[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 56 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4099-S4101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATO, KOSOVO AND SLOVENIA


                       50 years of nato & kosovo

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, on Friday, the official recognition of 
the 50th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, 
will begin.
  And even as the participants acknowledge 50 years of NATO 
achievements, a cloud of war hangs over the proceedings.
  No doubt NATO's involvement today in Yugoslavia will be the most 
talked about topic among the attendees.
  And as I have stated on this floor, I oppose the introduction of 
ground troops. I reiterate that opposition today.
  As the members gather, it is my fervent hope that they will give 
their full devotion to those actions that can be done to prevent 
further bloodshed. I believe there is no greater challenge facing the 
United States, NATO, and the United Nations than finding a peaceful 
solution to this current crisis.
  NATO must also look to the future to determine what its role will be 
in the world and what will be the responsibility of its respective 
members.
  And, Mr. President, I would like to draw attention to a recent 
Washington Post article that gives an excellent historical reference 
for my colleagues and NATO on the perils of introducing ground troops 
into the Balkan region. I ask unanimous consent that this article be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Washington Post, Apr. 14, 1999]

                  U.S. NATO Study WWII Yugoslav Rebels

                           (By John Diamond)

       Washington, (AP).--Pentagon and NATO officials considering 
     ground troop options for Yugoslavia are studying the history 
     of Yugoslav resistance during World War II, when hundreds of 
     thousands of German soldiers

[[Page S4100]]

     failed to pacify determined guerrilla opposition.
       The Nazi campaign was called Operation Punishment, 
     reflecting Adolf Hitler's rage against Yugoslav partisans who 
     overthrew their own government after Belgrade made a pact 
     with Berlin. The campaign was well-named--Yugoslav civilians 
     were attacked with an intensity far beyond anything NATO 
     would contemplate.
       In the end, though, the Wermacht took plenty of punishment. 
     And five decades later, the campaign offers lessons for any 
     force reckoning to do battle with the hardy ``South Slavs'' 
     who plagued the German army in a costly guerrilla war.
       When NATO first studied ground troop options last fall, 
     Clinton administration planners cited the German experience 
     as one reason to rule out ground troops as an option in the 
     Kosovo crisis.
       ``We always look at historic campaigns--that's something we 
     always do'' when planning a deployment, said Maj. Shelly 
     Stellwagen, an Army spokeswoman. But she cautioned, ``History 
     alone is not enough--you've got to look at the big picture.''
       After insisting for weeks that no plans for ground troops 
     were in the works, top Clinton administration officials now 
     concede that some contingencies were studied and that plans 
     could be activated quickly if NATO decided on ground assault. 
     U.S. lawmakers, frustrated with the continuing ethnic 
     cleansing in the Kosovo province of Yugoslavia despite a 
     three-week NATO air campaign, are pushing a resolution to 
     authorize ground troops.
       Pentagon planners said they were careful not to overdo the 
     comparison of two markedly different armies fighting with 
     different equipment in different political contexts. 
     Moreover, Yugoslavia today constitutes a country less then 
     half the size of the one the German army invaded in 1941. But 
     the difficulty of the terrain and the stubbornness of the 
     Yugoslav people remain powerful common denominators, they 
     said.
       The German invasion force of nearly 200,000--a figure some 
     U.S. officials have cited as necessary to invade Yugoslavia 
     today--fluctuated after 1941 from a low of 60,000 to a high 
     of 700,000. Through it all, the German were never able to 
     quell the multiple and dogged Yugoslav resistance forces.
       An official U.S. Army history of the campaign, written in 
     the early 1950s, contained a warning for any future force 
     contemplating challenging Yugoslavia on the ground.
       ``The success achieved by the (Yugoslav) guerrillas against 
     the Germans . . . strengthened considerably the tradition of 
     resistance to foreign occupation forces,'' the Army history 
     concluded. ``There is little doubt that a foreign invader 
     today, whether from East or West, would be confronted with a 
     formidable task of pacification following a successful 
     campaign against the regular forces of the Balkan nations.''
       As Hitler planned Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion 
     of the Soviet Union, he wanted to secure his southern flank 
     by neutralizing Greece. To do that he needed Yugoslavia's 
     cooperation, and in early 1941 he thought he had it.
       But Hitler badly misjudged the sentiments of the Yugoslav 
     people.
       A coup in March 1941 toppled Yugoslavia's royal government, 
     setting a precedent that undoubtedly influences the thinking 
     of Yugoslavia's current leadership: Governments that cave in 
     the foreign pressure will be ousted from within.
       Hitler, in a rage, ordered the carpet-bombing of Belgrade.
       Hitler's War Directive No. 25 said, ``The ground 
     installations of the Yugoslav air force and the city of 
     Belgrade will be destroyed from the air by continual day and 
     night attacks.'' The strikes began 58 years ago this month, 
     on April 6, 1941.
       The Germans aimed specifically at killing civilians during 
     48 hours of near-continuous bombing. Hitler wanted to spare 
     Yugoslavia's factories for his own use. NATO, by contrast, 
     has been seeking to avoid civilian casualties while aiming at 
     destroying Yugoslav military and weapons installations. The 
     Germans used 1,000 attack and escort aircraft in those 48 
     hours. NATO has employed 700--soon to be 1,000--strike and 
     support aircraft in three weeks of attacks.
       Estimated death tolls from the Nazi bombing range widely, 
     but published German and American estimates put the total as 
     high as 17,000.
       The German ground invasion consisted of a dozen divisions--
     roughly 180,000 troops--supplemented by forces from Bulgaria 
     and Italy. German forces completed their conquest of the 
     Balkans in 11 days.
       But the lightning conquest only began Germany's troubles in 
     the Balkans.
       Despite brutal tactics, summary executions and wholesale 
     burning of villages, German forces assaulted guerrilla 
     strongholds again and again only to see the rebels slip into 
     the hills and forests. By mid-1943, the U.S. Army history 
     recounted, ``It was obvious that more German troops would be 
     required if the Balkans were to be held.''
       Total German forces peaked at 700,000 at the beginning of 
     1943, though many of these troops were either green or 
     battle-weary veterans resting from the Russian front. No 
     precise casualty figures exist for German forces in 
     Yugoslavia.
       Belgrade fell to the westward-marching Russians on Oct. 20, 
     1944.


