[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 104 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 104

      Relating to Bosnia and Herzegovina's right to self-defense.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               April 29 (legislative day, April 19), 1993

 Mr. DeConcini (for himself and Mr. Lieberman) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Relating to Bosnia and Herzegovina's right to self-defense.

Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign and independent State, a member of 
        the United Nations, and a participating State of the Conference on 
        Security and Cooperation in Europe;
Whereas the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been and remain the target of 
        armed aggression by Serbia, Serbian-backed forces, and other irregular 
        forces which have subjected civilians to organized, systematic, and 
        premeditated war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide;
Whereas the armed aggression and ``ethnic cleansing'' in Bosnia and Herzegovina 
        have resulted in human suffering and loss of life which has reached an 
        unprecedented scale in post-World War II Europe;
Whereas diplomacy has not worked and negotiations have consumed significant time 
        during which the situation on the ground in Bosnia has further 
        deteriorated;
Whereas the United States shares with Europe not only a moral and legal 
        obligation, but a genuine strategic interest in ending aggression and 
        genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina before it spreads elsewhere in the 
        former Yugoslavia and beyond; and
Whereas as a sovereign member of the United Nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina has 
        the right, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to individual 
        or collective self-defense, if attacked: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the Sense of the Senate that (1) the United 
States should, without further delay, assemble and lead a multinational 
coalition to undertake resolute action in order to prevent the 
wholesale slaughter and further ``ethnic cleansing'' of innocent 
civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina
            (A) by taking immediate steps to neutralize heavy arms in 
        the hands of irregular forces and their supply lines in Bosnia 
        and Herzegovina, including through the use of military air 
        force;
            (B) by ensuring the immediate, effective, and unimpeded 
        delivery of humanitarian aid to all civilian populations in 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina, including through the use of military 
        force, if required;
            (C) by ensuring unimpeded access to all camps, prisons, and 
        detention centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the 
        International Committee of the Red Cross and other 
        international humanitarian organizations and facilitate the 
        release of all detainees from such facilities maintained by 
        irregular forces; and
            (D) by seeking the immediate lifting of the international 
        arms embargo as it applies to Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus 
        enabling that country to obtain defensive weapons.
    (2) The President should promptly consult with Congress concerning 
specific steps to be taken and necessary legislative measures of 
support and authorization for the actions outlined above.

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