[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 172 (Thursday, November 2, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            A TRIP TO BOSNIA

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I am going to be leaving today, going over 
to Bosnia. I have never seen something that is as critical as it is 
today on what the President is trying to do by sending our troops on 
the ground in Bosnia. Two and a half years ago, I predicted, when the 
President wanted to do airdrops in Bosnia, thereby giving the Americans 
a position within that warring faction of three different factions and 
going with one side against the other in getting involved in it, I said 
at that time, first, we will have airdrops, then air attacks and, after 
that, the President is going to want to send troops in on the ground. 
It was the other day, Michael Rose, the British general, commander of 
the Bosnian troops--he probably is the greatest authority on Bosnia--
said, ``If America sends troops into Bosnia on the ground, they will 
lose more lives than they lost in the Persian Gulf war.''
  Mr. President, I think that is exactly what is going to happen. I 
asked Secretary Perry and Secretary Christopher in the Senate Armed 
Services Committee, ``Is this mission that we have in Bosnia--that 
mission being twofold, containing a civil war and, two, protecting the 
integrity of NATO--worth the loss of hundreds of American lives?"
  Secretary Perry said, ``Yes.'' Secretary Christopher said, ``Yes.'' 
General Shalikashvili said, ``Yes.''
  That is why I am going to Bosnia. I want the American people to know 
what kind of risk we are sending our troops in there to sustain. It was 
not until we went month after month, when we tried to get President 
Clinton, by resolution, to bring our troops out of Somalia--he did not 
do that until, finally, 18 of our rangers were murdered in cold blood 
and their corpses were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. I do 
not want that to happen in the streets of Gorazde or the streets of 
Sarajevo.

  I think we have a job to explain to the American people what the 
risks are over there and to stop this obsession that President Clinton 
has in sending our troops into Bosnia on the ground. I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gregg). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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