Patrick Leahy: “when I pick up the newspaper, turn on the radio, or watch television, almost all of the media's attention is…”

“when I pick up the newspaper, turn on the radio, or watch television, almost all of the media's attention is, understandably, focused on the war in Iraq. As a result, some important issues in other parts of the world are being overlooked or unreported. I want to call attention to some good news that has received very little attention: Congress has made some much needed progress on the very important issue of conflict diamonds. The role of diamonds in fueling brutal conflicts in Africa and funding terrorism is well documented, so I will not take much time recounting this history. Suffice it to say, that it is a critical problem and deserves serious attention and resources from Congress, the Bush Administration, and the international community. It is also well known that the diamond industry, key nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and a number of governments came together to create an international regime aimed at stopping the trade in conflict diamonds, called the Kimberley Process. In January 2002, the process was launched and now the individual countries involved need to pass implementing legislation. It is important that the Congress pass legislation before the next Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting on April 28, 2003, to ensure that the United States continues to play a leadership role on this issue.”