[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H11668-H11669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DEMANDING INFORMATION ON THE WELFARE, WELL-BEING, AND WHEREABOUTS OF 
                         JOURNALIST DAVID ROHDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maine [Mr. Longley] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LONGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to express my serious 
concern over the welfare of an American journalist who has just been 
reported missing in Bosnia. I received a phone call from the father of 
David Rohde this morning indicating that--he was aged 28 and currently 
serving in the Balkans as a reporter, Eastern European correspondent 
for the Christian Science Monitor--I am advised that he has been 
reported missing as of last Saturday.
  American embassies in Belgrade, Zagreb, and Sarajevo are all 
assisting in attempts to locate Mr. Rohde, along with the United 
Nations. It is believed that David is being held at Pale, and the 
Christian Science Monitor quoted a U.S. State Department spokesman as 
saying that ``All indications are that Mr. Rhode was traveling in an 
area under the control of the Bosnian Serbs, and we hold them 
responsible for his safety.''
  I have to confess, Mr. Speaker, that I have a personal interest in 
this. Not only is Mr. Rohde's father a constituent, but barely 4 years 
ago I served in uniform as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. My 
responsibility in the early days of the American incursion into 
northern Iraq was to work with the international press corps who are in 
that part of the world, in that godforsaken part of the world, 
attempting to cover the story.
  I have nothing but profound admiration and respect for the courage 
and the integrity of the international press corps, particularly many 
of the brave American journalists who risk their lives on a daily basis 
to bring back to the American public information on critical crises 
around the world. Mr. Rohde is no exception to my observations.
  I might also note for the record that on the issues of Bosnia and the 
difficult conflict in the Balkans, I have tried to be scrupulously 
neutral. At no time have I favored any one side over the other. I feel, 
and have felt for a long time, that our interest in the Balkans is to 
ensure that all three warring countries resolve their differences and 
they they live together in peace. But there is a certain irony that on 
the very day that the peace process is beginning, in Dayton, OH, and 
that the Presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia have arrived in our 
country, it is ironic that Mr. Rohde has been reported missing in one 
of those areas, possibly in the Bosnian-Serb area.
  I would say to the Presidents of those three countries and to the 
people of those three countries that your credibility is on the line. 
Whoever took David captive owes it to report immediately on his welfare 
and his well-being. We want an accounting of Mr. Rohde. We want his 
whereabouts disclosed, and we will hold you, whoever took this 
individual captive or is holding him against his will, we will hold you 
responsible for his safety.

[[Page H 11669]]

  Again, if peace means anything to the people of the Balkans or to the 
countries that are represented in Dayton, OH, this evening, and for the 
foreseeable future during this peace process, we want an immediate 
accounting of David Rohde. We want to know that he is in good 
condition, and that his safety and health are being respected. We want 
him released at the earliest possible moment.

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