[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 93 (Friday, June 21, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S FOREIGN POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS
Mr. PELL. Mr. President, 1996 is fast emerging as one of the most
critical years of the post-cold-war period. Earlier this year, Taiwan
concluded Presidential elections, taking a firm step toward a pro-
democratic course under China's watchful eye. India and Israel recently
held elections that resulted in dramatic shifts of power in both
countries. Russia just concluded the first round of balloting in its
Presidential elections, and a second round is scheduled shortly in
which Russians will face a stark choice between the West-leaning
Yeltsin and the former communist Zyuganov. Later this year, Bosnia is
scheduled to hold elections as well, the outcome of which may well
determine whether that war-torn, fragmented country will continue to
exist.
As President Clinton said recently, ``we live in a moment of hope.''
The demise of the cold war, the emergence of democratic trends across
the globe, advances in telecommunications and the exchange of
information--all of these are helping to create a new international
environment, which will force a realignment in the fundamental
relationship between States, and augurs for a more stable and
cooperative world.
As we complete what appears to be a transition period into an era of
unprecedented opportunity, the world will look to the United States--as
the only true remaining superpower--for guidance and moral authority.
Any President of the United States, of course, immediately plays an
epic role on the world's stage. But President Clinton seems to be
paying a more critical role than most.
During the past 4 years, the Clinton administration has worked
assiduously to exert influence over and capitalize on the momentous
changes that have occurred. President Clinton's solid record of
achievement, I would argue, demonstrates beyond all doubt that he has
the requisite vision and courage to steer the ship of state into the
next century. If you will permit me, I will give a brief tour of the
international horizon to underscore my point.
In Europe and the former Soviet Union, the Clinton administration has
achieved some of its greatest foreign policy successes. Clinton's
active engagement in Bosnia--a mine field where Presidents,
policymakers, and pundits once feared to tread--has brought a halt to
the bloodshed and killing in one of Europe's most destructive and
intractable conflicts. The presence of U.S. troops--whom early critics
predicted would be drawn into a fighting war--has proven to be the key
ingredient in setting the stage for the return of stability. In the
next several months, the administration looks to be equally engaged in
ensuring that the proper circumstances arise for free and fair
elections to take place, which would go a long way toward paving the
way for a U.S. withdrawal and bringing the issue to a close.
Russia follows close on Bosnia's heels as a major foreign policy
success. The recent conclusion of the first round of the Presidential
elections is a remarkable development in and of itself. For the first
time in Russia's history, a Russian leader has endeavored to seek
reelection, further strengthening prospects for the emergence of a
Russian democratic culture. And the Clinton administration's policy of
engaging--without actually endorsing--Yeltsin appears now to have been
brilliantly conceived and well implemented.
Turning to Asia, one simply cannot neglect China. China is the most
important country in the region, and the United States-China bilateral
relationship is one of the most critical in the world. Our relations
with China are so complex and multifaceted that it is difficult to do
them justice in so brief a discussion. I would only say that in such an
intricate relationship, there are bound to be successes as well as
failures. I, for one, credit the Clinton administration for pursuing a
better trade relationship with China, which can promote cooperation,
and ultimately progress, in other areas. I think the agreements on
trade the administration has achieved so far constitute a good
foundation, but the key challenge from here is to ensure that
agreements are enforced and commitments honored in order for broader
progress to come.
Elsewhere in Asia, the administration's actions with regard to North
Korea deserve special mention and commendation. It is indeed no small
matter that the Clinton administration has, in essence, prevented one
of the world's most dangerous rogue states from going nuclear. In doing
so, the administration has set a strong precedent and learned
invaluable lessons that it can apply to other aspiring nuclear powers.
In the Middle East, the Clinton administration has made a superb
effort to stabilize the region and broaden international acceptance of
Israel. Israel's peace agreements with Jordan and the Palestinians
represent achievements that are, in my view, irreversible. I am sure
that the election of a new government in Israel will prompt some
changes in the calculus for a comprehensive peace, which ultimately
should include Lebanon, Syria, and the Persian Gulf States. But I would
argue that whatever changes occur are more likely to have an impact on
the timing, rather than the inevitability, of normal relations between
Israel and the Arab States.
In the Western Hemisphere, the Clinton administration can say with
pride that democratically elected governments exist in every country of
the region save one. And the one exception, Cuba, has become the target
of particularly vigorous sanctions effort, which the administration
hopes will hasten the fall of the Castro regime and open the way for
the transition to democracy. Although I must confess to having opposed
the tightening of sanctions, I cannot argue with the administration's
intent.
The administration's effort to restore Haitian President Aristide to
power represents, of course, a milestone in the hemisphere's transition
to democracy. In Haiti, much as in Bosnia, this administration
inherited a seemingly insoluble problem, to which it brought energy,
courage, creativity, and ultimately, a resolve to use justifiable
force, and thereby achieved its goal.
Finally, Mr. President, I would say a word about Africa, where United
States interests have not been so easily defined as they have
elsewhere, and which consequently has suffered occasionally from a lack
of attention from Washington. Not so with the Clinton administration,
which has made a real effort to promote stability, encourage the
emergence of democratic trends, and disburse U.S. assistance
effectively to promote sustainable development. The obvious high point
is, of course, the peaceful transfer of power and the domestic election
of President Mandela in South Africa. But there are equally important--
if lesser known--success stories such as Botswana, which enjoys a
freely elected government and recently graduated altogether from United
States assistance.
To sum up, each of the highlights that I have touched upon represent
significant achievements in their own right. In and of themselves, they
command respect and recognition of a job well done by the Clinton
administration in the foreign policy area. Collectively, they provide
overwhelming evidence that the administration is up to the challenge of
leading the United States into the next millennium, which holds promise
for tremendous opportunity for our country and its citizens.
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