Jim Kolbe: “first, I withdraw the reservation of the point of order. Mr. Chairman, let me just say that I appreciate the…”

“first, I withdraw the reservation of the point of order. Mr. Chairman, let me just say that I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern about the human rights situation in Vietnam. I share those concerns, and I believe our foreign policy should stress its importance. I can assure the gentlewoman that improved relations between the United States and Vietnam, particularly in the area of military relations, will not ignore our objectives for improved human rights protection in that country. However, I do not wish to make engagement through IMET contingent on a specific action by the Vietnamese. I think it could have very well the opposite effect if we were to do that. One purpose of IMET funds is to provide English language instruction to the Vietnamese military. In a fundamental way, it thus serves as a tool to give the Vietnamese military exposure to U.S. instructors, to professionalism, to progressive ideas, and to the role of the military in civil society. IMET would promote mutual understanding and provide an additional context for the Vietnamese to understand how important it is for the United States to see improvements in human rights. Besides providing this context for understanding, I believe that IMET for Vietnam will help us address transnational issues such as counterterrorism and counternarcotics and contribute to greater security and regional stability in Southeast Asia.…”