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The Chairman: No amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed in House Report 110-174. Each amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report except amendment No. 11 which may be offered at any time, by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report, equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.

Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Lantos

The Chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 1 offered by Mr. Lantos:

Page 5, line 23, strike "supports" and insert "is supported by".

Page 5, line 25, strike "a strategy" and insert "the core framework".

Page 6, line 6, insert before the period the following: ", particularly at the local and provincial levels".

Page 12, line 12, strike "(B)" and insert "(C)".

Page 12, line 13, strike "(B)" and insert "(C)".

Page 12, lines 19 through 25, move the margins of clauses (ii) and (iii) two ems to the left.

Page 18, line 3, insert "helping women deliver healthier babies and" after "for the purpose of".

Page 35, line 11, strike "300,000,000" and insert "$300,000,000".

Page 37, line 1, strike "The President" and insert

"Pursuant to the authorities of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) or section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763), the President".

Page 43, line 16, strike "to conduct" and insert "to participate in, to the extent appropriate and practicable,".

Page 46, strike lines 1 through 4 and insert the following new subclauses:

• (I) The Afghan forces.
• (II) ISAF.
• (III) Non-ISAF United States forces.
• (IV) Other Coalition forces.

Page 47, beginning on line 10, strike "and countries participating in ISAF" and insert "countries participating in ISAF, and other Coalition countries".

Page 57, line 24, strike "Affairs" and insert "Relations".

Page 66, line 9, insert "and" after the semicolon.

Page 70, after line 17, insert the following new subsection:

(c) Concurrent Submission of Report.--Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

"(d) Concurrent Submission of Report.--The strategy required by subsection (b) and any updates of the strategy provided pursuant to subsection (c) shall be submitted concurrently with the report and updates required by section 304 of this Act (relating to progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan).".

Page 71, line 24, strike "who repatriate" and insert "to ensure orderly and voluntary repatriation".

The Chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I am offering this amendment on behalf of my distinguished colleague, the ranking Republican member, and myself.

Our amendment makes a number of technical, clarifying and clerical changes to several provisions in this bill as reported by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment has been cleared by both the Republican and Democratic sides, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

The Chairman: Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of and have no objection to this manager's amendment, which contains minor technical and conforming changes. I support this amendment's consideration by unanimous consent.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

The Chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Ackerman

The Chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Ackerman: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. Ackerman:

Page 51, after line 7, insert the following new subparagraph:

(J) An assessment of the quality of governance in each province in Afghanistan, including an assessment of the following:

(i) The implementation of the rule of law, including the effects of any lack of such implementation on operations of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, and other Afghan National Security Forces.

(ii) Whether and to what extent actions by Afghan National Security Forces have led to abuses of human rights and the extent to which such abuses, if any, undermine overall counterinsurgency efforts in such province and Afghanistan as a whole.

(iii) The ability of courts and the judicial system to provide an effective justice system to support the civil- military side of military and police operations.

Page 51, line 8, strike "(J)" and insert "(K)".

The Chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.

Mr. Ackerman: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First, I want to congratulate Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros- Lehtinen for producing an excellent bipartisan bill. The Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act demonstrates yet again the depth of support in the Congress for our efforts in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda and sends a clear message to the Government of Afghanistan and the Afghan people that the United States is committed to the success of a stable, free and democratic Afghanistan.

As the bill also points out, we remain far from that goal, and it is not at all certain we will get there. The amendment I am offering today concerns a problem that if left unaddressed could undercut all of our efforts in Afghanistan, and that is the problem of corruption.

The Government Accountability Office in a recent report said the reform effort in the judicial sector is being "undermined by systemic corruption at key national and provincial justice institutions." The most recent report in Afghanistan from the U.N. Secretary General noted that because corruption influences government appointments, Afghans don't trust local government officials and have turned to making deals with the Taliban for protection of their property. The same report goes on to describe the popular alienation that many Afghans feel towards local governments and asserts that this alienation is a key factor in support for the insurgency.

My amendment adds language to section 302 of the bill to ensure that the Presidential report required by that section includes an assessment of the quality of governments in each province in Afghanistan, focusing in particular on the implementation of the rule of law and its impact on the operation of Afghan society, security forces and the impact of any human rights abuses by Afghan government forces on overall counterinsurgency efforts and the ability of the courts and judicial system to provide an effective justice system in support of Afghan military and police efforts.

Mr. Chairman, the question of corruption in Afghanistan may seem like a small matter when compared with the resurgence of the Taliban and the explosion of narcotics trafficking. But I believe for the Taliban to be defeated and for the narcotics traffickers to be imprisoned, ordinary Afghans must have confidence that their government actually works for them. If the citizens of Afghanistan believe otherwise, then they will turn to local warlords, drug traffickers and the Taliban for protection. Under that scenario, Afghans can look forward to another generation of civil conflict.

I would urge all of our colleagues to support the amendment as well as the underlying bill.

Mr. Lantos: Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Ackerman: I would be delighted to yield to the chairman.

Mr. Lantos: I want to thank my friend from New York for his very thoughtful amendment, and I am extremely pleased to support it.

Mr. Ackerman: I thank the gentleman from California.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

The Chairman: The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, the amendment has a noble purpose, to enhance congressional oversight on the status of local governance in Afghanistan, including adherence to the rule of law, protection of human rights and operation of an effective justice system. Unfortunately, the amendment lacks specific criteria by which to measure these issues. It requires the administration to report, for example, on how the lack of implementation of the rule of law affects the operations of the Afghan National Army, the police and security forces. However, there are numerous factors that comprise the rule of law. How would this provision measure implementation of the rule of law?

Without a clear measure, how could any administration then state, with any degree of certainty, what effects the absence of such implementation had on the operations of Afghan security forces? It goes on to ask for an assessment on the ability of the Afghan judicial system to support the civil military side of military and police operations.

Again, a noble purpose, but there are no clear definitions, no guidelines to determine the information sought. Further, how could we establish a clear measure so that the administration can state how the actions of the Afghan security forces led to human rights abuses, and in turn, how much those abuses undermine counterinsurgency efforts? That is an extraordinary, complicated, causal chain, and some direction and clarification within the amendment itself, Mr. Chairman, would have been most useful.

We sought modifications to this amendment in an effort to arrive at an agreement on the text because I do support what my colleague from New York is trying to get at. We want to support the overarching goals of this bill, and his amendment is an attempt to do that.

I will continue to work closely with the gentleman from New York regarding his particular amendment to preserve its intent, to make sure that it can be effective in its implementation, but as currently drafted, I will have to oppose the amendment. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Ackerman: Mr. Chairman, despite the fact that this might be a complicated and extraordinary and difficult thing for the President to do, we have every confidence in the President on this side that he will be able to come up at least with some criteria that he at least thinks is objective and report in his own language, using his own complicated or simplistic criteria, whether or not he thinks corruption is prevalent in the various provinces in Afghanistan. We are leaving that up to him. And we will fully understand that in any language that he presents it to us, it will come from him, and that will be his determination.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I urge our colleagues to defeat this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Ackerman: Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

The Chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Souder

The Chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 11 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Souder: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 11 offered by Mr. Souder: Page 39, line 1, insert ", including force protection and in extremis support" after "logistical support".

The Chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. Souder: Mr. Chairman, it is my intention to withdraw this amendment because of the strong opposition of Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Duncan Hunter, but I appreciate the Rules Committee making this in order. I believe it is an important step.

I know I am going to rain a little bit on the general parade here. I think this is an important bill, it is an important step, but we have oversold the success of Afghanistan. Before my first trip, I knew then that our then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, wanted to separate the military effort in Afghanistan from other challenges the country faced, just like in Iraq.

In Afghanistan, the question was heroin. On my first trip there, I heard our own soldiers reflect the Pentagon attitude by mocking heroin and minimizing its efforts to get rid of it. I attended the briefings back here in Washington as the heroin problem began to pass anything we've ever seen under the Taliban by a factor of four to five times of anything we have ever seen under the Taliban. I asked the question, since we had not removed the regional drug lords from office, how many of the people who voted in that much heralded election could vote against their local drug lords.

State Department, Defense Department, DIA and CIA disagreed on the exact number. The highest was 30 percent, the lowest 20 percent. In other words, 70 to 80 percent of the people who voted in that election did not have a free vote because we did not remove the regional druglords from office, and we let the heroin poppy grow without controlling their sources of financing that had penetrated the early parts of the government.

This government has, in fact, started to act, as they attempted to assassinate President Karzai, who was clean, and he removed gradually some members of his cabinet. But by that time, the heroin, once again, four times world record, five times world record, four times world record, three times world record, approaching eight to 10 times the total cumulative effect that ever happened before the United States went into Afghanistan. We had sites that we could not hit because we were afraid they were going to shoot down our own planes.

What do we think they are buying the new IEDs with? What do we think they are buying the other equipment with? Of course they are getting it from profits from poppy.

I did a hearing in our subcommittee, because the British had this effort, "Afghanistan: Have the British Counter-Narcotics Efforts Gone Wildly?" On April 1, 2004. This is no new problem. Go arrest the druglords. Our military is afraid they are going to get exploded. How can you go arrest the drug lords?

My amendment was simply to say the military needs to support the antinarcotics efforts and the DEA to take down these. You can't send 10, 25 agents out and say go arrest and take down the Helman province. When I went with Congressman Hoekstra and Congressman Ruppersberger and Congressman Shadegg, the four of us went into the Helman province, possibly the only four Members that will ever get there. And when we got there in a Blackhawk ride for 45 minutes, heroin as far as the eye can see going at a high rate of speed. Dwarfed Columbia. This is an incredible problem. The military needs to engage.

I agree with Chairman Skelton; we don't have enough troops in Afghanistan. And that makes it a problematic thing of how to support the DEA.

This bill is a first step. But we need the military engagement and support, because you cannot get order, you cannot do alternative crops unless you eradicate the heroin and change a little bit of the market force. We can't subsidize the difference between other products and heroin. It is not possible.

We can't do those efforts, and INL and the State Department and DEA and the other agencies cannot do this without military support. This needs to be addressed in the defense bill. It needs to be addressed here in conference.

I hope that the chairman here can do it. I hope Chairman Skelton can do it. I hope the administration can do it. But let's understand there is no terrorism funding in Afghanistan. There is no insurgency efforts. There is no corrupt government if you get rid of the heroin.

This is a difficult problem. It is multi-faceted. But you need real protection, with real guns, with real transport, with real time, saying that they are going to give logistical support rather than force protection and extremist support, means and effect. For most of the time, the DEA agents are on their own, go in. With 10,000 Taliban, good luck in taking them down. They need more than good luck. They need some help.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my friend from Indiana for yielding, and I want to thank him for working with the committee. I understand the gentleman is going to withdraw his amendment, and I thank him for his courtesy.

I fully support his sentiment that is behind his amendment, and I will work with him on this issue as H.R. 2446 goes through the legislative process.

Mr. Souder: Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chairman for his leadership for the start of this bill. I hope we can really tackle the underlying problems.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

The Chairman: Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Indiana?

There was no objection.

Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Costa

The Chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Costa: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 3 offered by Mr. Costa:

Page 29, after line 23, insert the following new section (and redesignate subsequent sections and conform the table of contents accordingly):

SEC. 106. ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT THE OFFICES OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFGHANISTAN.

(a) Assistance Authorized.--The President shall provide assistance to support the auditing, investigation, and oversight capacity and capability of the Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development in Afghanistan. The Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development are authorized to audit, investigate, and oversee the programs authorized in title I of the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 (as amended by this title).

(b) Requirement for In-Country Presence.--The Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development, after consultation with the Secretary of State and the Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development, shall permanently deploy not less than two staff from each of the Offices of the Inspector General in Afghanistan to carry out this section.

(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--

(1) Availability of funds.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 110 of the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 (as redesignated by this title) for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010, not less than $1,500,000 for each such fiscal year is authorized to be made available to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State and not less than $3,000,000 for each such fiscal year is authorized to be made available to the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Agency for International Development to carry out this section.

(2) Relation to other available funds.--Amounts made available under paragraph (1) are in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes.

The Chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

Mr. Costa: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I think from many of the comments that have been made here this afternoon regarding the concerns that we have as it relates to the situation in Afghanistan, we come with the best of intentions to support H.R. 2446, which is the underlying bill, a strong bill; and I am, of course, among those who support this measure.

It affirms the United States' long-term commitment to support Afghanistan in the transition that has seen 30 years of civil war, violence and occupation by a brutal regime to a stable and prosperous democratic state at peace with its neighbors.

Having said that, though, it is easier said than done, as we all know, for Afghanistan faces many challenges. With the amount of funding that we have provided to the Afghani people for economic and security reasons, I believe that there is increased need to have the sort of oversight mechanisms in place to protect this investment, to ensure its success and, of course, to always make sure that American taxpayers' dollars are well spent.

My amendment provides this opportunity in two ways: It provides oversight that includes the Office of Inspector General at the State Department as well as the United States Agency for International Development to provide the necessary oversight within this bill that many of us believe is necessary.

The amendment to H.R. 2446 provides such support in two ways: in- country presence and funding. Without in-country presence and without the necessary funding, it won't happen.

Currently, the staff of the Office of Inspector General of the United States AID are performing their duties in Manila. Now, you take out a map and Manila is a long ways from Kabul in Afghanistan, which is the capital. We need to have on-the-ground knowledge in Afghanistan and programs that they are implementing, and they cannot perform those duties from Manila, which is thousands of and thousands of miles away.

Many of us have visited Afghanistan, and we have on-the-ground knowledge of what is critical to this war on terrorism. We must remember this is where the war on terrorism began, which premeditated the attacks on 9/11.

The amendment mandates that at least two staff members will be permanently deployed in Afghanistan in the country. The amendment also increases the funding for both the Offices of Inspector General in accordance with their own plans to increase staffing over the coming years. The Offices of the Inspector General are our watchdog, and they provide vital efforts to ensure that money is well spent in Afghanistan. We need to ensure that these American taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and that waste and corruption, which was mentioned by the previous speaker, is kept at bay, to the degree that it is possible.

