[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 21, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  CLINTON'S BLIND EYE TOWARD CHECHNYA

                                 ______


                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 21, 1995
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw attention to the 
ongoing crisis in Chechnya, which began exactly 100 days ago today, 
when the Kremlin launched a massive military offensive in the region. 
In an ironic twist, details of this tragedy have been largely 
overshadowed by yesterday's announcement that President Clinton will 
travel to Moscow in early May to meet with President Yeltsin. He is 
proceeding despite the urgings of Congress and, apparently, officials 
within his own administration that he stay home. The Clinton 
administration has mishandled this crisis from the outset and, with 
yesterday's announcement, has proven that it has lost touch with 
reality where Yelsin is involved.
  The administration should have taken advantage of Moscow's strong 
desire to secure United States participation in ceremonies 
commemorating the end of World War II, and pressured Moscow to agree to 
an immediate, unconditional cease-fire, and the deployment of a long-
term OSCE mission in Chechnya. Again, the administration acquiesced, 
after Yeltsin made a concession about the planned military parade. But 
that parade is in May--Russia is committing atrocities right now.
  One hundred days ago, Mr. Speaker, our administration characterized 
this crisis as an internal affair, better left to the Russians to 
handle. But the crisis, which many in Moscow and in Washington had 
hoped would go away, has not. About 24,000 individuals have been killed 
and hundreds of thousands have been driven from their homes. Gross 
human rights violations and atrocities have gone unchecked, as the 
humanitarian nightmare in Chechnya continues. The Russian campaign in 
the region constitutes a gross violation OSCE principles.
  Nearly 2 months after the OSCE Permanent Council's decision of 
February 3, most of the problems raised at the time--for example, 
disproportionate use of force, gross human rights violations, 
unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance, access to detainees--
persist and have not been addressed in a meaningful manner, if at all.
  During the Helsinki Commission's hearing in January, human rights 
champion Dr. Elena Bonner implored us, ``[F]rom outside Russia, the 
stable democratic societies of the West must employ all diplomatic 
means to pressure Mr. Yeltsin to call off his assault and negotiate 
with the Chechen leaders.''
  As chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 
I have closely followed these troubling developments. I have repeatedly 
spoken out against Russian actions in Chechyna and the disappointingly 
muted response by our own leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Secretary Christopher to press Foreign Minister 
Kozyrev to abide by the OSCE decisions, to agree to an unconditional 
cease-fire, and to accept a long-term OSCE monitoring mission, when 
they meet later this week in Geneva. The Russians continue to stall on 
all three points.
  While they have hinted that they could accept an OSCE million in 
principle, they appear to be stonewalling. If the Russians finally 
agree to accept such a mission, painstaking care must be taken in the 
elaboration of its mandate. Russian good will alone will not be enough.
  The last thing we need is an OSCE million which can be manipulated 
into a kind of Potemkin village to lend legitimacy to Russian policies 
in Chechnya.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret the fact that the President has agreed to go to 
Moscow while Yeltsin continues his campaign of death and destruction in 
Chechnya. It is high time that President Clinton stop turning a blind 
eye toward the Chechen crisis and starts pressing Boris Yeltsin to end 
the senseless slaughter.


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