[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 101 (Thursday, July 28, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1850
 
                                 BOSNIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Engel). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. McCloskey] is recognized for 
five minutes.
  Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Speaker, I might say it is good to be here tonight 
immediately precedent to a statement on the same topic I am discussing 
from our majority whip, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], one 
of my particular heroes and a real fighter for human rights and 
international justice.
  It was also, I think, very pertinent to follow the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] in her eloquent remarks as to Rwanda.
  I might say, obviously, we do have concerns for a safer, more decent, 
human international order. Needless to say, as the previous speaker 
indicated, it does not seem to be the case these days.
  I know it is not exactly an amazing insight, but the tragedies of 
Rwanda, Bosnia, the Balkans, Haiti, and other places are really not 
isolated incidents. Part of the problem is the simple that bandits, 
thugs, brutal perpetrators of genocide and mass murder all over the 
world are getting the signal, in essence, that they can get away with 
it, which leads me into my ongoing concern that we have.
  We are on the verge tonight of seeing yet another deadline come and 
go in the Bosnian-Yugoslavian tragedy.
  This afternoon I talked to Prime Minister Silajdzic of Bosnia by long 
distance from Sarajevo. I do not know if it is on the wire yet, but he 
told me that no surprise, the Bosnian Serbs at Pale again had rejected 
the so-called nonnegotiable contact team proposal for a 51 to 49 slit 
between the Bosian-Croatian Alliance and the Bosnian Serbs.
  As we all know, the Bosnian Government and the Bosnian-Croatian 
Alliance, with all its problems and all the looming inequities and 
ratification of past injustices, the Bosnian-Croatian Alliance and the 
Bosnian Government had accepted, and I think sincerely so, this contact 
proposal plan.
  Meanwhile, it has been outrageously and spiritually, if you will, 
rejected by the Bosnian Serbs. And just to add insult, damage and 
ongoing murder to injury, the Serbs in the last several days, as we all 
know, are again shutting down Sarajevo. They are stopping all road 
traffic in and out, and this is not a matter of minor incident. This 
means that food supplies are dwindling, and right now there is a run in 
Sarajevo markets, as to any food and miscellaneous household supplies 
that are available.
  The U.N. flights, which are quite often shut down, as we all know, 
even when they are going, cannot really adequately feed everyone.
  As we all know, in recent days, these peace-oriented Bosnian Serbs 
have opened up on U.N. flights to the tune of shutting down the 
Sarajevo airport, indeed, deterring our Secretary of Defense, Mr. 
Perry, from coming in and one United States plane in recent days, 3 or 
4 days ago, took 20, whatever it was, 20 to 40 shells. One American 
airman was injured.
  Yesterday, as we all know, in a great tragedy as to the numerous 
British troops on the ground, who, along with others, are trying to 
serve people in that war-ravaged area, but a young British soldier 
yesterday was murdered by Bosnian Serbs who opened up on a humanitarian 
convoy with the sad excuse later, regardless of the fact that the Brit, 
the humanitarian convoy was well marked, they, the Serbs opened up and 
they have the opinion and, indeed, the example from past practice that 
they can continue to get away with this.
  Meanwhile, the military assault intensifies as to Sarajevo. There is 
not heavy shelling hitting there yet, but the machine gun fire, 
automatic weapons, and sniper traffic is increasing. Also, Gorazda, the 
area of Gorazda is under greater stress with more Serbs incursions in 
that war-ravaged area.
  Meanwhile, Secretary of State Christoper, who was before the Foreign 
Affairs Committee today, is today or tomorrow, I believe it is today or 
this evening, is off to Europe to meet with the contact team to decide 
what to do about this latest Serb rejection and the problems on the 
ground there in Bosnia.
  He states that ``the contact team has agreed to increase sanctions on 
the Serbs. I don't know that that is going to put fear and trembling in 
their hearts and deter their present murderous practices.'' He does 
say, ``the contact team is prepared to,'' and this will be interesting, 
``provide increased security for the besieged safe enclaves or 
havens.'' Obviously, that includes Sarajevo and Gorazda, particularly 
the group would consider similar, I guess, security treatment for Zepa 
and Srebrenica.
  I guess the question I would have is whether the contact team in that 
regard will really mean it this time. Will the west provide security 
for the citizens of Bosnia being slaughtered rather than just on 
occasion asserting military force in the event that U.N. forces were to 
be threatened?
  As a last resort, and as a last resort, I do not know how far down 
the road that is, the secretary says, this is at least, I believe, U.S. 
policy, that the contact group should consider a multilifting of the 
arms embargo which has obviously tied the hands of the besieged 
Bosnians.
  We need a much greater sense of urgency in ending this tragedy as 
people grow increasingly terrified in Sarajevo, as ethnic cleansing and 
genocide continues in numerous other areas of Bosnia, such as Banjaluka 
and Prijedor.

                              {time}  1900

  Prime Minister Silajdzic told me today that unless the West acts now, 
there is no credibility. Let us hope that come Monday, the U.S. 
Congress will not have to consider a unilateral lifting of the arms 
embargo, which the Committee on Armed Services is working on now. Let 
us hope that the United States leads the contact group this weekend in 
communicating with the Serbs that their genocidal slaughter will be 
tolerated no more.
  Let us hope that definitive action, if necessary, lifting the arms 
embargo and pummeling Serb positions and supply lines with air strikes, 
will be implemented if necessary. The genocidal slaughter in Bosnia and 
the West's abysmal, reckless passivity in the face of outrageous 
lawlessness is one of the defining issues of the closing years of this 
century. Let us hope the United States' so-called contact team, the 
United Nations, and the European Community now, at last, want to bring 
a decisive and more humane ending to this sorry chapter.

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