, and in several cases, have passed 

the Senate on previous occasions. 

We must, however, resist the urge to 

leap to conclusions and unfairly tar 

certain political minorities with recriminations for last Wednesday’s tragic events. As President Clinton said 

last evening, ‘‘We must be careful not 

to stereotype people from other 

groups.’’ Once all of the perpetrators of 

this act are apprehended, there will be 

time enough to ensure that justice is 

done. 

As a final note, I want to commend 

President Clinton for his leadership 

that he has exhibited in the face of this 

tragedy. He and his administration 

have done a superb job in responding to 

this tragedy. The Department of Justice, the FBI, and all of the police and 

rescue workers in Oklahoma must be 

acknowledged for their efforts to date. 

In closing, what is shocking to so 

many is the apparent fact that those 

responsible for this atrocity are U.S. 

citizens. To think that Americans 

could do this to one another, it is unbelievable. 

Yet these killers are not true Americans, not in my book. Americans are 

the men, women, and children who died 

under the sea of concrete and steel. 

Americans are the rescue workers, the 

volunteers, the law enforcement officials and investigators who are clearing up the chaos that has occurred in 

Oklahoma City. The genuine Americans are the overwhelming number who 

will forever reel at the senselessness 

and horror of April 19, 1995. It falls on 

everyone as Americans in heart and 

spirit, to condemn this sort of political 

extremism. Anarchistic radicalism of 

this sort—be it from the left or the 

right—will not prevail in our freedomloving democracy. 

The rule of law and popular government will prevail. We intend by this 

legislation to see that it prevails, and 

that it prevails with the force that 

really should be behind the rule of law. 

There are a lot of other things I will 

say about the bill we will file in the future, but suffice it to say these are 

some of the matters I wanted to cover 

in these few short remarks here. 

Again, my lasting prayers, and that 

of my family, go out to those who have 

suffered so much through this ordeal, 

those who have suffered the loss of 

loved ones, those who have been 

maimed, and those who are related to 

those who have died or been maimed. 

My love goes out to our Federal 

workers, too, for they are hard-working people who try to do the best they 

can. We want to make sure the Federal 

installations, as well as all other installations in this country, are secure 

from terrorism, terrorist activities, 

and from those who would subvert the 

very freedom fabric of our country. 

Mr. President, I yield the floor. 

f 

AN UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me 

join my colleague, Senator DOLE from 

Kansas, and my colleague, Senator 

NICKLES from Oklahoma, and others, I 

am sure, who will today speak of the 

nearly unspeakable tragedy that occurred in Oklahoma City. 

It is very hard to even describe the 

horror that has been visited on so 

many families, so many innocent victims. My hope is that in this period of 

national discussion and reconciliation 

dealing with this tragedy that we will 

find ways, again, as Americans, to 

speak of how we resolve differences and 

how we deal with grievances in our 

country without resorting to violence. 

We have been offered as a people far 

too many sights and sounds on television of acts of terror visited on people living in foreign lands. Often it 

passes before the television screen and 

does not make much of an impact. 

Obviously, this tragedy is more immediate. It occurs in the heartland of 

our country. It is the worst tragedy of 

its type in the history of our country. 

It comes at a time when there is a 

great deal of debate and unsettled feelings in our country about a lot of 

things. I hope it will require all of us 

again to decide that in our country, we 

make decisions in a process by which 

we debate and discuss and then peacefully resolve our differences in a democratic way and in a democratic system. 

So my heart and prayers go to those 

in Oklahoma City, those who have lost 

family members, those victims who 

lost their lives, and those many others 

who devoted their lives in recent days 

and nights—often 24 hours a day—trying to help their fellow man and 

woman. 

f 

COMMEMORATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN 

GENOCIDE 

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, today 

marks the 80th anniversary of one of 

the most tragic events in world history—the genocide that brought death 

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S5566 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— SENATE April 24, 1995 

to more than 11⁄2 million Armenian 

men, women, and children at the hands 

of the Ottoman Empire. As we honor 

the memory of these individuals, we 

renew our commitment that the world 

will never forget their tragic suffering. 

Between 1915 and 1923, officials of the 

Ottoman Empire carried out a systematic campaign to eradicate all Armenians. Innocent Armenians were murdered and those who survived were 

forced to flee their homeland and live 

in exile. Many of the survivors later 

made their way to the United States. 

The campaign of genocide began with 

the execution of the Armenian leadership and proceeded with the targeting 

of the entire male population. It continued with the persecution of Armenian women, children, and the elderly, 

who were sent on forced death marches 

to be raped, tortured, and murdered. 

During this brutal 8-year period, over 

11⁄2 million Armenians died through 

massacres, disease, and starvation. 

Unfortunately, even today, the Armenian people face continued violence 

and ethnic hatred. Since 1988, the conflict between Christian Armenians and 

Moslem Azerbaijanis for control of 

Nagorno-Karabakh has resulted in over 

10,000 deaths and almost 11⁄2 million refugees. Despite the May 1994 cease-fire 

and the armistice agreement signed the 

following month, a permanent solution 

to the conflict has yet to be found. 

The United States has provided substantial humanitarian assistance to 

Armenia, but it has become increasingly difficult to deliver this assistance 

because of the continuing blockade by 

the Governments of Azerbaijan and 

Turkey. As a result, Armenia suffers 

from a long-standing shortage of food, 

fuel, and medical supplies. We need to 

redouble our efforts to end the current 

crisis and promote peaceful development of the region. 