In conclusion, let me say, Mr. Chairman, that we had tremendous success in South Korea, but we have been there over 50 years and we still have 30,000 troops there. The initial two decades in South Korea will be, in my opinion, as difficult as it is today in Afghanistan. Therefore, we must be prepared to put the proper resources there and to stay the course. I strongly support this bill.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Costa: I yield to the chairman.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my friend for his extremely thoughtful and very necessary amendment, and I am very pleased to support it strongly.

With billions of dollars being poured into reconstruction and development assistance, justifiably so, we have a heavy responsibility to the American people to ensure that our taxpayer dollars are being spent in the manner in which they were intended.

As the gentleman knows, we just had a hearing with the Inspector General for Afghanistan which was singularly instructive and illuminating and highlighted many of the problems in the spending of our tax dollars in Afghanistan. This function is the function of the Inspectors General at the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Your amendment requires that these officers be permanently deployed in Afghanistan, which they are not currently, so that on-the-ground assessments can be made in real time and with full continuity. Your amendment authorizes additional funds to help ensure that adequate resources are allocated to measure the effectiveness of our aid program without increasing the cost of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly support this amendment and urge all of my colleagues to do so as well.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

The Chairman: Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment both authorizes and requires oversight by the Inspectors General from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and it does this in two main ways.

First, it requires the permanent deployment in Afghanistan of at least four IG staffers, two each from State and USAID, to audit, to investigate and to oversee economic and developmental assistance provided in Title I of the Act.

Secondly, it also earmarks a total of $4.5 million per year for these IG activities.

We all share the goal of ensuring that our investment in Afghanistan's economic and democratic development is not squandered. Fiscal accountability is always in order, Mr. Chairman. As a proportion of the total amounts in the Act, the amount earmarked by this amendment is roughly in the ballpark of the amount that USAID usually spends on IG activities as compared to its total budget. Furthermore, the activities contemplated by this amendment are in keeping with the current responsibilities of the State and USAID Inspectors General.

Solid plans that help maximize the impact of the strategy embodied in the underlying bill are to be welcomed. In this spirit, I am pleased to support this well-thought-out amendment by the gentleman from California; and I also urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Mr. Costa: Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Costa: Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentlewoman, the ranking member, and the chairman of the Committee on International Relations for their good work on this legislation and for their bipartisan effort to provide leadership in our committee and in all the hearings that we are holding and in the legislation that we are participating in.

The bipartisan spirit which I think surrounds the committee these days is welcomed and is truly a tribute to the chairman and the ranking member.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to thank Chairman Lantos as well as his staff for having such a wonderful, cooperative spirit and for the working relationship between staff and Members.

I thank the gentleman from California for offering this amendment, because it gets at the heart of what we want to do: fiscal accountability; making sure that our tax dollars are being used in the wisest way, free of corruption, and making sure that we have folks on the ground to look at those dollars. We have our precious treasure, our men and women in uniform, shedding blood for freedom. Let's make sure that American taxpayer dollars are being used in the correct way as well.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

The Chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Franks of Arizona

The Chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Franks of Arizona: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 4 offered by Mr. Franks of Arizona:

Page 44, after line 5, insert the following new section (and conform the table of contents accordingly):

SEC. 2_. REPORT ON THE SALE AND USE OF IRANIAN-MADE WEAPONS FOR THE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN.

(a) Congressional Finding.--United States Armed Forces in Afghanistan recently intercepted a shipment of Iranian-made weapons and explosives intended for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

(b) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the current Iranian-made weapons being sold to or used by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The report shall include any evidence of official Iranian Government endorsement of the sale of the Iranian-made weapons.

(c) Definition.--In this section, the term "appropriate congressional committees" means--

(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

The Chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. Franks of Arizona: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, according to Secretary of Defense Gates, Iranian weapons have begun to flow into Afghanistan in recent months. We know this much for certain. What we do not know is if indeed this is an official sanction of the Iranian government.

However, some in the intelligence community believe that this effort is on the part of a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which are responsible for shipping these deadly weapons to the Taliban. If this is true, Mr. Chairman, the implications must be realized by this Congress, because it means that Shiite Iran is disregarding sectarian differences with Sunni Taliban in order to unite with them in an effort to undermine U.S. efforts for peace in the nascent democratic Afghanistan.

Mr. Chairman, this means that the nation of Iran is determined to back non-state Muslim militants to terrorize countries who desire peace, tolerance and stability. We saw them do this last year in Lebanon through their proxy Hezbollah against the nation of Israel. We now see this happening in Iraq as well.

There are two major elements, Mr. Chairman, when we consider the danger of an enemy to this Nation. We first have to assess their intention or the will of an enemy to harm the U.S. or our allies. It is clear that the Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah and groups like them hate governments like ours that uphold the rule of law and uphold the effort to protect freedom of action, thought and religion. They hate the United States because of this, Mr. Chairman. They hate a tolerant Europe, they hate the new democratic Afghanistan, they hate pluralistic Israel and they hate Lebanon. They have an insidious and determined will to tyrannize. They need only the means or the capacity to bring that hate to fruition.

Mr. Chairman, this is the second element. A true threat exists to this Nation's freedom when those who are committed to tyranny and to disrupt peace are met with the means and the capacity to do so. Iran is providing the means to non-state terrorist actors who possess the will to use them.

We must not let this continue. My amendment requires that the Secretary of Defense provide Congress with a semiannual report that informs us of the Iranian-made weapons being provided to the Taliban, and any evidence that the sale is endorsed by the government of Iran.

Mr. Chairman, it is vital that this body understands the intention of Iran because they may some day very soon possess a very frightening capacity that threatens the potential future of the world and the peace of free people across the world.

I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

I would now like to yield to the distinguished ranking member of the committee, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in strong support of the Franks amendment. Since last April, two arms shipment from Iran, including mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, C-4 explosives and small arms have reportedly been intercepted by U.S. and coalition troops.

Further, a NATO spokesman recently stated that an explosively formed projectile, EFP, which resembled the EFPs bearing Iranian manufacturing markings that have been found in Iraq, have been recently discovered in Kabul. This directly affects the safety and security of our men and women serving in Afghanistan. As I pointed out previously, my daughter- in-law is one of those wearing our Nation's uniform serving in Afghanistan. We want to make sure that we protect everyone in that country.

These disturbing developments may indicate that the Iranian regime has decided to also undermine the government of Afghanistan and U.S. efforts to deny Islamic militants a safe haven in Afghanistan.

While fighting in Afghanistan has thus far been concentrated near the Pakistani border, increased Iranian interference in Afghanistan may indicate an attempt to provoke the U.S. and our coalition partners into opening a second front. Iran's apparently increasing involvement in this central front of the global war against radical jihadists reflects the goal of the regime of pursuing regional dominance, spreading radical Islam, and counteracting western influence in the region. Such a goal is intolerable. As in Iraq, failure in Afghanistan is not an option.

