[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 134 (Wednesday, October 1, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S10262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 BOSNIA

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise today to voice my concern 
regarding actions last night in Bosnia. NATO forces, of which we 
constitute the major part, have again seized several Bosnian Serb radio 
transmitters because they were hostile to the peacekeeping goals of our 
forces.
  No doubt that was the case. I have no question about that. But I 
suggest that were we at war and the issue more clear such action would 
be more than warranted. But we are not, Mr. President. We are trying to 
implement the Dayton accords, and as such I am concerned this action is 
not only questionable but may very well be counterproductive.
  What did the stations do to warrant this action? They said bad things 
about the SFOR troops and our mission, and they tampered, apparently, 
with an hour-long program taped by Louise Arbor, head of the 
International War Crimes Tribunal.
  The good news, Mr. President, is that no violence has occurred yet in 
regard to the seizure. But I remind my colleagues that the last time we 
did this our troops were stoned and we quickly returned the station. 
But we made the Serbs promise not to interfere with pro-Moslem or pro-
SFOR messages. Is anyone really surprised, Mr. President, that the 
Serbs did not live up to that promise?
  First question: Now what? Do we have a plan this time? Do we intend 
to monitor and control all of the media in Bosnia to ensure that only 
messages that meet our criteria are heard by the people of Bosnia? Is 
that what the NATO mission has become--one-sided and totally controlled 
by NATO? Will we put NATO media and our intelligence personnel, let's 
be frank about it, in charge to produce programs that fit our mission? 
Are we shining the light of truth into Serb darkness or are we holding 
a censorship flashlight?

  If that is the case, I think you can make a good case that we are 
enforcing the peace and we are aggressively establishing media control, 
then let's not kid ourselves and continue to call our role even-handed 
peacekeeping.
  But here is the second question: What will we do if the Serbs react 
violently to the seizure? General Clark has stated rightly that we will 
use lethal force to protect our forces. Is this the issue that will 
precipitate that lethal force? Is this how we would explain loss of 
life to the parents of an American man or woman in uniform stationed in 
Bosnia?
  Mr. President, we need to hear from the administration on last 
night's action and they need to outline the plan to get us out of this 
tar baby.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

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