[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 72 (Friday, June 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          AMERICAN LEADERSHIP NECESSARY TO END SIEGE OF KOSOVA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton recently pledged to Dr. 
Ibrahim Rugova, President of the Republic of Kosova, that the U.S. 
would not allow another Bosnia to occur in Kosova. Sadly, another 
Bosnia has already begun.
  Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic is now using the same ethnic 
cleansing tactics in Kosova that he used in Bosnia, which resulted in 
200,000 deaths, 2 million homeless, and billions of dollars in damage 
to the infrastructure and economy of Bosnia.
  The grim specter of Bosnia can now be seen in Kosova and along its 
border with Albania as tens of thousands of refugees are streaming 
across the border. Does that not sound all too familiar?
  Refugees tell horror stories of villages that have been attacked by 
the Serbs and emptied of all Albanian residents. Innocent civilians 
have been massacred. At least 10 villages have been completely razed 
and thousands have been made homeless in this latest crackdown by the 
Milosevic regime.
  These events of recent days were preceded by a massive series of 
Serbian offensives that have killed more than 200 people since the new 
wave of aggression began in late February. With further cruelty, 
Belgrade has restricted the supply of humanitarian assistance to 
defenseless men, women and children, much of it provided by the United 
States through Mercy Corps International and other international NGOs.
  The Serbs have cut telephone lines to the region. They have set up 
roadblocks to seal off the area. They have prevented international 
journalists and human rights observers access to the villages. 
Milosevic is enforcing his own brand of Serbian apartheid on the 90 
percent Albanian majority in Kosova.
  Incredibly, this terrorism by the Serbs has occurred at the very 
moment President Rugova and strongman Milosevic have been engaged in 
weekly meetings arranged by Ambassador Holbrooke to negotiate a so-
called peaceful settlement to the Kosova crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, the killing in Kosova must stop. I have been to the 
region to see the situation for myself and I have met with President 
Rugova to hear firsthand a report on the current intolerable 
circumstances.
  President Clinton must bring greater U.S. efforts to bring the 
massacre to a standstill as a first step toward resolving this bloody 
conflict that threatens to destabilize the entire region. The U.S., 
because of their indecisive leadership and weak demands, are seen as 
ineffective here even by our allies.
  The Contact Group of nations has failed to impress Milosevic with the 
seriousness of its demands, which tragically have been stated without 
the muscle to back them up and consequently have been totally ignored.
  Mr. Speaker, the only strong leadership that is going to come must 
come from the presidency. We must have U.S. leadership that will force 
the Milosevic regime to end its siege of Kosova and we must stop the 
killing now. Humanity cannot allow another Bosnia to occur in Kosova.

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