[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 48 (Monday, April 27, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3657-S3658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED

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PROTOCOLS TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY OF 1949 ON ACCESSION OF POLAND, 
                      HUNGARY, AND CZECH REPUBLIC

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              KYL (AND LOTT) EXECUTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2310

  Mr. KYL (for himself and Mr. Lott) proposed an amendment to the 
resolution of ratification for the treaty (Treaty Doc. No. 105-36) 
protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the accession of 
Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. These protocols were opened 
for signature at Brussels on December 16, 1997, and signed on behalf of 
the United States of America and other parties to the North Atlantic 
Treaty; as follows:

       In paragraph (1) of section 3, after ``(1) The Strategic 
     Concept of NATO.--'' insert the following:
       (A) Policy of the United States Toward the Strategic 
     Concept of NATO.--The Senate understands that the initial 
     adaptation of NATO's strategy for the post-Cold War 
     environment is contained in the Strategic Concept of NATO (as 
     defined in (1)(E)), and that its core concepts remain 
     relevant today as the North Atlantic Alliance approaches the 
     21st century. The Senate understands that the policy of the 
     United States toward the revised Strategic Concept shall 
     reflect that fact and shall be based upon the following 
     principles:
       (i) First and Foremost a Military Alliance.--NATO is first 
     and foremost a military alliance. NATO's success in securing 
     peace is predicated on its military strength and strategic 
     unity.
       (ii) Principal Foundation for Defense of Security Interests 
     of NATO Members.--NATO serves as the principal foundation for 
     collectively defending the security interests of its members 
     against external threats.
       (iii) Promotion and Protection of United States Vital 
     National Security Interests.--Strong United States leadership 
     of NATO promotes and protects United States vital national 
     security interests.
       (iv) United States Leadership Role.--The United States 
     maintains its leadership role of NATO through the stationing 
     of United States combat forces in Europe, providing military 
     commanders for key NATO commands, and through the presence of 
     United States nuclear forces on the territory of Europe.
       (v) Common Threats.--NATO members will face common threats 
     to their security in the post-Cold War environment, 
     including--
       (I) the potential for the re-emergence of a hegamonic power 
     confronting Europe;
       (II) rogue states and non-state actors possessing nuclear, 
     biological, or chemical weapons and the means to deliver 
     these weapons by ballistic or cruise missiles, or other 
     unconventional delivery means;
       (III) threats of a wider nature, including the disruption 
     of the flow of vital resources, and other possible 
     transnational threats; and
       (IV) conflict in the North Atlantic area stemming from 
     ethnic and religious enmity, the revival of historic disputes 
     or the actions of undemocratic leaders.
       (vi) Core Mission of NATO.--Defense planning will reaffirm 
     a commitment by NATO members to a credible capability for 
     collective self-defense, which remains the core mission of 
     NATO. All NATO members will contribute to this core mission.
       (vii) Capacity to Respond to Common Threats.--NATO's 
     continued success requires a credible military capability to 
     deter and respond to common threats. Building on its core 
     capabilities for collective self-defense of its members, NATO 
     will ensure that its military force structure, defense 
     planning, command structures, and force goals promote NATO's 
     capacity to project power when the security of a NATO member 
     is threatened, and provide a basis for ad hoc coalitions of 
     willing partners among NATO members. This will require that 
     NATO members possess national military capabilities to 
     rapidly deploy forces over long distances, sustain operations 
     for extended periods of time, and operate jointly with the 
     United States in high intensity conflicts.
       (viii) Integrated Military Structure.--The Integrated 
     Military Structure of NATO underpins NATO's effectiveness as 
     a military alliance by embedding NATO members in a process of 
     cooperative defense planning and ensuring unity of command.
       (ix) Nuclear Posture.--Nuclear weapons will continue to 
     make an essential contribution to deterring aggression, 
     especially aggression by potential adversaries armed with 
     nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. A credible NATO 
     nuclear deterrent posture requires the stationing of United 
     States nuclear forces in Europe, which provides an essential 
     political and military link between Europe and North America, 
     and the widespread participation of NATO members in nuclear 
     roles. In addition, the NATO deterrent posture will continue 
     to ensure uncertainty in the mind of any potential aggressor 
     about the nature of the response by NATO members to military 
     aggression.
       (x) Burdensharing.--The responsibility and financial burden 
     of defending the democracies of Europe will be more equitably 
     shared in a manner in which specific obligations and force 
     goals are met by NATO members.
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                   CRAIG EXECUTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2311

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. CRAIG submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the resolution of ratification for the treaty (Treaty Doc. No. 105-36) 
protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the accession of 
Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. These protocols were opened 
for signature at Brussels on December 16, 1997, and signed on behalf of 
the United States of America and other parties to the North Atlantic 
Treaty; as follows:

       Insert after subparagraph (A) of section 3(1) the following 
     new subparagraph:
       (B) Requirement of united nations commitment for 
     reimbursement or crediting of united states expenditures for 
     certain nato missions.--Prior to the deposit of the United 
     States instrument of ratification, the President shall 
     certify to the Senate that he has obtained a commitment from 
     the United Nations that United States expenditures for costs 
     incurred in any mission described in subparagraph (A)(ii) 
     shall be treated by the United Nations as in-kind 
     contributions by the United States to a United Nations 
     peacekeeping operation and shall be--
       (1) reimbursed to the United States out of funds available 
     to the United Nations; or
       (2) credited toward contributions assessed the United 
     States by the United Nations for such operations.
       Redesignate subsequent subparagraphs in section 3(1) 
     accordingly.

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, today I am filing an amendment related to 
the

[[Page S3658]]

resolution of ratification for the proposed expansion of the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  Last May, President Clinton publicly embraced the idea of a ``new 
NATO'' mission. It is my concern that the President's vision of a new 
NATO will signal the end of NATO as a defensive alliance and begin its 
role as a global peacekeeping organization.
  I have several concerns about the President's vision for NATO, not 
the least of which is cost for a ``new'' NATO. It seems to me that if 
the President continues to eagerly commit our men and women in uniform 
to dangerous peace-keeping missions, for which, the U.S. invariably 
pays the lion's share of the cost, the United Nations should either be 
forced to reimburse us for those costs, or relieve our so-called 
arrears.
  Therefore, I will be offering an amendment which requires that prior 
to the deposit of the instrument of ratification for NATO expansion, 
the President must certify that the Senate has obtained a commitment 
from the United Nations that the U.S. will be reimbursed or credited 
for costs incurred in peace-keeping missions.
  I am offering this amendment because I am both concerned and 
frustrated by the tremendous costs that the U.S. incurs in peacekeeping 
and humanitarian missions around the globe. Our men and women in 
uniform are asked to do more and more, with less and less. Meanwhile, 
American taxpayers foot the bill for these missions. Yet, the United 
States is handed the single largest assessed contribution for any U.N. 
member, despite the huge commitments we maintain across the globe.
  I hope my colleagues will support this common-sense amendment to 
force the United Nations to account for the contributions that the 
United States has made to peace-keeping around the world.

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