Mr. Chairman, the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act works to bolster our efforts, and I support the Franks amendment.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Pomeroy). Without objection, the gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, the Committee on Foreign Affairs has long been concerned with events in Iran, including recent media reports of weapons crossing into Afghanistan from Iran destined for the Taliban. This can create the potential for Iran to contribute to the destabilization of Afghanistan, which we simply cannot allow. Congress must have up-to-date information on Iran's influence in Afghanistan. And I, therefore, welcome the gentleman's amendment in this regard, and we are prepared to accept the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 5 Offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas

The Acting chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 5 printed in House Report 110-174.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 5 offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas:

Page 25, line 20, strike "and".

Page 25, line 24, strike the first period, the closing quotation marks, and the second period and insert "; and".

Page 25, after line 24, insert the following new subparagraph:

(I) providing technical assistance to train provincial and local governmental personnel, especially as it relates to--

(i) healthcare;

(ii) political participation;

(iii) human rights, particularly as pertaining to women; and

(iv) education, particularly to encourage girls to complete secondary education so they are prepared and able to attend post-secondary schools.".

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on this issue.

Earlier in the debate I mentioned the concept of building blocks of democracy. Frankly, I believe this amendment speaks to the building of capacity to ensure that democracy.

Having first started my elective political career in local government, I know that many times we say that is where the rubber hits the road.

The effort of my amendment is to ensure that those who are involved in local and State government would have the ability to build capacity through technical assistance that will train national, provincial and local government personnel for capacity-building purposes.

In order to govern, you must have information, information on education, health care, human rights, and political participation. This legislation globally speaks to those issues in a large manner.

I would like to technically emphasize the one-on-one training and influence and information to those who have to govern. The more we can do that, the more we can build capacity. And the more of those who are in the leadership positions can establish confidence so that when they confront the emerging terror of the Taliban or the questioning face of a chieftain, they can have the response that this is, in fact, good government.

My amendment also goes to encourage girls in Afghanistan to finish secondary school. We realize this bill has a very strong focus on women and girls, but there has to be the added measure of incentive, not only to the earlier grades, but to say to a young woman that by finishing secondary school, you can go on to post-secondary education, building the blocks of democracy which would include women who would be enabled to be doctors, lawyers, scientists and teachers, building a society in Afghanistan that will need not only men but also women.

May I close by simply saying I point to a picture that points to this learning board that I mentioned earlier. These are the kinds of tools that would give young people and those without, if you will, various equipment to go to school the opportunity to do so. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to explain my amendment to H.R. 2446, the "Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act of 2007." I believe this is an extremely important piece of legislation, and I commend the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lantos, for introducing it.

In the nearly 5 years since the 9/11 attacks, and the subsequent ouster of the Taliban and al-Qaeda from Afghanistan, we have made significant efforts to secure the nation from the Taliban. But we must do more; otherwise, a resurgent Taliban will continue to pose a very real threat to Afghanistan's stability.

This bill is an important step toward a more secure Afghanistan, and, ultimately, a more stable region. It authorizes $1.7 billion in each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010 for economic and development assistance and provides additional support for other capacity building programs, such as assistance to women and girls ($45 million per annum), energy development and counter-narcotics ($75 million per annum). Additionally, the bill authorizes funding for counter-narcotics efforts and programs to increase the capacity of Afghan national, provincial, and local governments, and additional development programs.

In addition to authorizing assistance to address the continuing humanitarian needs, this legislation targets the ongoing opium trade, as well as persistent problems of corruption. The bill links these various sectors of policy together, integrating security, reconstruction, and development concerns with counter-narcotics and anti-corruption policies.

My amendment simply states that technical assistance should be provided to train national, provincial, and local governmental personnel for capacity-building purposes. In particular, this amendment emphasizes the need to build local capacity in the critical fields of education, healthcare, human rights, and political participation. My amendment will also encourage girls in Afghanistan to finish secondary school, providing them with the ability to pursue post-secondary education.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is born from my strong belief that we must take a long-term view toward reconstruction in Afghanistan, and, in doing so, we must develop the capacity of Afghanistan's citizens. Under the Taliban regime, education, healthcare, human and women's rights, and political participation were seriously stunted by the government's oppressive policies. These sectors are absolutely crucial to the long-term stability and sustainability of Afghanistan.

My amendment specifically speaks to the need to combat the lingering societal barriers that may discourage girls from completing secondary education. According to UNICEF's 2005 estimates, 1 million primary school age girls in Afghanistan were not enrolled in school, and education of girls continues to be undervalued in many communities.

Girls and women were horribly oppressed under the Taliban, and we must take particular care to ensure that the lack of opportunities afforded to females under the previous leadership is not carried over into the current government. Encouraging girls to complete their education would be extremely beneficial for both the women and girls themselves, and for Afghan society as a whole.

Mr. Chairman, we have recognized the shortcomings of Afghanistan's infrastructure. Even as we express our commitment to continuing our programs in Afghanistan, we must look forward to the day we will ultimately leave that country to stand on its own. We must do everything we can to ensure that, sooner rather than later, Afghanistan will no longer need our ongoing assistance.

My amendment represents an important step toward that ultimate goal, while at the same time serving our short-term goals and increasing the effectiveness of the humanitarian programs outlined by this legislation.

To conclude, let me thank Chairman Lantos for his leadership on this issue. I am confident that we can work together to craft legislation designed to ensure that Afghanistan can recover from the excesses and abuses of previous regimes, and become an active and prosperous member of the international community. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Lantos: I want to thank my friend from Texas for her thoughtful amendment, and I am very pleased to support it.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

The Acting chairman: Without objection, the gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) stating that technical assistance should be provided to train national, provincial and local government personnel for capacity-building purposes as it relates to education, health care, human rights, and particularly in respect to women and political participation.

As we have heard this afternoon, Mr. Chairman, under the Taliban's brutal regime, their blatant disregard for the lives and the well-being of the Afghan people, was perhaps most clearly evident among half of their population, the women of Afghanistan. They have been made destitute, sick and marginalized. They were banned from receiving any education past the age of 8. They were denied proper medical treatment, and they were not allowed to work.

Today, the Afghan people are free with women enjoying the freedoms and opportunities previously denied to them under the Taliban. In order for our efforts in Afghanistan to be effective, it is critical that we continue to provide the Afghan people with the tools and the training necessary for the development and sustainability of educational institutions, protection of human rights, and implementation of political reforms.

It is imperative that our efforts focus on educating and training the officials of the Afghan government at the local level as local officials have a better understanding of the needs of their citizens and will be better prepared to address those needs.

This amendment also seeks to ensure that girls complete secondary education so they will be better suited to pursue their post-secondary education. Without proper education of its women and a society more open to women who holding jobs, Afghanistan's political and economic development is doomed to failure.

Providing Afghan girls with proper education will give rise to a new generation of confident and educated women with skills to pursue careers that will open unprecedented opportunities for them and enhance Afghanistan's economic sector. I urge my colleagues to support the Jackson-Lee amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlelady for her support, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 6 Offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas

The Acting chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 6 printed in House Report 110-174.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 6 offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas:

Page 35, after line 22, insert the following new subsection:

(c) Additional Sense of Congress.--Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(d) Additional Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that assistance provided to eligible foreign countries and international organizations under subsection

(a) should be used in part to protect women legislators when they return to the provinces that they represent in Afghanistan.".

