Rick Lazio: “Mr. Chairman, I had prepared an amendment to reduce foreign aid to Egypt, but I will suspend that for a moment. I have…”

“Mr. Chairman, I had prepared an amendment to reduce foreign aid to Egypt, but I will suspend that for a moment. I have serious concern about the objectives and the part Egypt has been playing in terms of its constructive role in the peace process in the Middle East. Egypt, as we know, has been historically a partner in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East, but its recent actions have run contrary to our interests. First, Egypt openly advocated for Libya, a well-known terrorist state. It urged the U.N. Security Council to accept Libya's request to try the Pan Am 103 bombing suspects in front of an international tribunal. That is opposed to the United States policy. Second, Egypt is openly encouraging cutbacks to the economic and trade sanctions imposed on Libya in 1992. Egypt permitted Colonel Qaddafi to fly into Egypt and attend an Arab League summit in Cairo, in open violation of the United Nations ban on Libyan air travel. Terrorists will never respond to sanctions such as isolation if our allies assist Colonel Qaddafi in participating in such a pivotal meeting. Third, Egypt acted as host of the June 1996 Arab League summit. That meeting provided a platform for Arab leaders opposed to peace to threaten the halt of normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab countries wanting peace.”