Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: WON PAT (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. onl behalf of the people of Guam I rise to add my voice to those who today are expressing outrage over the senseless massacre of American and French troops on Sunday in Lebanon. My leepest sympathy goes out to thle fainilies of those who died and for those who will suffer for months to comne as a result of this despicable act. Only a few months ago. I was myself in Beirut where I met with the brave young marines who were doing their best to safeguard the political stability of that wartorn nation and In the process prevent yet further civil war and killing. I will never forget the concern on the faces of thle young men I met or the determination they all exp~ressed to do the Job their country set them to perform. I also met some young marines from Guam in Beirut and today I wonder with a heavy heart about their fate. Today. most of America will reflect on what occurred onl Sunday arid ask ourselves why we are in Lebanon and whether we should be there and in what future role. There are no easy answers. But ouit of our sense of outrage cannot and should not come a sense of helplessness. These men mutst not die in vain. Nor should their death and suffering be used as a vehicle which will carry the United States into yet another protracted war we cannot win. There are positive alternatives which the President and the Congress must explore that could offer a more meaningful role for American forces In the Middle East. In Lebanon the enemies are many and faceless. The miarines should be given the means to protect themselves and should not serving as so many now suggested as "sitting ducks." First of all. let us all recognize fuilly that our forces iii Lebanon are ait a of Remaerks E 5079 state of war. A failure to appreciate this basic fact of life will only draw us evermore into the quagmire of Lebanons complete political situation -and sap our national resolve to see our forces effectively serve their purpose there. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee I have supported our involvement In Lebanon because my own onsight Inspections there which revealed that there is a legitimate need for outside peacekeeping forces In that country. I doubt that the present Government of Lebanon would survive for a week without our intervention and that of our allies. But it is also clear that the static condition forced on the marines there by U.S. policy has exposed them to risks far beyond the normal call of duty and far beyond that which I believe most Americans believe it prudent. It grates on American sensibilities when we hear our boys complain that their hands are tied by a policy which prevents them from advancing beyond the present perimeter to clear obviouisly hostile zones. But while that would take care of sniper nests. it would still leave open thle question or who Sundays enemy was and how do we retaliate. While there seems to be no lack of people to blame or suspect. including Iran. and those who support Iran. I have become convinced that there will be more massacres of U.S. forces in Lebanon unless we have a clear policies and goals there. I call on President Reagan today to present to the Congress as promptly as possible his policies for addressing the problems facing the U.S. Marines as well as his policies for engaging all sides of tile argument in Lebanon fin prompt dialog. Clearly. our peacekeeping forces are no longer keeping the peace: rather. they are serving as targets for a variety of factions on driving us out of Lebanon. This was never the intent of sending our marines there and I urge the President to immediately call on the United Nations to send a multinational force to Lebanon to replace our own forces. This would have the henefit of removing from the scent a largescale American presence and thle perception that we are taking sides. Finally. let me urge the President to establish some form of time limit for our presence In Lebanon. If it should become clear that we cannot get embroiled in domestic politics and expect to conme out untarnished. I fear that our- people will demand a pullout of U.S. forces in Lebanon unless we give them sufficient reason for being there. I am convinced that we can develop a policy in Lebanon which is productive and which will safeguard American troops there In the future.o E5080 SPEEcli OF