Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Lipsett, my colleague Mr. Marston mentioned the appearance before our committee of Mr. Cliff Davis, on November 1, 2012. At one point, in the course of his appearance, I put to him the question that we have heard witness testimony, and references made to this, about the widespread and systematic human rights violations in Eritrea, UN reports, indeed our own government reports, and those that you are familiar with.
I then went on to ask him if he had “any concerns about these human rights violations. Have they been reported to you? Have any of the villagers, any groups, reported to you about any human rights violations?” He answered, “No.” I then said, “So you have received no reports of any human rights violations while you have been in Eritrea.” He said, “No.”
I'm pleased, as I think Mr. Marston indicated, and all of us here, about the field missions that you have undertaken and the human rights impact assessment. Indeed, in your testimony today you made reference to your own acknowledgement of the international reports that we have referenced in the testimony. You also said that there are these reports, and then there are what you have heard. True, these are narratives, and the truth is somehow in the middle. I'm rather not responsive to narratives. I'm usually more responsive to facts.
Do you think that all of these international reports, of which you are aware and have read and even referenced in your testimony today, are just narratives, or would you regard them as corroborative statements of witness testimony?