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Ireland 32



House of Representatives 1075, Payne (NJ)




 



105th CONGRESS - 1st Session

OFFICIAL TITLE: To limit the sale or export of plastic bullets to the United Kingdom.

H. R. 1075 - IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DATE INTRODUCED: March 13, 1997

SPONSOR: Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. KING, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MANTON, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. BORSKI, and Mrs. MEEK of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in, Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Northern Ireland Peace Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:

 

    (1) Since the British Army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland have begun to use plastic bullets as weapons, thousands have been injured and 17 individuals have been killed by such bullets, including seven children.

    (2) Since the Royal Ulster Constabulary began to use plastic bullets in 1973, more than 54,000 rounds have been fired, and plastic bullets have completely replaced rubber bullets.

    (3)(A) Plastic bullets are often used in a sectarian manner.

    (B) During the standoff at Drumcree from July 7, 1996, to July 14, 1996, the security forces of the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland fired a total of 5,942 rounds of plastic bullets, of which 5,500 were targeted at Catholic Nationalists.

    (4) Before the Drumcree standoff, six civil liberties/human rights groups, including the Committee on the Administration of Justice in Northern Ireland, the British Irish Rights Watch, and Liberty, asked the chief constable in Northern Ireland to `immediately and permanently withdraw plastic bullets from use'.

    (5)(A) The use of plastic bullets is counterproductive whether such use is against the residents of the Lower Ormeau Road and the Bogside or against the Orange Order marchers in Portadown or on the Upper Ormeau Road.

    (B) The use of plastic bullets has contributed to thousands of maimings, disfigurations, loss of eyesight of individuals, and overwhelmingly caused other widespread violence and intimidation.

    (6) The United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets claim that the use of plastic bullets has caused further alienation of nationalists and increased distrust of the security forces of the United Kingdom while contributing to the destabilization of Northern Ireland.

    (7) The efforts of the Government of the United Kingdom to acquire dangerous weapons and related materials and the means to deliver such weapons and materials endanger the lives of Catholics in Northern Ireland.

    (8) The Committee on the Administration of Justice in Northern Ireland reported that the use of plastic bullets during riots only exacerbates the situation in Northern Ireland and increases rioting rather than quelling it.

    (9) The European Parliament has passed four separate motions calling for the ban of plastic bullets because such bullets are used as intimidating weapons.

    (10) The Government of the United Kingdom has banned the use of plastic bullets during riots in Great Britain on the grounds that such bullets are dangerous and lethal.

SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY.

The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States to deny to the United Kingdom the ability to support acts of violence and destruction and to fund the development and acquisition of plastic bullets and the means to deliver such bullets by limiting the ability to import, manufacture, and transport plastics to the United Kingdom for the specific use in Northern Ireland against predominately Catholic enclaves.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON SALE OR EXPORT OF PLASTIC BULLETS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.

 

    (a) IN GENERAL- Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act, plastic bullets may not be sold or otherwise exported to the Government of the United Kingdom or to any other entity in the United Kingdom, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

    (b) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY- The President may exercise the authority provided to the President under the Arms Export Control Act for the purpose of carrying out subsection (a), including the authority relating to violations and enforcement under section 38(e) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2778(e)).

SEC. 5. BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL INITIATIVES TO LIMIT THE SALE OR EXPORT OF PLASTIC BULLETS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.

 

    (a) IN GENERAL- In order to further the objectives described in section 3, the President shall establish and carry out appropriate diplomatic initiatives, both bilaterally with allies of the United States and multilaterally in appropriate international fora (including the United Nations), to limit the sale or export of plastic bullets to the Government of the United Kingdom or any other entity in the United Kingdom, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

    (b) REPORTS- Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, and periodically thereafter, the President shall prepare and transmit to the Congress a report containing a description of the extent to which the bilateral and multilateral efforts described in subsection (a) have been successful, including the names of the countries that have agreed to limit the sale or export of plastic bullets to the United Kingdom, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

SEC. 6. INCLUSION OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING USE OF PLASTIC BULLETS AS WEAPONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND IN ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT.

As part of the annual human rights report transmitted to the Congress under section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304), the Secretary of State shall include a description of each incident involving the use of plastic bullets as weapons in Northern Ireland during the preceding year.

SEC. 7. DEFINITION.

As used in this Act, the term `plastic bullet' means a projectile made of rock-hard poly vinyl chloride that--

 

    (1) is approximately 4 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter;

    (2) weighs approximately 4.75 ounces; and

    (3) is usually off-white in color.




 

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