Speech #980107590

Many things can be and have been said about the Soviets following the KAL downingfacts many of us have been stating for years which have been acutely reinforced by this act. That the Soviets cannot be trusted. that they do not play by Western rules. that they lie about their actions and consider even the callous murder of 269 innocent civilians inconsequential to their supposed security needsall of this is now achingly obvious to the remainder of the world. But how does this affect Soviet Jewry and the Soviets emigration policy? Those of us in Congress who have worked for the emigration rights of Soviet Jews over the years have always known we were walking a fine line in determining just what actions would best serve the cause of increased emigration. Pressure has been brought to bear through every forum availablethrough direct letters to Soviet officials. through urging our own government officials to address the issue with the Soviets. through the United Nations. through international conventions. Past unilateral actions by the United States. however. have met with little success as regards curbing Soviet behavior. This is why I supported the Presidents response to the KAL tragedy and believe that any future actions taken against the Soviet Union must be in concert with our allies in order to have a considerable and lasting impact on the Soviets. I believe we must continue and in fact step up our activities on behalf of those wishing to emigrate from the Soviet Union. and to help protect their rights while still in the U.S.S.R. We also need to encourage our friends and allies around the world to do likewise. The moral outrage that the world community feels after KAL 007 should be translated into longterm actions which show the Soviets they cannot continue to act violently. aggressively. nor against basic human rights without incurring more outrage and becoming more and more outcast from the civilized world. upon which it realistically depends for important functions such as trade.