SUPPORT FOR THE ACCESSION OF ISRAEL TO THE OECDRESS FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE IRANIAN BAHA'I AUG 12 2004 MARKUP BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND CENTRAL ASIA OF THE COMMITTEE ON ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. Con. Res. 319, H. Con. Res. 363, H. Res. 615 and H. Res. 617 MAY 12, 2004 Serial No. 108–104 Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international_relations U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 93-659PDF WASHINGTON : 2004 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001 COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa TOM LANTOS, California DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska HOWARD L. BERMAN, California CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York Vice Chairman ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American DAN BURTON, Indiana Samoa ELTON GALLEGLY, California DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina SHERROD BROWN, Ohio DANA ROHRABACHER, California BRAD SHERMAN, California EDWARD R. ROYCE, California ROBERT WEXLER, Florida PETER T. KING, New York ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York STEVE CHABOT, Ohio WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts AMO HOUGHTON, New York GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York BARBARA LEE, California ROY BLUNT, Missouri JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Pennsylvania RON PAUL, Texas EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon NICK SMITH, Michigan SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California JEFF FLAKE, Arizona ADAM B. SCHIFF, California JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia DIANE E. WATSON, California MARK GREEN, Wisconsin ADAM SMITH, Washington JERRY WELLER, Illinois BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND CENTRAL ASIA ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida, Chairwoman STEVE CHABOT, Ohio GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York HOWARD L. BERMAN, California NICK SMITH, Michigan ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York MIKE PENCE, Indiana JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Pennsylvania THADDEUS G. MCCOTTER, Michigan SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada ROY BLUNT, Missouri ADAM B. SCHIFF, California JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky YLEEM POBLETE, Subcommittee Staff Director MATT ZWEIG, Staff Associate KF 27 Coola CONTENTS Page MARKUP OF H. Con. Res. 319, Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing repression of the religious freedom and human rights of the Iranian Bahá'i community by the Government of Iran Amendment to H. Con. Res. 319 offered by the Honorable Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida, and Chairwoman, Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia H. Con. Res. 363, Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing gross violations of human rights and civil liberties of the Syrian people by the Government of the Syrian Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Con. Res. 363 offered by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen H. Res. 615, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of full membership of Israel in the Western European and Others Group Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 615 offered by the H. Res. 617, Expressing support for the accession of Israel to the Organiza- tion for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Amendment to H. Res. 617 offered by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 27 30 CONCERN REGARDING THE REPRESSION OF THE RELI. GIOUS FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE IRANIAN BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN; CONCERN REGARDING THE GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC; SUP. PORT OF FULL MEMBERSHIP OF ISRAEL IN THE WEOG AT THE U.N.; AND SUPPORT FOR THE ACCESSION OF ISRAEL TO THE OECD WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2004 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND CENTRAL ASIA, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2 o'clock p.m. in Room 2200, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Joseph R. Pitts presiding. Mr. PITTS. The Subcommittee will come to order. We are convening to mark up the following resolutions: H. Con. Res. 319, expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing repression of the religious freedom and human rights of the Iranian Bahá'í community by the Government of Iran; H. Con. Res. 363, expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing gross violations of human rights and civil liberties of the Syrian people by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic; H. Res. 615, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of full membership of Israel in the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) at the United Nations; and H. Res. 617, expressing support for the accession of Israel to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is my understanding that these resolutions are completely noncontroversial. Accordingly, we will consider them en bloc. Without objection, the four resolutions will be favorably reported to the Full Committee, and the amendments which the Members have before them will be deemed adopted. Any Member may insert a statement in the record. [The resolutions and amendments referred to follow:] (1) |