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to join Chairman Lantos in applauding this legislation as being bipartisan, and all of us seemingly speaking from the same songbook about the need to build these blocks of democracy, but also to enhance the opportunities for women.

Might I just cite as a need for my amendment a report from the BBC that says an international women's rights group says guarantees given to Afghan women after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 have not translated into real change.

Another quote from an Afghan woman: "When I am at home, sometimes I feel as though someone is choking me." And 57 percent of girls are married before the legal age of 16.

We know that we have made great strides, but there is much more for us to do. Former example, a controversial Afghan politician and former member of parliament, Jalalai Joya, reported in May 2006 that she was forced to sleep in a different house every night as a result of the numerous death threats they have received. She has been quoted as saying "women still live under the shadow of the gun. Women are still victims of violence." Joya was subsequently ousted from parliament after she continuously voiced controversial criticisms of her fellow, mostly male, lawmakers.

Raazia Baloch was presented with a broken Kalashnikov firearm upon her election to the provincial assembly, which local authorities told her was for her protection. Ms. Baloch serves a particularly volatile province where, short after her election, an unknown gunman emptied his AK-47 into a van leaving the province's women's ministry.

The unfortunate truth is if these women are going to serve, they are going to need our special attention. And I do believe in the relationship that the United States has with Afghanistan. The leadership of President Karzai, speaking to him directly, I know he has a great concern for the viability of women elected officials. In fact, might I say that in a direct, one-on-one conversation with any number of Afghan women parliamentarians during my visit to Afghanistan, talking to them face to face, eye to eye, sister to sister, if you will, they made it very clear when they do their work in the capital, and they have to go home to their district, just like any one of us, they fear for their lives. They are concerned about being able to fully represent their constituents by going home and coming back safely.

Might I just quote additionally, a female owner of a radio station was shot seven times while she slept at home with her 20-month-old son. She is the second female journalist to be murdered in Afghanistan in the past week.

So my amendment is very clear, and it is very straight. It allows us through this legislation to make a very pronounced statement, and that statement is that it is the sense of this Congress that assistance provided to foreign countries and international organizations under this provision should be used in part to protect these female legislators. I hope this is part of helping us help them build democracy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to explain my amendment to H.R. 2446, the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act of 2007. I believe this is an extremely important piece of legislation, and I commend the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lantos, for introducing it. In the nearly 5 years since the 9/11 attacks, and the subsequent ouster of the Taliban and al-Qaeda from Afghanistan, we have made significant efforts to secure the nation from the Taliban; however, the Taliban continues to pose a very real threat to Afghanistan's stability.

This bill is an important step towards a more secure Afghanistan, and ultimately, a more stable region. It authorizes $1.7 billion in each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010 for economic and development assistance and provides additional support for other capacity building programs, such as assistance to women and girls, $45 million per annum, energy development and counter narcotics, $75 million per annum. Additionally, the bill authorizes funding for counter-narcotics efforts and programs to increase the capacity of Afghan national, provincial, and local governments, and additional development programs.

In addition to authorizing assistance to address the continuing humanitarian needs, this legislation targets the ongoing opium trade, as well as persistent problems of corruption. The bill links these various sectors of policy together, integrating security, reconstruction, and development concerns with counter-narcotics and anti-corruption policies.

My amendment addresses the very serious issue of persecution of women legislators in Afghanistan. All women, but particularly those who demonstrate the courage to become national leaders, continue to face intimidation and violence. If we are to encourage political and civic participation among women, which I strongly advocate, we must ensure that those who bravely venture into the political arena are protected when they return home to the districts they represent.

After many years of oppressive Taliban control, women in Afghanistan are now beginning to emerge from the shadows. For the first time in recent memory, they now have the opportunity to take an active role in their country's political destiny. As a female legislator myself, I believe that women should be strongly encouraged to become national leaders; I believe their involvement is extremely beneficial to the nation.

And yet, these women face specific dangers as a result of their gender. They may be exposed to vile threats and even physical violence. For example, controversial Afghan politician and former Member of Parliament Malalai Joya reported in May 2006 that she was forced to sleep in a different house every night as a result of the numerous death threats she received. She has been quoted as saying "women still live under the shadow of the gun. * * * women are still victims of violence." Joya was subsequently ousted from parliament after she continuously voiced controversial criticisms of her fellow, mostly male, law-makers.

In 2006, another legislator, Raazia Baloch, was presented with a broken Kalashnikov firearm upon her election to the provincial assembly, which local authorities told her was for her protection. Ms. Baloch serves a particularly volatile province, where, shortly after her election, an unknown gunman emptied his AK-47 into a van leaving the province's women's ministry.

The unfortunate truth is that women's rights are not yet enshrined in Afghanistan. Women who venture into other leadership roles are threatened as well. Only this morning, Zakia Zaki, the female owner of an Afghan radio station, was shot seven times while she slept at home with her 20 month-old son. She is the second female journalist to be murdered in Afghanistan in the past week.

This further illustrates the unfortunate truth: Women continue to face persecution and abuses, despite the fall of the Taliban. Until we have reached a point where the basic rights of women are protected by Afghanistan's government and cultural and social institutions, I believe that we need to make every effort to ensure that basic rights are respected.

I believe my amendment is absolutely crucial. With residual societal barriers against women and girls persisting even under the new government, I believe we must make every effort to protect women legislators from the persecution and violence they may face in their local communities.

I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my friend from Texas for offering another needed, thoughtful and carefully crafted amendment; and I'm very pleased to support it.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: I thank the distinguished gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve my time.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to this amendment.

The Acting chairman: Without objection, the gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment offered by our distinguished colleague from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) supporting efforts to bolster women's political participation by protecting female legislators when they return to the provinces they represent.

This important amendment includes a sense of Congress stating that assistance provided to foreign countries and international organizations under this provision should be used in part to protect these female legislators.

It is no secret that Afghan women were brutalized under the Taliban rule. They were frequently beaten, raped, kidnapped and killed. They had no access to education nor health care and were routinely singled out for abuse simply because they were women. They lived in nightmarish conditions that few of us could even imagine.

Five years after the fall of the Taliban, the women of Afghanistan are making substantial progress in reclaiming their rightful place in society. They are working as doctors, lawyers, teachers, civil servants and in numerous other professions.

These women have overcome unimaginable obstacles, and they deserve our ongoing support as they work to build a new democracy. We must continue to work to ensure that they are not threatened, nor intimidated nor physically harmed by those who seek to bring Afghanistan back to the oppressive and brutal times experienced under the Taliban regime.

As part of the work that my daughter-in-law does in her military service in Afghanistan, Lindsay encounters many Afghan women and is impressed with the great progress they have made in such a brief time. Let us not go back in time.

Women legislators in Afghanistan are currently targets of attacks perpetrated by Islamic militant extremists. We must enhance the efforts in providing a safe and secure environment for these women to allow them to pursue their legislative duties and encourage future generations of women to seek leadership positions in Afghan society.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the remainder of our time.

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank the ranking member for her support and eloquent words on this issue and as well the chairman of the committee for his support.

