Joe Pitts: “last week I spoke on Morocco's refusal to permit removal by the U.N. of millions of land mines in Western Sahara. Today…”

“last week I spoke on Morocco's refusal to permit removal by the U.N. of millions of land mines in Western Sahara. Today, I rise on behalf of the POWs of both sides of the war between Morocco and the Western Sahara who were captured or are missing as a result of the 20-year conflict. I personally visited with 84 Moroccan POW's military personnel who have been freed by Western Sahara as a gesture of goodwill and whom the kingdom of Morocco will not permit to return to their country. On my visit to the refugee camps, I met with an organization which tracks missing Sahrawis. 526 Sahrawis remain among the disappeared. They are either prisoners held by Morocco or are missing, all held incommunicado by Morocco. In a country like Morocco, which is a friend of the United States, it is strange to hear reports of such clear violations to fundamental human rights as to not identify POWs and missing people. I urge the Kingdom of Morocco to reconsider their policy and identify all those held incommunicado as well as accept back their own military which have been freed by Western Sahara.”