[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 188 (Tuesday, November 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13708-H13709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2015
            THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF SENDING IN AMERICAN TROOPS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Chrysler). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Manzullo] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, the people of this country are about to be 
subjected to a situation where 20,000 American troops will be sent into 
very difficult territory in the area that we know as Bosnia-
Herzegovina. Let us take a look at the circumstances under which they 
will have to do that. I am holding the Proximity Peace Talks, which is 
an outline of the circumstances giving rise to the exact language of 
the peace talks. Listen to the country created by these peace talks.
  ``The country will be known as the Republic of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, but the country will be split in two because it will also 
have two entities comprised of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 
and the Serb Republic. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will 
control 51 percent of the country.''
  I ask you, is that type of a situation tenable? Let me also throw 
something out here. There will not be one President on the new 
Constitution, there will not be two Presidents, it will be a troika, 
three Presidents, if that is correct. There will be three Presidents to 
run this country we know as the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
That will be one Moslem, one Croat, and one Serb.
  Do you really think that a troika comprised of these three who have 
been fighting essentially for the past 1,500 years can get along? But, 
Mr. Speaker, more important is the fact that American troops will be 
sent to Bosnia-Herzegovina for the purpose of killing, if necessary, to 
protect the peace. That is correct. The language in this report says 
that the troops should use ``necessary force to ensure compliance.''
  What does that mean? That means they can use the gig guns to clear 
out the 2\1/2\-mile-wide demilitarized zone, but it means something 
else. American troops actually under the NATO command will try to do 
one of two things. They will try to keep the big guns away from the 
Serbs, and if that does not work, then they will try to arm the 
Bosnians to try to bring about military parity.
  Mr. Speaker, this does not make sense. This is a peace agreement? A 
peace agreement means people shake hands, repent, reconcile, and say, 
``Let's go on with our lives, and put the war behind us.'' But what has 
happened here is the fact our President is going to put American troops 
in the position of fighting the war that the Bosnians have not been 
allowed to fight themselves. That is right. The United Nations, with 
the approval of the President, has steadfastly refused to allow the 
Bosnians to have the weapons with which to defend themselves. That has 
cased the tremendous amount of carnage in that country.
  Now we have this great peace plan, the peace plan where Americans 
will be authorized to kill in order to enforce the peace. True peace in 
that area can only be brought about if the Americans 

[[Page H 13709]]
leave the area, if NATO leaves the area, and we allow the Bosnians to 
arm themselves. I ask this question: Is it right for American blood to 
be spilled in Bosnia when the American President has not allowed the 
Bosnians to fight their own war?

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