Political Quotes

“This resolution urges the members of the international community, including the United States, to step up to fill a critical need in equipping the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force, namely, 24 tactical and utility helicopters. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has termed these aerial vehicles indispensable to allow the peacekeepers to carry out their mission to protect civilians. I am pleased to see that several countries may now be volunteering to begin to fill this gap. According to press reports, the governments of Ethiopia and Bangladesh are discussing the matter with the United Nations, and I hope that their contributions can be used to help meet this urgent need. While I want to acknowledge these potential contributions, I would also emphasize that other countries must do the same: the peacekeepers in Darfur need the full complement of 24 helicopters. Darfur is the size of Texas. These aerial assets are critical. Our resolution urges President Bush to personally contact other heads of state on this matter.”