Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I hope to be able to support the Chemical Weapons Convention as strengthened by the resolution of ratification…”

“I hope to be able to support the Chemical Weapons Convention as strengthened by the resolution of ratification introduced by the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Before I address this resolution, I want to draw our attention to the remarkable events in Lima, Peru. The Peruvian Armed Forces and police conducted a bold, daytime raid and rescued 71 of the 72 hostages being held by a terrorist group for 4 months. As part of the operation, the Peruvian Army used riot control agents to stun the terrorists and rescue the hostages. I would caution my colleagues, regardless of where they come out on this treaty, that the actions of the Peruvian Armed Forces that resulted in minimal loss of life among the hostages were quite possibly a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which expressly forbids the use of riot control agents as a method of warfare. I make this point because this treaty has many things in it that we must think about very carefully.”