[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8355-S8356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent there be a 
period for the transaction of morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to discuss today a disinformation 
campaign being conducted by indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic and 
his Bosnian Serb henchmen, a campaign which threatens our forces in 
Bosnia, and a powerful tool available to the United States to 
counteract that campaign.
  Despite his agreement to remove himself from political life, Radovan 
Karadzic has continued to play a leading role in Bosnian Serb politics, 
running the Republika Srpska from behind the scenes. Moreover, he has 
used the Bosnia Serb controlled radio and television to present a 
distorted picture to the Bosnian Serb people. Most ominously, since the 
arrest of one secretly indicted war criminal and the killing of another 
by NATO forces in Prijedor in northwestern Bosnia on July 10, Karadzic 
and the state controlled media have been orchestrating attacks on NATO 
troops.
  As the New York Times reported on July 26, ``television and radio 
broadcasts have been increasingly inflammatory.'' This distorted 
picture has been used to interfere with the implementation of the 
civilian aspects of the Dayton peace accords. It has also been used to 
wage a smear campaign against Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic, 
who sought to expose Karadzic's criminal activities that have brought 
him wealth at the expense of the Bosnian Serb people.
  Karadzic has shown himself to be a master of the ``no lie is too 
great'' approach. For example, when the Office of the High 
Representative, the senior international civilian position created by 
the Dayton accords, recently announced a significant civil military 
project that would involve the repair of the Tuzla to Brcko railway 
line by an Italian Railway Regiment with funding from United States 
AID, the state controlled Bosnian Serb media claimed that the repair 
train had been modified to transport Serb civilians to the Hague. A 
project designed to improve the quality of life for all Bosnians in the 
region was twisted to frighten the people and to foment ill-feeling 
towards the Stabilization Force.
  Mr. President, the influence of indicted war criminal Karadzic must 
be checked. I believe that his control of the Bosnian Serb media is a 
good place to start. The United States military has the capability 
through the EC-130E Commando Solo aircraft to broadcast television and 
radio programming directly to the Bosnian people, overriding Karadzic's 
programming. This capability was put to successful use during Operation 
Urgent Fury in Grenada to inform the people on Grenada of the United 
States military action; during Operation Desert Storm to convince Iraqi 
soldiers to surrender; and during Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti 
to broadcast radio and television to the Haitian citizens and leaders. 
It could be used to get the true word out to the Bosnian Serbs.
  I applaud the decision of the recent international donor's conference 
for Bosnia to channel money only to communities that comply with the 
Dayton peace accords. Republika Srpska has received only a small 
percentage of such aid in the past due to Karadzic's behind the scenes 
refusal to cooperate. He has also mounted a media disinformation 
campaign, accusing the international community of bias against the 
Bosnian Serbs when his own policies are to blame. The Bosnian Serb 
people need to hear the real causes for their isolation and lack of 
international aid.
  Mr. President, paragraph 5 of article VI of the Agreement on the 
Military Aspects of the Dayton Peace Settlement gives the SFOR 
Commander the authority to do all that he judges necessary and proper 
to protect the SFOR and to carry out its responsibilities. I believe 
that it would be appropriate for the SFOR Commander to determine that 
the presentation of distorted reports about SFOR, the inflaming of 
emotions against SFOR, and the encouragement of reprisal action by the 
Bosnian Serb media controlled by Karadzic and the ruling Serb 
Democratic Party, are impeding the SFOR Commander's ability to protect 
SFOR and to carry out SFOR's responsibilities. Once the SFOR commander 
makes that determination, the Air National Guard EC-130E Commando Solo 
aircraft could be used to counteract Karadzic's disinformation campaign 
which so endangers our forces and hampers the implementation of the 
Dayton accords.
  Mr. President, I wrote last week to National Security Adviser Sandy 
Berger and Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen proposing the use of the 
Commando Solo aircraft under the circumstances we confront in Bosnia. I 
ask unanimous consent that these letters be printed in the Record at 
the conclusion of my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. LEVIN. I believe that, until the Bosnian people, particularly the

[[Page S8356]]

Bosnian Serbs, are able to receive television and radio broadcasts that 
depict the true reasons for their isolation and poor standing in the 
international community, it is less likely that meaningful progress 
will be made in the implementation of the civilian aspects of the 
Dayton accords.
  Mr. President, the European Stars and Stripes reported last week that 
many Bosnian Serbs have refused to accept copies of a free publication 
called the Herald of Peace that is handed out throughout Bosnia by 
SFOR. I am sure that they are reluctant to be seen accepting this 
publication for fear that they will be reported to Karadzic and his 
henchmen. The beauty of Commando Solo is that its radio and television 
broadcasts will go into the homes of the Bosnian Serbs where they can 
receive it away from prying eyes. Karadzic can't stop the broadcasts--
they override his transmissions. It is time to put this valuable tool 
to work for peace in Bosnia and for the security of our forces.