Let me conclude by simply reading the headline of an article: Female Afghan and Pakistani Politicians Forced from Office. This is as late as Wednesday, May 23, 2007.

Let me thank my colleagues. I believe my amendment will further enhance our goals, and that is to provide opportunities for all of those in public life, including women in Afghanistan seeking to build the building blocks of democracy, and I ask my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back my time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Kirk

The Acting chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Kirk: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 7 offered by Mr. Kirk:

At the end of title III of the bill (relating to miscellaneous provisions), insert the following new section:

SEC. 3_. ELIGIBILITY IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES FOR AGENCIES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN TO RECEIVE A REWARD UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE REWARDS PROGRAM.

(a) Eligibility.--Subsection (f) of section 36 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(f)) is amended--

(1) by striking "(f) Ineligibility.--An officer" and inserting the following:

(f) Ineligibility.--

(1) In general.--An officer";

(2) in paragraph (1), as so designated by paragraph (1) of this subsection, by inserting ", except as provided in paragraph (2)," before "of a foreign government"; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(2) Exception in certain circumstances.--The Secretary may pay a reward to an officer or employee of the government of Afghanistan or Pakistan (or any entity thereof) who, while in the performance of his or her official duties, furnishes information described in such subsection, if the Secretary determines that such payment satisfies the following conditions:

(A) Such payment is appropriate in light of the exceptional or high-profile nature of the information furnished pursuant to such subsection and such information relates in any way to the commission of an act in Afghanistan.

(B) Such payment may aid in furnishing further information described in such subsection.

(C) Such payment is formally requested by such agency.".

(b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (b) of such section (22 U.S.C. 2708(b)) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting "or to any officer or employee of a foreign government in accordance with subsection (f)(2)" after "individual".

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.

Mr. Kirk: I thank the Chairman.

I also want to thank my partners in this effort, Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, because their support for this amendment was critical.

Mr. Chairman, one of the most successful counter-terror programs run by the United States is not managed by the Defense Department or the CIA. It is the State Department's Rewards for Justice Program run by Mrs. Rachel Schindel-Gombis.

By offering rewards, we have brought a number of criminals to justice who killed Americans both here and abroad. One of our proudest successes was the program's production of matchbook covers, like this one here. Tipped off by a face and a telephone number on a matchbook, a Pakistani citizen provided a key tip for the arrest of Mir Amal Kansi, the man who murdered two Americans outside the CIA's gate here in Virginia. Thanks to this program, Kansi was arrested, extradited, convicted and executed for the cold-blooded murders he committed, as was the famous al Qaeda terrorist Ramsi Yousef.

As a congressional staff member, I drafted the amendments to this program that first opened this up to the arrest of United Nations war criminals, specifically people indicted for war crimes by the tribunals for Rwanda and Yugoslavia. The program has helped bring dozens of mass murderers to justice, fulfilling some of the highest and best ideals of the United States when we promised "never again" after liberating the Nazi death camps.

As a Member of Congress, I coauthored the legislation for this program that allowed varied rewards and mass media campaigns. I took action on this after conducting missions on the Afghan-Pakistan border where I learned that tribesmen in that region would not respond as strongly to a $100,000 cash award but would respond more strongly to an offer of say one kilo of gold or a new motorcycle.

Using this new authority, the State Department launched an unprecedented multilingual campaign that yielded dozens of new contracts for the arrest of senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

One target stands above all, and that is the arrest of Osama bin Laden for the murder of 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. By many accounts, bin Laden and the core leadership of al Qaeda and the Taliban are hiding in the frontier autonomous tribal areas of Pakistan or in the border provinces of Afghanistan. The Rewards for Justice Program has helped to arrest several senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders but not bin Laden or his number two, Ayman Al Zawahiri.

The amendment before us builds on the extensive legislative tradition of this program, bipartisan, effective and flexible, to make it more likely that the world's most wanted men pay for the murder of thousands of Americans.

In this amendment, we authorize the State Department to pay rewards to anyone in Afghanistan or Pakistan, including government employees, if the information leads to the arrest of "exceptionally high- profile" targets.

Mr. Chairman, the support for Osama bin Laden, like this poster here which went out in English as well as many in Urdu and Dari, remains high. For us, we need to rely on sometimes the only assets we have in this region which are government employees in the service of Afghanistan or Pakistan; and if they can provide the information that leads to the arrest of Osama bin Laden or Ayman Al Zawahiri, then we should gladly pay for this justice.

Mr. Chairman, I have discussed this amendment with senior officials in the White House who expressed their support. I will note the receipt of talking points from the State Department bureaucracy received this morning that expressed concerns, and my reaction is that the officials who authored these points may work for someone, but they do not serve the American people. Their points are poorly written and disconnected and reflect strongly on a disappointing State Department tradition of sometimes serving an obscure academic point but not America's citizens or their future security.

If we can arrest bin Laden, we should. If reward money helps to lead to his arrest, we should pay it. This program should be run in the most flexible and effective manner possible so that the greatest mass murderers in American history should meet their final justice.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Kirk: I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida, one of my partners on this.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

The search and the long hunt for Osama bin Laden and other major radical Islamic terrorists we want brought to justice in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region requires new ideas and new tools for law enforcement and those who are involved in this initiative. Mr. Kirk's amendment represents such an initiative, by improving our terrorist rewards program to reflect the reality of what we face on the ground.

Our terrorist rewards program has been a valuable and successful tool, and I urge my colleagues to adopt the Kirk amendment.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I'm not opposed to the amendment.

The Acting chairman: Without objection, the gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As you well know, a version of this amendment has passed before on the floor of this House. I welcome any incentives that help to prevent elements of al Qaeda and the Taliban to engage in further international terrorist and criminal acts, and I strongly support this amendment in the hope that it might lead at long last to the capture of Osama bin Laden.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance our time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the ayes appeared to have it.

Mr. Kirk: Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois will be postponed.

Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Kucinich

The Acting chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Kucinich: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 8 offered by Mr. Kucinich:

Page 43, after line 6, insert the following new subsection:

(c) Contribution to Post-Operations Humanitarian Relief Fund.--Of the amount appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) of section 110 of the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 (as redesignated by title I of this Act), $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010 shall be available for a United States contribution to the Post-Operations Humanitarian Relief Fund of the International Security Assistance Force.

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. Kucinich: Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In Afghanistan, as is true of all wars, bombs have missed their targets, civilians have been maimed and killed, property's been destroyed. Both homes and families have been devastated and literally torn apart.

As the United States seeks to abate terrorists, we must also learn to avoid the unintended consequences related to our foreign policy. One approach is to accept responsibility when we harm innocent civilians and provide compensation for the impact that war has had on civilian lives that are accidentally caught in the crossfire.

The United States has a moral obligation to help the innocent civilians of Afghanistan, whose lives have been devastated by war, to rebuild their lives and their country. The United States must live up to this moral obligation by providing humanitarian assistance for innocent victims of war who are harmed by combat operations.

Currently, the U.S. military has two systems in place that provide monetary compensation to civilians who, as a consequence of U.S. military action, have been accidentally harmed.