                   poland, hungary and czech republic

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Today we have three new members in NATO--Poland, 
Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
  I have long been an ardent supporter of what we use to call ``the 
Captive Nations.'' There are many events that I remember as mayor of 
Cleveland and Governor of Ohio where we celebrated the resolve of these 
people to one day taste the freedoms that we have here in America.
  In those days, I often wondered if I would ever witness a free Poland 
or a free Hungary or other nations hat used to be dominated by the 
then-Soviet Union. This morning I attended a reception sponsored by the 
Polish American Congress where Prime Minister Buzek shared with me that 
the wondered if it would happen in his lifetime that the would see a 
free and independent Poland--going from the iron curtain to solidarity 
to NATO.
  And let me say--it's just wonderful that these nations now have self-
determination and they are making great progress politically and 
economically from where they were 20 or even 10 years ago.
  I am very proud that I was one of those who encouraged the inclusion 
of these three nations into the NATO alliance.
  And as NATO opened its arms to these three nations, I hope NATO will 
open its arms to take-in the Republic of Slovenia as a member. This 
would be an additional of particular importance considering the events 
happening in Kosovo today.


                                slovenia

  I strongly support the NATO membership of the Republic of Slovenia.
  As many of my colleagues know, a large number of the countries of 
central and eastern Europe who formerly were considered ``Warsaw Pact'' 
nations have struggled economically and politically in the years since 
the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  The former Yugoslavia, with whom we are now at war with, has been one 
of our greatest foreign policy challenges in recent years.
  However, despite facing many of the same challenges that have 
hampered other states, Slovenia has emerged as the one state in the 
Balkans that has established itself as the model of our democratic 
ideals. Slovenia possesses a stable political system, has committed to 
free market principles and has modernized their armed forces. It is 
clearly a beacon in the region.
  I believe that Slovenia's involvement in NATO would powerfully 
underscore to the other nations of the region that reforms bring 
rewards, and that full acceptance by the international community is a 
real and attainable goal.
  Further, and I think this is important, I believe that the Alliance 
would be strengthened by Slovenia's participation.
  And let me just add that I know that my colleague, Senator Roth has 
been a champion for the inclusion of Slovenia in NATO and I would be 
remiss if I did not mention his efforts in that respect.


                           Candidacy for NATO

  NATO's 1995 Study on Enlargement laid out the general guidelines to 
be used by NATO member governments during the consideration of 
additional members.
  Candidates must have five qualifications:
  (1) free-market economies;
  (2) a democratic political system based on the rule of law;
  (3) a commitment to the norms of the Organization for Security and 
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including resolution of ethnic and 
territorial disputes with neighboring countries;
  (4) civilian control over militaries; and
  (5) the ability to contribute to NATO's collective defense as well as 
to NATO's new missions.
  Since gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia has met 
all of these obligations and has surpassed the standard set for NATO 
membership established with the invitation of Poland, the Czech 
Republic and Hungary to the NATO Alliance.


