[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN KOSOVO RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARK GREEN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the concurrent resolution 
     (H. Con. Res. 42) regarding the use of United States Armed 
     Forces as part of a NATO peacekeeping operation implementing 
     a Kosovo peace agreement:

  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Chairman, I came to the House floor today 
ready to use my vote to help Congress play a constructive role in the 
public debate over authorizing U.S. ground forces to take part in a 
NATO peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. I want to thank you for 
scheduling this debate today because I believe it is time for this body 
to reclaim its rightful role in the formulation of our nation's foreign 
policy and military affairs.
  I certainly did not come to the House floor with a closed mind 
regarding an active role for the United States in securing a real, 
lasting peace in this region of the world. I wanted to vote for a 
responsible resolution that, without micromanaging the actions of our 
commander-in-chief, established several clear parameters and goals--not 
only for the deployment of U.S. troops, but also for future U.S. policy 
in the area.
  Let me also say that I am not an isolationist, and recognize that as 
the world's sole remaining superpower, unique demands may be placed 
upon our military resources. The type of conflict that is the subject 
of today's debate is the very type that NATO must be prepared to deal 
with in modern times. As Serb atrocities and retaliation by Kosovar 
Albanians escalates, Kosovo's civilian population continues to suffer 
and the region inches ever closer to a larger conflict that threatens 
to engulf other sections of southeastern Europe.
  But to involve U.S. troops in this operation without laying out clear 
guidelines and objectives--both for the peacekeeping forces and for 
future U.S. policy--would serve little purpose other than to place 
American fighting men and women adrift in harm's way. That is why it is 
with mixed emotion I must report to my colleagues that I cannot vote 
for this proposal as it stands today.
  For our troops and for our nation, I believe we as policymakers must 
have the following before we can responsibly deploy ground forces:
  1. A guarantee that NATO alone will supervise any Kosovo deployment--
without involvement of the United Nations or other organizations that 
have demonstrated their incapacity to effectively handle similar 
situations;
  2. A guarantee that U.S. troops will serve under U.S. command--not 
under the command of any foreign power;
  3. A report outlining the amount and type of U.S. military personnel 
and equipment required for the operation, as well as the cost of those 
resources and the deployment's overall effect on military readiness;
  4. A clear mission for our ground forces, explicit rules of 
engagement, and a realistic military timeline and exit strategy; and
  5. Most important, an overall U.S. policy that recognizes Slobodan 
Milosevic's role as a violent and destabilizing influence for all of 
southeastern Europe--a policy aimed squarely and firmly at removing 
Milosevic from power.
  The administration, unfortunately, has failed to make its case before 
Congress--a Congress that wants to help build a lasting peace, a real 
peace. There is still time for the Administration to craft a 
responsible policy. The crisis in Kosovo is not of recent origin. There 
has been plenty of time to help the American people to understand why 
America's sons and daughters should travel to this troubled land, to 
understand what it is they will do, to understand when it is that they 
will come home to their loved ones.
  Thanks to today's robust debate, we have before us a resolution that 
requires many of the provisions I've previously discussed. In my 
opinion, however, without addressing the other conditions I've raised, 
the resolution remains inadequate. Without any indication from the 
administration that each of these conditions will be met before the 
deployment of ground troops to Kosovo, I have no choice but to vote 
``nay'' on H. Con. Res. 42.

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