Condemning Terrorist Attacks in Kampala, Uganda

Floor Speech

* Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1538, which condemns the terrorist attacks that took place on July 11, 2010, in Kampala, Uganda. This terrorist behavior is simply unacceptable and our nation must express our disapproval of the responsible parties who committed these horrible attacks.

* Mr. Speaker, the situation in East Africa is grave. Unfortunately, the situation isn't getting any better either, given that this is the worst terrorist attack that this region has witnessed since 1998. The responsible party for these horrifying terrorist attacks is the hard-line Somali militant group, al-Shabab. Even more frightening is the fact that this group has threatened further attacks, if Uganda and Burundi continue to supply troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. This continued threat of terrorist attacks is not only a dire concern in this area of East Africa, but also for our nation. Uganda, a key U.S. ally, is also a training ground for soldiers for Somalia's transitional government, the government which al-Shabab is seeking to overthrow. Both the United States and the United Kingdom support this mission. Consequently, we have responsibility to support and protect the peacekeeping forces that are working to provide stability in Somalia. In order for strength to be restored in the failing state of Somalia and the surrounding countries like Uganda, we must also find a way to remove the terrorist group al-Shabab from its destabilizing role.

* Mr. Speaker, as the trend in globalization continues to increase, the connections among nations become more and more intertwined. Therefore, as Representatives of Congress, we must pass this resolution to call on our administration to work with the international community to address the security threat emanating from Somalia. This will hopefully ensure that this violence doesn't overspill more into other nations.

* Again, I fully support this resolution and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

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