PUBLIC LAW 98-98 —SEPT. 28, 1983 97 STAT. 715 Public Law 98-98 98th Congress Joint Resolution C!ondemning the Soviet criminal destruction of the Korean civilian airliner. Whereas the United States joins with the world community in expressing its outrage over the actions of the Soviet Government on August 31, 1983, which caused the destruction of Korean Air Lines flight 7 with the loss of two hundred and sixty-nine innocent lives; Whereas on August 31, 1983, Korean Air Lines flight 7 inadvert- ently entered Soviet airspace; Whereas Soviet authorities tracked Korean Air Lines flight 7 for more than two hours, but did not adhere to all the internationaly recognized procedures necessary to warn the aircraft that it was off course and to protect its passengers; Whereas a Soviet Air Force fighter fired air-to-air missiles at Korean Air Lines flight 7 and destroyed the unarmed, clearly marked civilian airliner with two hundred and sixty-nine inno- cent men, women, and children from fourteen nations aboard, including sixty-one of our fellow citizens; Whereas among the victims was a distinguished Member of Con- gress, the Honorable Larry P. McDonald; Whereas the highest levels of the Soviet Government have lied in an attempt to justify this unconscionable act and have continued to deny access to the area where the airplane went down; Whereas the Soviet Government has publicly proclaimed its inten- tion to repeat its murderous act if another airliner wanders inadvertently into Soviet airspace; and Whereas this cold-blooded barbarous attack on a commercial air- liner straying off course is one of the most infamous and reprehen- sible acts in history: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the United States hereby— / (1) condemns the Soviet crime of destroying Korean Air Lines flight 7 and murdering the two hundred and sixty-nine innocent people onboard; (2) calls for a full and frank explanation from the Soviet Union for this brutal massacre; (3) extends its deepest sympathies to the families who lost loved ones, and supports their rights to obtain reparations from the Soviet Union; (4) calls on the Soviet Union to assist international efforts to recover the remains of the victims; (5) calls for an international investigation by the Interna- tional Civil Aviation Organization into this heinous incident; (6) declares its intention to work with the international com- munity in demanding that the Soviet Union modify its air defense procedures and practices to assure the safe passage of commercial airliners; Sept. 28, 1983 [H.J. Res. 353] Soviet destruction of Korean airliner, condemnation.
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