[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 107 (Friday, August 5, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    TIME FOR UNITED STATES ACTION CONCERNING BOSNIA AND THE FORMER 
                               YUGOSLAVIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Menendez). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, completing our thoughts, the Committee on 
Armed Services on the DOD authorization bill is currently attempting to 
work out differences between the House and the Senate language on the 
arms embargo. The House took the position that the United States should 
not continue to undermine the ability of the Bosnian Government to 
defend itself in the face of aggression and genocide. The Senate was 
more reticent, and decided not to effect an immediate unilateral 
lifting of the arms embargo, but took a more measured approach seeking 
to cooperate with our allies in a multilateral effort.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe I speak for the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. 
McCloskey], myself, and others in this House, when I say that, clearly, 
we want to work in concert with our allies. We want to work in concert 
with the United Nations. We want to see a multilateral action stopping 
the genocide, stopping the aggression, stopping the human suffering 
that is occurring in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I would hope, Mr. Speaker, 
that the conference committee takes into consideration this recent most 
egregious continuing action of the Serbian militants in Bosnia. It is 
just another indication that if we do not act, and act decisively, the 
actions that have shocked, saddened, and outraged the law-abiding world 
community will continue apace. It is time for us to act.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. McCloskey], 
who serves on the Committee on Armed Services and is one of the key 
representatives on the conference committee, for such additional 
comments as he might want to make.
  Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Hoyer, I would be very hopeful that come next 
week, we could have a positive resolution as to this issue with the 
Senate Armed Services Committee. I think there have been productive 
discussions, and our hopes are alive, if not totally high, but the 
simple fact is I think everyone involved in the administration, even 
with Mr. Redmond in the room with the committee, probably does realize 
and admits that, at some point, there may have to be, unless there is 
more leadership from the administration, quite frankly, a unilateral 
lift that really has to be authorized.

  That is what a 66-vote majority stood up for in the House, and we are 
more than flexible on the House side as far as notice and timeliness 
and various steps. I hope, given the events of today, yesterday, the 
fact that a siege is still going on, besides the problems in Sarajevo 
and Gorazde Moslem civilians are being rounded up, as we all know, 
incarcerated in Serb camps without any access by International Red 
Cross officials, despite attention going elsewhere to Rwanda, Haiti, or 
whatever it is, and these horrible crises must also be acted upon, but 
this genocide, and that is what it is, this genocide is still going on.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot at this point have the pie-in-the-sky type 
dream that Slobodan Milosevic is going to become a savior for peace and 
solve this without any effort on our parts. We have gone around that 
corner before.
  Mr. HOYER. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, and thanking the 
gentleman for his comments, in closing, let me simply say that I agree 
with this administration. President Clinton obviously wants to work in 
concert with our allies. That is the best policy. It is a policy which 
has been successful for five decades now, and it is one that we ought 
to continue.
  On the other hand, if we cannot convince our allies that the time is 
past for simply talking, that the time is past for simply stating 
ultimatums that when ignored, are not acted upon, it is time for us to 
act. Hopefully we will act in concert with our allies, but if they will 
not act, we must take it upon ourselves to move forward based upon our 
principles, our commitments, and upon our perception of what will make 
a safe world in the future. That is, Mr. Speaker, the free world must 
do what it says it will do when confronted with aggression and 
international lawbreaking.
  Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that the conference will come out with a 
resolution of this matter that both Houses can adopt, that will support 
the efforts of the administration, but will, in no uncertain terms, let 
Mr. Milosevic and the Serb militants know that the West will no longer 
wait for them to comply with their international obligations.

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