[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 189 (Wednesday, November 29, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H13737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      AMERICANS WANT MORE INFORMATION ON BOSNIAN TROOP DEPLOYMENT

  (Mr. BISHOP asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I have profound reservations about the 
participation of Untied States forces in a Bosnian peacekeeping 
mission. So do the people I represent. Of the many calls I have 
received on this matter over the past several days, not one has favored 
U.S. involvement.
  At the same time, I also recognize the dangers that are inherent in a 
policy of noninvolvement.
  If the United States abandons NATO's peace efforts in Bosnia, we 
could weaken and even destroy an alliance that has helped deter 
multinational conflicts for half a century. The current peace 
initiative would surely collapse. And if this ghastly slaughter ever 
spreads beyond the borders of the former Yugoslavia, our country's 
economic and military security would be critically threatened.
  Americans know that our own security requires a secure peace in 
Europe. When necessary, they support deployment of our troops as 
peacekeepers--but not as targets. They want more information about the 
military plan, troop security, the mission's goals, and the plan for 
withdrawal. So do I.

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