Dick Lugar: “I wish to take a moment to discuss a security problem that exists in the Andean Trade Preference Act extension contained…”

“I wish to take a moment to discuss a security problem that exists in the Andean Trade Preference Act extension contained in H.R. 3009, as amended and passed by the Senate, and which must be addressed. The problem is that, in an understandable effort to support Andean economies by providing tuna export preferences, this bill unfairly harms the economies of Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Providing trade preferences to one ally, or regional bloc, at the expense of others is patently unfair. The problem this bill creates for the Philippines, and for American interests in the Philippines, is particularly troublesome. The entire tuna industry in the Philippines is located in the southern region of Mindanao. It is in Mindanao that Muslim terrorist cells, with reported ties to al-Quaeda, are operating. In order to combat the terrorist threat in the southern Philippines, American troops have recently been deployed to Mindanao and are training Philippine forces to track down terrorists. Damaging the Philippines' tuna export market by tipping the scale in favor of other countries will damage the single largest employer and increase instability in the exact area where U.S. troops are deployed to help create stability.”