                        (1) Free-Market Economy

  Slovenia has committed to a market economy and enjoys the highest per 
capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in central and eastern Europe. This 
has given them the highest international credit rating in the region.
  In a further indication of Slovenia's economic development, the 
European Union, EU, began membership talks with Slovenia in March of 
1998. A November 1998 Commission report indicated that Slovenia ``can 
be regarded

[[Page S4101]]

as a functioning market economy.'' Clearly, Slovenia has met this 
candidacy requirement.


                    (2) Democratic Political System

  Slovenia has a vibrant parliamentary democracy characterized by 
peaceful and meaningful political debate. Elections are free, fair, and 
open. There is an independent judiciary.
  As the U.S. State Department's Report on Human Rights Practices for 
1998 mentioned, ``the press is a vigorous institution'' and ``in theory 
and practice, the media enjoy full freedom in their journalistic 
pursuits.''
  Further, the Report states that ``the Government respects the human 
rights of its citizens, and the law and judiciary provide adequate 
means of dealing with individual instances of abuse.'' Slovenia has met 
the NATO candidacy requirement.


                         (3) Commitment to OSCE

  With regards to Slovenia's role in the international community thus 
far, it is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, OSCE, the Council of Europe, NATO's Partnership for Peace and 
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the World Trade Organization, the 
International Monetary Fund as well as the World Bank.
  Property rights concerns that had existed with Italy were resolved in 
1996 with the Association Agreement between Slovenia and the European 
Union. Slovenia has again met the NATO candidacy requirement.


                   (4) Civilian Control Over Military

  Since Slovenia had not fielded a military prior to its independence, 
ensuring civilian control was not as problematic as it might have been 
otherwise.
  Specifically, the armed forces are controlled by the civilian defense 
minister while the legislative branch plays an oversight role. The NATO 
candidacy requirement has been met.


  (5) Ability to Contribute to NATO's Collective Defense and Missions

  While Slovenia has more than exceeded the other requirements for NATO 
membership, there have been some criticisms regarding its ability to 
contribute to NATO's collective defense as well as future NATO 
missions.
  Slovenia's population is just under 2 million people. This reality 
limits the viable size of its armed forces.
  In response to this challenge, Slovenia has focused on developing a 
professional force that is smaller in size than many of the NATO 
aspirants but which may be more effective in the field.
  To that end, Slovenia has set defense spending at 1.89 percent of its 
GDP--which I might add is a higher percentage than a number of current 
NATO member countries. Plans are in place to raise this to 2.3 percent 
by the year 2003.
  Thus far, these monies have largely been spent on air defense, 
antiarmor weapons and communications equipment that are designed to be 
interoperable with existing NATO forces and equipment.
  While Slovenia's forces are comparatively small in size, they have 
been actively involved in a variety of international operations over 
the years. Slovenia is involved in peacekeeping missions in Albania, 
the NATO-led Stabilization Force in Bosnia (SFOR) and United Nations 
efforts in Cyprus.
  Finally, Slovenia has expressed its willingness to participate in any 
NATO deployment initiated to promote peace in Kosovo. Again, Slovenia 
has met difficult challenges to achieve NATO membership and has 
responded creatively and positively.


                      economic interest to america

  Let me point out that in addition to these strategic foreign policy 
concerns, there is a very real economic interest for the United States 
in bringing Slovenia further into the international community.
  During the 1992 through 1997 time period, U.S. exports to Slovenia 
increased by 197 percent. Over the same period, Ohio's exports have 
increased a staggering 220 percent.


                            trade with ohio

  In an effort to further develop these trade ties, as Governor of the 
State of Ohio, I had the opportunity to lead two trade missions of 
business leaders to Slovenia in 1993 and 1995. Soon after these 
missions, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Akron, OH, made the largest 
direct U.S. investment in Slovenian history. The inclusion of Slovenia 
in the NATO community would provide an important incentive for this 
type of trading relationship in the future.


                               conclusion

  Our nation is on a path to enlarge NATO and ensure that the freedom 
and prosperity that western Europe has enjoyed for decades spreads to 
the nations of central and eastern Europe.
  With those goals in mind, we must support Slovenia's entrance into 
NATO. And there is no perfect time than this, the 50th Anniversary of 
ANTO summit to let the people of Slovenia, as well as the rest of 
Europe, know that their democratic changes, economic reforms and 
military modernization will be rewarded with full participation in the 
international community.
  Mr. President, with your permission, I will make a statement in 
regard to one of Ohio's outstanding citizens who is celebrating his 
80th birthday.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________