Congressional Statements

Pallone decries waiver of Pressler

Press Release
October 6, 1999

Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-NJ, today strongly criticized provisions expected to be adopted by the House-Senate Conference on Defense Appropriations that he said would inevitably result in a renewal of U.S. arms transfers to Pakistan.

The fiscal year 2000 Defense Appropriations Conference Report contains language that would give the President authority to waive certain sanctions against India and Pakistan -- including both the economic sanctions imposed last year pursuant to the Glenn Amendment, and the prohibition of U.S. military assistance to Pakistan mandated by the Pressler Amendment, as well as other arms transfer prohibitions.

Pallone termed the action on the Pressler amendment a "grave mistake." Combined with expanded waiver authority on other provisions of the Arms Export Control Act, Pallone said he was concerned that the Administration would move to renew the U.S.-Pakistan military relationship. Although the Arms Export Control Act waivers would theoretically apply to both India and Pakistan, Pallone said he expected that the result would be military assistance to Pakistan.

With regard to the Glenn economic sanctions, Pallone has lobbied for a much stronger action, calling for at least a suspension - if not an outright repeal - of the Glenn Amendment. In fact, Pallone has introduced legislation to repeal the Glenn sanctions. He expressed concern that the current strategy of giving discretionary waiver authority to the Administration did not guarantee that the U.S.-India economic relationship would be put on track, and questioned how helpful it would be to essentially simply extend waiver authority, as the Conference Report would do.

"I'm glad that the Conference took some action on the Glenn sanctions, but I frankly question how productive it will be to simply extend the existing waiver authority," Pallone said. "But my real concerns are with the Pressler amendment and certain provisions of the Arms Export Control Act, which have also been given waiver authority.

"This year, we were reminded again about why the Pressler amendment was needed because of the way that Pakistan instigated the fighting in the Kargil region of Kashmir.

"We are also continually confronted with evidence of Pakistani involvement in nuclear proliferation with other hostile or unstable regimes," Pallone continued. "India's nuclear program, by contrast, is an indigenous program, and India has not been involved in sharing in technology with other countries. By this standard, there is every reason to keep the Pressler Amendment, targeted at Pakistan, in force.

"I believe there is a growing pattern whereby the government of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is trying to convince American officials that his government is in danger of being overthrown, and that certain concessions are needed to prop it up. These misguided actions could include third-party mediation in the Kashmir conflict - which the Administration has thus far wisely resisted - and the provision of military supplies to Pakistan - something I fear the Administration does support.

"The Administration has for years pushed for the repeal of Pressler," Pallone continued. "There are clearly elements in the State Department and the Pentagon who want to renew the U.S.-Pakistan military partnership that marked the late Cold War era.

"These provisions in the Defense Appropriations bill - the waiver of Pressler and the provisions of the Arms Export Control act - will give the Administration the ability to provide weapons, spare parts and other assistance to Pakistan. The familiar justifications will be heard: Pakistan is a strategically located country, and if we don't prop up the so-called 'moderate' Sharif government, another regime will take over.

"Such justifications ring hollow. First, we've seen growing evidence of how deeply Mr. Sharif's government was involved in the disastrous Kargil operation. So the notion that propping up the Sharif government is somehow a vital interest is a dubious claim.

"Last month, the CIA's annual national intelligence estimate on missile threats reported that Pakistan has obtained M-11 short-range missiles from China and medium-range missiles from North Korea. The CIA's assessment is that both missiles may have a nuclear role.

"It was this type of nuclear instability that the Pressler Amendment was intended to address. Pakistan's failure to act in good faith should not be rewarded in this way."

Pallone said he will seek to work with the Conferees to determine if the Pressler and Arms Export provisions can be taken out of the final Conference Report. Assuming that the provisions do go through, he vowed to keep the pressure on the Administration not to reopen the American arms pipeline to Pakistan.