[Page: S14881]
Mr. ROBB submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I rise this morning to introduce a resolution calling on the State Department to carefully assess recent allegations regarding Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and support for terrorism abroad. I have serious concerns on both fronts because information that has come to light, if accurate, suggests that Pakistan's actions are directly contrary to our official nonproliferation and anti-terrorism policies.
Mr. President, on August 23, 1994, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that Pakistan had produced a nuclear weapon. That represents a sharp departure from statements made by Pakistan government officials in the past that Islamabad has the technology to construct a nuclear device but did not maintain such a weapon in its arsenal.
I am not unaware of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's denial of her predecessor's charges, nor am I unmindful of the political rivalries extant between herself and the former Prime Minister. I do not, however, lightly dismiss his remarks. Mr. Sharif would have direct knowledge of the scope of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program as former leader of the country and I believe he is a credible figure.
Mr. Leonard Spector, a nonproliferation specialist at the Carnegie Endowment, observed in late August that Mr. Sharif's charge was `the first time a person of this rank has been as specific' about the exact status of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. Accordingly, I would strongly urge the State Department to redouble its efforts to ensure that Pakistan is not proceeding to a more advanced stage with its nuclear program.
Equally troubling, Mr. President, are allegations that Pakistan played a role in terrorist bombings that occurred in Bombay in early 1993. According to the Indian Interior Minister, a leading suspect in the case captured by Indian authorities, Mr. Takub Menom, has implicated Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence Agency (ISI) in the bombings that devastated central Bombay on March 12, 1993, killing over 300 people.
Mr. Menom accuses the ISI of providing him materiel support to carry out the bombing attacks in Bombay. Moreover, there are allegations that the ISI directly assisted Mr. Menom, his brother and their associates on where to locate the bombs within the city and provided transportation to and from Pakistan for group members.
Mr. President, I believe these alleged activities are troublesome and serious. In early 1993, Pakistan was subject to active continuing review for possible inclusion on the terrorist watch list compiled by the State Department. On July 14, 1993, Pakistan was removed from the watch list because Pakistan had implemented a policy of ending official support for terrorists in India.
Given these recent developments, I urge the State Department to reconsider Pakistan's status and whether it should be cited for sponsoring overseas terrorist activities. I believe a fair and impartial review of the Bombay bombings and any other Pakistani actions relevant to conducting terrorism abroad, specifically in India, is warranted at this time, and I look forward to following up with State Department officials to ensure this occurs.
I ask that the full text of the resolution appear in the Record following this statement.
The resolution follows:
Whereas the United States government has longstanding policies opposing the spread of terrorism and narcotics trafficking;
Whereas the United States government has committed massive amounts of funding through the years to combat both of these problems;
Whereas on January 7, 1993, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was placed on the State Department's watch list of nations suspected of supporting terrorism;
Whereas on July 14, 1993, the State Department removed the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from the watch list;
Whereas former Pakistan Prime Minister Narwaz Sharif recently alleged that his Army Chief of Staff, General Aslam Beg, and General Asad Durrani, head of the Inter Service Intelligence agency, had informed him while in office that the Pakistani Army and ISI planned to conduct covert acts of terrorism in other countries and fund these activities through large scale narcotics sales;
Whereas 317 Indian citizens were killed in March 1993, in a series of bombings of the Bombay Stock Exchange and other sites in Bombay;
Whereas a leading suspect in the bombing has publicly implicated the Pakistan government in the bombings by alleging that the ISI provided weapons, money and explosives for the attacks in Bombay;
Whereas former Prime Minister Sharif recently stated that Pakistan has possessed nuclear weapons for several years;
Whereas in 1985 the United States Congress enacted legislation prohibiting foreign assistance to Pakistan unless the President certified that Pakistan does not possess a nuclear explosive device;
Whereas President Bush and President Clinton have been unable to certify that Pakistan does not possess a nuclear explosive device;
Therefore, it is the sense of the Senate that:
(1) The United States condemns the alleged involvement of Pakistan in acts of terrorism in other countries;
(2) The United States condemns any involvement by Pakistan in the illegal manufacture, sale, transportation or distribution of any narcotic substance;
(3) The Administration should review the 1993 State Department decision to remove Pakistan from the Watch List of nations suspected of involvement in terrorism abroad;
(4) The United States reaffirms current law prohibiting foreign assistance to Pakistan in light of Prime Minister Sharif's claim that Pakistan has possessed a nuclear weapon for several years.
END