The Foreign Claims Act provides for the compensation of civilians who have been injured, died or whose property's been damaged from noncombat activities and negligent or wrongful acts.

Alternatively, condolence payments can be paid by the U.S. military directly to victims, or their survivors, who suffer a physical injury, death or property damage in amounts not to exceed $2,500.

Congress should support the Foreign Claims Act and condolence payment systems to the greatest extent possible as this money helps innocent people of Afghanistan rebuild their lives.

Today's bill, the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act of 2007, seeks to increase the maximum amount of condolence payments; and I commend this action and urge the President to heed the intent of Congress in this matter.

There's another avenue for the United States to make major gains. Brigadier Richard E. Nugee, chief spokesperson for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, recognized that NATO forces had killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan in 2006, and here's what he had to say. "The single thing that we have done wrong and we are striving extremely hard to improve on is" the unfortunate killing of innocent civilians.

NATO, realizing their past mistakes and in an effort to advance goodwill and allay resentment among Afghans caused by innocent civilian casualties, established a post-operations humanitarian relief fund, placed under the ISAF's Commander's discretion, to compensate Afghans harmed by combat operations.

This NATO program is alike in its objective to both the Condolence Payment system and the Foreign Claims Act. This system is noble in its intent.

I urge the United States to show its commitment to the people of Afghanistan, to honor our promise to win their minds and hearts by increasing the functionality of the NATO humanitarian assistance program for innocent war victims.

This amendment shows the commitment of the U.S. people to Afghanistan by diverting $500,000 to the Post-Operations Humanitarian Relief Fund of the U.N. International Security Assistance Force. The international fund has received contributions from the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden. By diverting this money the United States is sending a message to and joining with NATO and the international community to show our commitment to the people of Afghanistan.

The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, CIVIC, founded by Marla Ruzicka, who worked tirelessly in Afghanistan to win compensation for civilian war victims before she was killed by a car bomb in Baghdad in 2005, supports that commitment.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to insert in the Record a letter of endorsement from Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict.

CIVIC states that "The civilian death toll in Afghanistan has become alarming, with both sides responsible for civilian casualties. While NATO forces work hard to avoid harming civilians, we know that in war, accidents happen and the families of those innocent people are killed and injured need--and, frankly deserve--immediate assistance.

"NATO's mission in Afghanistan cannot succeed without the trust and support of the Afghan people, as you are seeing with civilian protests and discontent in the headlines. To win that trust, NATO--with the United States leading the way--should dignify civilians harmed by its forces with the help they deserve."

If the United States truly desires to win the hearts and minds of people in Afghanistan, we must consider how the destruction and loss of life hurts those who are trying to resurrect their lives and their country. While no dollar amount can truly be equated to a human life, we can have a substantial impact on the rebuilding of the lives torn apart by the war.

War causes wreckage, pain and suffering for many innocent civilians who must endure life in a war zone. It's easy to understand how the innocent may become angry or disillusioned with combat forces. As such, it's in the interests of the United States to ensure proper levels of humanitarian assistance.

I am urging my colleagues to join me in support of this amendment to direct additional and much-needed assistance to the innocent citizens of Afghanistan who deserve our help to rebuild their lives and their countries.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition to this amendment.

The Acting chairman: The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:The issue of providing compensation to Afghan civilians is one whose efficacy is not questioned. Our brave troops on the ground offer such support through the allocation of the Commander's Emergency Response Program funding and other avenues that allow U.S. forces to compensate civilians for the damage caused due to ongoing U.S. operations.

However, the manner by which my esteemed colleague from Ohio, my good friend, Mr. Kucinich, seeks to go about addressing this issue would establish an extremely troublesome precedent regarding our operations in and our policy toward Afghanistan.

Simply put, U.S. taxpayer funds, U.S. assistance for Afghanistan, should not be used to fund long-term compensation programs under the Post-Operations Humanitarian Relief Fund of the International Security Assistance Force for damage caused by foreign forces and not U.S. forces.

By contrast, the underlying bill acknowledges ongoing U.S. efforts to support war victims affected by U.S. operations and then calls for a feasibility study to be conducted in order to assess if there is a need to expand U.S. assistance to Afghan civilian war victims.

The Kucinich amendment, however, seeks to circumvent this necessary precursor, essentially prescribing a solution to this problem before the diagnosis is received, and, again, seeking to assign U.S. responsibility for the actions of others. The United States could work diplomatically with participant nations to ensure that they make proper and substantially greater contributions to this relief fund.

However, I find it to be outside of the parameters for the U.S. assistance to Afghanistan to cover the international forces where they have fallen short, thereby putting the onus on the United States to step up financially for damages that we have not created.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people is crucial to our success in Afghanistan.

This amendment seeks to bolster that support by providing more resources to a fund operated by the International Security Assistance Force, led by NATO, which seeks to assist those Afghan individuals and families who have suffered injuries due to unintended military operations.

Currently, there are a handful of NATO countries who contribute to this fund, and it is important for the United States to show leadership in this area. With our contribution, other NATO allies will also be encouraged to participate.

Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the ayes appeared to have it.

Mr. Kucinich: Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio will be postponed.

Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. Terry

The Acting chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 9 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Terry: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 9 offered by Mr. Terry:

Page 26, after line 12, insert the following new subsection:

(j) Priority to U.S. Organizations for Grants To Aid in the Revitalization of Afghanistan.--In awarding grants to nongovernmental organizations to aid in the revitalization of Afghanistan, including to assist the people of Afghanistan to create and sustain quality economic and educational systems, under section 103 of the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 (as amended by this section), the United States Agency for International Development should give priority to organizations based in the United States that have an established and cost-effective record of developing and administering such programs of assistance in Afghanistan.

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.

Mr. Terry: Mr. Chairman, I come here today with the common sense and hopefully consensus amendment that directs USAID to give priority to organizations based in the United States when awarding grants to NGOs to rebuild Afghanistan.

The experience and expertise of U.S. organizations in public institutions to rebuild Afghanistan should be utilized and recognized by USAID. It's also a fact that when people of Afghanistan see Americans helping to rebuild their schools and providing teachers and helping their economy, that a true and positive perception of our Nation increases.

My straightforward amendment states that USAID should give priority consideration to U.S.-based organizations that have a proven track record of assisting young nations like Afghanistan to educate its children and teach them skills that will lead to economic growth and revitalization.

The Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska's Omaha campus is a great example of a proven institution, experienced institution, in providing cost-effective services to Afghanistan, as well as other nations, that has experience in administering programs within Afghanistan, and teaching the people of Afghanistan, and yet were not considered to be a subcontractor with USAID.

There are undoubtedly many more examples of expertise and assistance from United States programs dedicated to the betterment of nations and their citizens. It seems only right that USAID give priority to U.S. organizations with established records of service and success.

I urge my colleagues' support.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros- Lehtinen), the ranking member.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by my distinguished friend from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

This important amendment requires the U.S. Agency for International Development to give priority in awarding grants to nongovernmental organizations, to those based in the United States that have an established and cost-effective record in developing and administering such programs within Afghanistan.

