Political Quotes

“I am pleased to submit this resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the recent tragic events in Rwanda. I am joined in this effort by Senators Jeffords, Kassebaum, Kennedy, Feingold, Wofford, and Pell. On April 6, 1994, President Juvenal Habyarimana of Rwanda and Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi were killed when their plane was shot down in Kigali. We have all heard the grim reports since that time--the eruption in Rwanda of brutal, systematic, and indiscriminate violence, resulting in the deaths of more than 100,000 people to date. These actions constitute genocide, and clearly violate all international standards of human rights. President Clinton acted swiftly to condemn these acts and to evacuate some 250 Americans from Rwanda. The President and his senior advisers, particularly United States Ambassador to Rwanda David Rawson, are to be commended for their action. Other governments have also acted to rescue their citizens from the ensuing violence. However, the lives of millions of Rwandans remain in jeopardy. Almost all foreigners and aid workers have been evacuated, resulting in the cessation of humanitarian relief to the hundreds of thousands of refugees that were already in Rwanda prior to this latest crisis--and who are dependent on international assistance. Millions more have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the recent massacres.”