I commend the tireless efforts of the 

Armenian-Americans for their efforts 

to promote a peaceful solution to the 

conflict, and for keeping their Armenian heritage alive in the United 

States. 

As we commemorate and honor the 

victims of the Armenian genocide, we 

renew our commitment to combat ethnic hatred and to end injustice and 

conflicts throughout the world. 

f 

THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 

Mr. BRADLEY. Mr. President, today 

marks the 80th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the first great crime 

of the 20th century. Over 11⁄2 million 

Armenians were murdered by the Ottoman Empire and its successor between 

1915 and 1923. Many in this country and 

throughout the world still mourn the 

relatives they lost in the Armenian 

genocide. It is important that we take 

a moment to remember this terrible 

crime against humanity. 

The 20th century has been not only a 

century of mass murder, but also a century of culpability in which the nations of the world have failed to act to 

prevent or halt genocide. The slaughter 

of Armenians was ignored. The international community was too slow to 

act when the Nazis began killing Jews 

and Gypsies. Our response to the ethnic 

cleansing in Bosnia and Rwanda has 

been feeble. 

However, on this day, we not only 

mourn the losses sustained by Armenia, we also celebrate the contributions 

of Armenians to our civilization and 

culture, such as fellow New Jerseyans 

Christopher Babigian, a prominent 

physician and community leader, 

Krikor Zadourian, a leading businessman and community leader, and Haigaz 

Grigorian, a community leader active 

in relief work in Armenia, to name a 

few. Indeed, the American-Armenian 

community has done much to enrich 

New Jersey and the United States. 

Armenia itself, Mr. President, has 

now reemerged as an independent state 

in which Armenians can control their 

own destiny for the first time in centuries. Tragically, though, Armenia is 

a country which has thus far been 

forced to devote its resources to war 

rather than to building a peaceful, 

prosperous, life for its people. 

It is our responsibility to educate future generations about the dangers of 

intolerance and to fulfill the pledge of 

‘‘never again.’’ Remembering the horrors of 1915–23 is one way of rousing 

ourselves to give meaning to this 

pledge. 

f 

THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 

Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise 

to join my colleagues in commemorating one of this century’s most tragic 

events. Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915– 

23, recognized by some as the first 

genocide of this century when 11⁄2 million Armenian men, women, and children lost their lives as a result of the 

brutal massacres and wholesale deportations conducted by the Turkish Ottoman rulers. 

Mr. President, on this day 80 years 

ago began one of the great martyrdoms 

of modern history, a systematic and 

methodical campaign to exterminate 

an innocent people. An entire nation 

was uprooted from its homeland scattering thousands of survivors around 

the world. Thus this human tragedy, 

having left few families unaffected, and 

its anniversary have special meaning 

to Armenians everywhere. 

The 1915 genocide represented the 

culmination of decades, and the development of an insidious pattern, of persecution against the Armenian community living in the Ottoman Empire. 

During the period 1894–96 and again in 

1909, thousands of Armenians lost their 

lives at the hands of their ruthless persecutors. On April 24, 1915, Armenian 

intellectual, religious, and political 

leaders, were rounded up by Ottoman 

authorities, taken to remote parts of 

Anatolia and murdered. 

At least 250,000 Armenians serving in 

the Ottoman Army were expelled and 

forced into labor battalions where executions and starvation were common. 

Men, women, and children were deported from their villages and obliged 

to march for weeks in the Syrian 

Desert where a majority of them perished. 

There was no shortage of contemporaneous newspaper accounts in the 

United States of the Ottoman Turkish 

atrocities—a simple review of headlines appearing in the New York Times 

in mid-1915 yields the following: 

‘‘Wholesale Massacres of Armenians by 

Turks,’’ ‘‘Tales of Armenian Horrors 

Confirmed,’’ ‘‘800,000 Armenians Counted Destroyed,’’ ‘‘Thousands Protest Armenian Murders.’’ In fact, through a 

congressionally chartered organization 

called Near East Relief, Americans 

contributed $113 million in humanitarian assistance from 1915 to 1930 to 

help the surivors. In addition, 132,000 

Armenian orphans were adopted in this 

country. 

Perhaps America’s most notable observer of the Armenian genocide was 

its distinguished ambassador to Turkey at the time, Henry Morgenthau, 

who published an article in the Red 

Cross magazine in 1918 describing the 

wide-scale and deliberate orchestration 

of Ottoman atrocities against the Armenian people as ‘‘the Greatest Horror 

in History.’’ Morgenthau has also written the following about the Armenian 

genocide in this now famous passage: 

Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the human mind can devise, and 

whatever refinements of persecutions and injustice the most debased imagination can 

conceive, became the daily misfortunes of 

this devoted people. I am confident that the 

whole history of the human race contains no 

such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the 

sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915. The 

killing of the Armenian people was accompanied by the systematic destruction of 

churches, schools, libraries, treasures of art 

and of history, in an attempt to eliminate all 

traces of a noble civilization some three 

thousand years old. 

Indeed, Morgenthau and other diplomats who witnessed and reported in 

great detail the enormous devastation 

of the Armenian community by the 

Ottomans would be astonished to learn 

today that the abundant evidence they 

collected, much of which is held in our 

own National Archives, and the testimony of survivors who are still with 

us, continue to be challenged without a 

trace of contrition. Despite the irrefutability of the documentation and testimony, including extensive accounts 

from survivors, witnesses, and historians, there are those who refuse to 

come to grips with the past, blame the 

victims, and deride reconciliation. 

Remembrance and understanding, 

however, are universal imperatives essential to all decent people an decent 

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