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Legislative Roundup - November 18, 2005

I. ForOps & CJS Update II. Resolutions (Updates) III. Hagel on the Record

for the week ending November 18, 2005

I. ForOps & CJS Update
II. Resolutions (Updates)
III. Hagel on the Record

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I. FOROPS & CJS UPDATE
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ForOps: On November 14th President Bush signed HR 3057, the FY06 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill into law. Details of the final (conference) version of HR 3057 are included in the November 4th edition of the Round-Up.

CJS: On November 16th the Senate passed the conference version of HR 2862, the FY06 Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. As reported in the November 11th edition of the Round-Up, the House passed the conference report on November 9th. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Bush in the coming days. Details of the final (conference) version of HR 2862 are included in the November 11th edition of the Round- Up.

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II. RESOLUTIONS (UPDATES)
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(Jordan) H. Res. 546: Condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that occurred in Jordan on November 9, 2005. Brought up on the House floor under suspension of the rules November 16th, with voting on the measure postponed. At 1:51am on November 18th the House passed H. Res. 546 by a vote of 409-0.

(Egypt) H. Con. Res. 284: Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 2005 presidential and parliamentary elections. Marked up in the House International Relations Committee's Middle East Subcommittee on November 15th, and by the full committee on November 16th.

(UN/ISRAEL) H. Res. 438: Urging member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United Nations General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving conflict in the Middle East. Marked up in the House International Relations Committee's Middle East Subcommittee on November 15th, and by the full committee on November 16th.

(SAUDI ARABIA) H. Con. Res. 275: Expressing the Sense of Congress regarding the education curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Marked up in the House International Relations Committee's Middle East Subcommittee on November 15th, and by the full committee on November 16th.

(ISRAEL) H. Res. 535: Honoring the life, legacy, and example of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his death. Marked up in the House International Relations Committee on November 16th.

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III. HAGEL ON THE RECORD
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The following are excerpts from a speech delivered by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) at the Council on Foreign Relations on November 16th:

"...Trust and confidence in the United States has been seriously eroded. We are seen by many in the Middle East as an obstacle to peace, an aggressor and an occupier. Our policies are a source of significant friction not only in the region but in the wider international community. Our purpose and power are questioned. We are at the same time both a stabilizing and a destabilizing force in the Middle East.

"We face the possibility of a much more dangerous and destabilized Middle East, with consequences that would extend far beyond the region's borders.

"There have been positive, recent developments in Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. To maximize the potential of these developments, the United States must demonstrate diplomatic agility to adjust and respond to the uncertainties, nuances and uncontrollables that the region will continue to face...

"Central to peace in the Middle East is resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier this year, we witnessed the election of a new Palestinian President and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. The President's announcement on October 20 to extend former World Bank President Jim Wolfensohn's economic mission in the region and Secretary Rice's announcement last night to appoint Major General Keith Dayton to succeed Lieutenant General William 'Kip' Ward as the U.S. security coordinator are very important and need more attention and support.

"Developments since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, however, risk dragging us back into cycles of despair and violence. Palestinian terrorists have struck Israel. Israel continues to expand settlements in the West Bank. Gazans have not yet seen a difference in their lives as borders remain closed with only a trickle of goods and people from Gaza to either Israel or Egypt. These uncertain conditions in Gaza create a disastrous investment climate. Gaza cannot remain a prison to its own citizens.

"Last night, Secretary Rice, Mr. Wolfensohn, and General Ward helped Israelis and Palestinians reach an agreement that begins to re-open Gaza, in particular the Rafah crossing with Egypt that is Gaza's primary link to the world. As Secretary Rice has noted, this significant development will help create 'patterns of cooperation' that will be critical to achieve greater progress toward peace in the Middle East. Secretary Rice, Mr. Wolfensohn, and General Ward deserve credit for this achievement.

"But as all three clearly understand, major challenges remain. Both Israelis and Palestinians have unmet obligations, neither side can justify further inaction. American leadership can push and prod but we cannot force Israelis or Palestinians to negotiate.

"We must also be prepared to identify and act on strategic regional opportunities to help achieve broader Arab-Israeli peace. The progress in ending Syria's corrosive influence in Lebanon should help create opportunities to undermine Syrian-backed Palestinian terrorist groups that have operated out of Lebanon, and thereby help to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The course of diplomatic events on Syria may also eventually help create opportunities to reinvigorate Israeli-Syrian negotiations, including the future status of the Golan Heights.

"The United States should be very cautious about supporting the collapse of the Assad regime. That would be a dangerous event, with the potential to trigger wider regional instability at a time when our capacity to help shape a desired regional outcome is very limited. Our objective should be a strategic shift in Syria's perspective and actions that would open the way to greater common interests for the countries of the region... "


For more information contact APN Government Relations Director Lara Friedman at 202/728-1893, or at lfriedman@peacenow.org.