In addition, it focuses on organizations that specialize in the teaching of the people of Afghanistan how to create and sustain quality economic and educational system. In this respect, U.S.-based organizations, with a proven track record of accountability and cost- effectiveness and the development and administration of such programs in Afghanistan, should be granted priority in the grant process.

This amendment is necessary, both as a means of ensuring accountability at all levels of the contracting process, and for proper oversight by Congress.

I thank my colleague and friend for introducing this important amendment, and I strongly urge its adoption.

Mr. Terry: Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

The Acting chairman: Without objection, the gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I support the underlying premise of the gentleman's amendment that assistance should be provided through organizations that have a cost-effective record of administering programs in Afghanistan. I am also gratified that the gentleman made some modifications to the original version of his amendment.

As H.R. 2446 reflects, we must continue to assist the Afghan people in creating and sustaining economic and development systems for themselves. We must continue to endow the Afghan government, Afghan organizations and the Afghan people with the necessary know how, expertise and resources so they can lead a free, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

I believe that this amendment strikes the right balance in calling for USAID to prioritize organizations that have a cost-effective record of administering programs in Afghanistan, while allowing for assistance to Afghan entities as well.

On that basis, the amendment is acceptable to our side.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Terry: I thank the chairman for his instructive input, advice, counsel and kind words and acceptance of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Van Hollen

The Acting chairman: It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10 printed in House Report 110-174.

Mr. Van Hollen: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting chairman: The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 10 offered by Mr. Van Hollen:

Page 17, line 17, strike "and".

Page 17, line 19, strike the first period, the closing quotation marks, and the second period and insert "; and".

Page 17, after line 19, insert the following new clause:

(ix) promoting the empowerment of citizens at the local level in the decision-making process, including reconstruction and economic development decisions.".

Page 62, beginning on line 16, insert ", create an environment conducive to Afghan small business development," after "opportunities".

The Acting chairman: Pursuant to House Resolution 453, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Van Hollen: Let me begin by congratulating the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Lantos, and the ranking member, Ms. Ros- Lehtinen, for their wonderful bipartisan work on this very important legislation, which sends a signal that the United States remains fully engaged in making sure we have a secure Afghanistan, and that we build on what has happened to date and make sure that we continue to have a situation that demonstrates a continuing investment by the United States.

I think if you look back over history, we made a big mistake, when we disengaged from Afghanistan, after the Soviet withdrawal. We had helped, of course, support the Mujahedin, the freedom fighters, that was the right thing to do.

But when the Soviets left Afghanistan, so did we. And that left a vacuum that the Taliban exploited, Afghanistan became a failed state, al Qaeda found a home there, and we know the rest of the story, the terrible attacks of September 11, 2001. Even to this day, we have not yet finished the job in Afghanistan in terms of hunting down al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, and essentially destroying the network that caused those terrible attacks of September 11, 2001.

But even as we continue that action, we need to make sure we provide for stability in Afghanistan for the longer haul, so we do not create another situation where other terrorists can take advantage of a failed state.

That requires we work in partnership with the Afghan government and the international community to make a long-term investment in Afghanistan's stability. That involves, making sure, that in addition to large infrastructure projects and important investments that we make, that we also make sure that we empower the Afghan people and make sure that they understand that we continue to have a stake and they have a stake, obviously, in their future and in building their economy. That's what this amendment that I am offering today relates to.

According to a recent GAO report, despite the expenditure of billions of U.S. dollars, reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan still have lacked a strategic focus. I know that is the major thrust of this bill, and I, again, want to commend our leadership for putting this important piece together.

As you know, this bill requires, among other things, that the President design a comprehensive interagency strategy for long-term security and stability. But in addressing these issues, issues that will impact heavily on the lives of ordinary Afghan citizens, it's essential that we make sure that we leverage one of Afghanistan's greatest assets in that decision-making process. That is the Afghan people themselves.

And while it does support local-led development programs such as the National Solidarity Project, the bill, I think, would also benefit and be strengthened by additional focus on involving the Afghan people at the local level in decision making. And that is why I'm proposing this amendment that requires the President to include as any part of his Afghanistan strategy an emphasis on empowering Afghan citizens in that decision making.

Economic development is a major source of concern, obviously, to the Afghan people. The CSIS, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, recently released the second in a series of post-conflict assessments of progress in Afghanistan and reported that, despite a marked improvement in the economy, Afghans continue to suffer from unsteady employment and economic insecurity. So this amendment addresses those issues. Just, again, emphasizes what I know is the overall thrust of this legislation, the importance of making sure we include the Afghan people at the grassroots level in decisions that affect their future.

Again, I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Lantos, and the bipartisan support this overall effort has had; and I urge the adoption of the amendment.

Mr. Lantos: Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Van Hollen: I will be delighted to yield.

Mr. Lantos: I want to thank the gentleman for his singularly thoughtful and carefully crafted amendment, and I'm very pleased to support it.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to this amendment.

The Acting chairman: Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.

There was no objection.

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen:Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by my distinguished colleague and my friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).

This amendment seeks to promote the empowerment of citizens at the local level in the decision-making process, including reconstruction and economic development.

One of the key elements necessary to achieve success in Afghanistan is enhancing and promoting citizen participation in the reconstruction and economic development efforts in that country.

Citizens making decisions is a critical part in a democratic society, and this will enhance Afghanistan's political and economic institutions. Local participation, local decision-making will allow the Afghan people to take charge of their own lives and make decisions based on the needs of their local communities.

In addition to ensuring security, fighting the illicit illegal narcotics trade, related terrorist activities, developing the infrastructure for a sustainable democratic central government, the economic situation must also improve if Afghans are to have confidence in their own future and if they are to build upon the progress they have achieved thus far.

A lack of success in the economic forum has the potential to undermine political developments. It could risk demoralizing the aspirations of Afghan citizens and could jeopardize their ability to actively shape their destiny.

The United States must work hard to ensure that Afghanistan is never again a haven for terrorists, a major source of narcotics, or a source of instability or oppression towards its citizens.

Again, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for introducing this important amendment. I strongly urge my colleagues to support it.

And before I yield the remainder of our time to my good friend and our fearless leader, Chairman Lantos, I want to thank the excellent staff that has been working on our Republican side with the Democratic side on forging this strong bill; and perhaps next time, Mr. Lantos, we will come to the floor wearing tie-dyed T-shirts and love beads and singing Kumbaya.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the remainder of our time to Chairman Lantos.

Mr. Lantos: As we close discussion and debate, Mr. Chairman, let me first express my appreciation to my friend and colleague, the ranking Republican member of the committee, for her exceptional leadership on this matter. Let me thank all of my Republican and Democratic colleagues who have worked so hard on this matter.

But I particularly want to express my personal thanks to the committee staff on both sides, specifically, Matthew Zweig and John Mackey on the Republican side of the committee staff, as well as all other members of the Republican staff, and on our side, Manpreet Anand, Robin Roizman, David Fite and our extraordinary general counsel, David Abramowitz.

We have done good bipartisan work, and I think the Congress did some useful work today.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of our time.

The Acting chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).

The amendment was agreed to.

Mr. Lantos: Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Van Hollen) having assumed the chair, Mr. Pomeroy, Acting Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2446) to reauthorize the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.