                               Exhibit 1

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                    Washington, DC, July 24, 1997.
     Mr. Samuel R. Berger,
     Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, 
         National Security Council, Washington, DC.
       Dear. Mr. Berger: I am writing in connection with the lack 
     of progress in implementing the civilian aspects of the 
     Dayton peace accords, particularly the problem of war 
     criminals. I am deeply disturbed about the failure of the 
     Bosnian parties, particularly the Republika Srpska, to 
     cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes 
     and other violations of international humanitarian law as 
     required by Article IX of the General Framework Agreement for 
     Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
       Recent press reports regarding the influence of former 
     Bosnian Serb president and indicted war criminal Radovan 
     Karadzic, establish that his and his party's control of all 
     Bosnian Serb media, particularly Bosnian television, 
     consistently presents a distorted picture as to the cause of 
     the Republic's isolation and poverty.
       Until the Bosnian people, particularly the Bosnian Serbs, 
     are able to receive television broadcasts that depict the 
     true reasons for their isolation and poor standing in the 
     international community, it is doubtful that any meaningful 
     progress will be made in the implementation of the civilian 
     aspects of the Dayton accords.
       I am concerned that the local media's distorted reporting 
     is inflaming the situation in Republika Srpska and 
     encouraging the Bosnian Serbs to take reprisal action against 
     personnel of the Stabilization Force (SFOR), the 
     International Police Task Force (IPTF), and the Organization 
     for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It seems to me 
     that those actions and other less dramatic, but improper, 
     actions by the Bosnian Serbs and their political leadership 
     are impeding the ability of the SFOR Commander to protect the 
     SFOR and to carry out its responsibilities under the accords.
       Paragraph 5 of Article VI of the Agreement on the Military 
     Aspects of the Peace Settlement gives the SFOR Commander the 
     authority to do all that he judges necessary and proper to 
     protect the SFOR and to carry out its responsibilities. I 
     believe that it would be appropriate for the SFOR Commander 
     to determine that the presentation of distorted reports about 
     SFOR, the inflaming of emotions, and the encouragement of 
     reprisal action by the Bosnian Serb media controlled by 
     Karadzic and the ruling Serb Democratic Party, are impeding 
     his ability to protect SFOR and to carry out SFOR's 
     responsibilities.
       The U.S. military has the capability through the EC-130E 
     Commando Solo aircraft to broadcast television and radio 
     messages to the Bosnian people. I strongly recommend that, 
     once the SFOR Commander makes the above determination, he be 
     authorized to utilize Commando Solo to conduct television and 
     radio broadcasts in Republika Srpska to inform the Bosnian 
     Serbs of the true facts.
       It may also be necessary to take similar action with 
     respect to the other Bosnian parties. I fear that without 
     such action war criminals will not be brought to justice, 
     reconciliation will not take place, and the human and 
     material investment of the United States and its allies will 
     have been in vain.
       I am sending a similar letter to the Secretary of Defense.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Carl Levin,
     Ranking Minority Member.
                                  ____

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                    Washington, DC, July 24, 1997.
     Hon. William S. Cohen,
     Secretary of Defense,
     The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Secretary: I am writing in connection with the 
     lack of progress in implementing the civilian aspects of the 
     Dayton peace accords, particularly the problem of war 
     criminals. I am deeply disturbed about the failure of the 
     Bosnian parties, particularly the Republika Srpska, to 
     cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes 
     and other violations of international humanitarian law as 
     required buy Article IX of the General Framework Agreement 
     for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
       Recent press reports regarding the influence of former 
     Bosnian Serb president and indicted war criminal Radovan 
     Karadzic, establish that his and his party's control of all 
     Bosnian Serb media, particularly Bosnian television, 
     consistently presents a distorted picture as to the cause of 
     the Republic's isolation and poverty.
       Until the Bosnian people, particularly the Bosnian Serbs, 
     are able to receive television broadcasts that depict the 
     true reasons for their isolation and poor standing in the 
     international community, it is doubtful that any meaningful 
     progress will be made in the implementation of the civilian 
     aspects of the Dayton accords.
       I am concerned that the local media's distorted reporting 
     is inflaming the situation in Republika Srpska and 
     encouraging the Bosnian Serbs to take reprisal action against 
     personnel of the Stabilization Force (SFOR), the 
     International Police Task Force (IPTF), and the Organization 
     for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It seems to me 
     that those actions and other less dramatic, but improper, 
     actions by the Bosnian Serbs and their political leadership 
     are impeding the ability of the SFOR Commander to protect the 
     SFOR and to carry out its responsibilities under the accords.
       Paragraph 5 of Article VI of the Agreement on the Military 
     Aspects of the Peace Settlement gives the SFOR Commander the 
     authority to do all that he judges necessary and proper to 
     protect the SFOR and to carry out its responsibilities. I 
     believe that it would be appropriate for the SFOR Commander 
     to determine that the presentation of distorted reports about 
     SFOR, the inflaming of emotions, and the encouragement of 
     reprisal action by the Bosnian Serb media controlled by 
     Karazdic and the ruling Serb Democratic Party, are impeding 
     his ability to protect SFOR and to carry out SFOR's 
     responsibilities.
       The U.S. military has the capability through the EC-130E 
     Commando Solo aircraft to broadcast television and radio 
     messages to the Bosnian people. I strongly recommend that, 
     once the SFOR Commander makes the above determination, he be 
     authorized to utilize Commando solo to conduct television and 
     radio broadcasts in Republika Srpska to inform the Bosnian 
     Serbs of the true facts.
       It may also be necessary to take similar action with 
     respect to the other Bosnian parties. I fear that without 
     such action war criminals will not be brought to justice, 
     reconciliation will not take place, and the human and 
     material investment of the United States and its allies will 
     have been in vain.
       I am sending a similar letter to the National Security 
     Adviser.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Carl Levin,
     Ranking Minority Member.

                          ____________________