[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 28, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S4395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                                 KOSOVO

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to bring your 
attention to a newspaper column that I believe provides thoughtful 
commentary on current events taking place in Kosovo and in the United 
States. The following, written by Mr. A.M. Rosenthal, appeared in the 
New York Times on April 9, 1999.
  I ask that it be printed in the Record.
  The material follows:

       Do Americans understand that while we have been bombing the 
     Serbs, the following took place:
       Libya was exonerated from responsibility in the destruction 
     of Pan AM 103.
       Saddam Hussein's closedown of the U.N. search for Iraq's 
     nuclear, chemical and biological weapons went into its eighth 
     month. Richard Butler, the chief arms inspector, was barred 
     Wednesday by the Russians from even entering the U.N. 
     Security Council chamber where his inspection commission was 
     the agenda, marked for death.
       China's Prime Minister was visiting America getting a great 
     press--plus a step nearer to a trade agreement that will 
     fatten China's economy and armed forces. On the day Zhu 
     Rongji arrived in Washington representing the Communist 
     politburo, President Clinton criticized not China's expanding 
     arrests of political and religious dissidents, but American 
     critics of China.
       So: do Americans understand that while we fight one 
     dictatorship, fumbling around trying to heighten the war and 
     somehow end it at the same time, three other dictatorships 
     more dangerous to American interests are walking away with 
     America's pants?
       The Libya deal was possible because the Administration 
     signed off on it. This sweetheart gift to Col. Muammar el-
     Qaddafi ends the effective sanctions imposed on Libya for 
     harboring two Libyans accused of murdering 270 people in the 
     bombing of Pan AM 103 on Dec. 21, 1988.
       American intelligence agents are not allowed to ask the 
     suspects now held in the Netherlands if perchance Qaddafi 
     knew what his boys were up to or Syria and Iran were 
     involved--as Western intelligence agencies had long believed. 
     And during the trial itself, Libya's Government is not to be 
     undermined, hear?
       For Libya, a no-loser. Even if the men are found guilty, 
     the sanctions will remain ended. Italy, Russia, France and 
     other countries have already lined up fat oil and gas deals 
     with Libya. U.S. companies will follow. The deal is 
     disgusting, an insult to the dead and their families, and to 
     all, who fly in U.S. planes.
       Do Americans understand that the U.S. delegation to the 
     U.N. did not stand up and holler at the barring of Mr. 
     Butler? Let's hope it will when he tries again today.
       Do they understand that the President denounced U.S. 
     critics of China on the very day that Jeff Gerth and James 
     Risen of The Times were writing that even more Chinese 
     nuclear espionage took place than the reporters had already 
     disclosed? Another chapter in Chinese espionage was written 
     in 1995, reported to Samuel Berger, now the national security 
     adviser, in April 1996, who told the President in July 1997, 
     who ordered tightened security--in February 1998.
       And do Americans understand that the Administration 
     disgraced itself in the war on Serbia?
       Slobodan Milosevic, not America, is responsible for driving 
     cold, hungry, terrified Albanian Kosovars from their homes. 
     But Washington's disgrace is that President Clinton and his 
     top people did not know and did not expect that Mr. Milosevic 
     would use the bombing as an opportunity to expel them by the 
     hundreds of thousands. American leadership still does not 
     seem able to plan more than a couple of days ahead.
       So we need no longer worry about America's credibility; we 
     have none.
       For a democracy, credibility comes not just from smart 
     weapons but smart leaders, from respect for the intelligence 
     of the public, domestic and foreign, from a measure of 
     honesty. In a democracy, pretense in war or peace is 
     transparent, embarrassing and finally self-destructive.
       We need not and should not support Kosovar secession. But 
     we helped Mr. Milosevic in his fight with the Kosovars by not 
     foreseeing his mass expulsion plans, and not having our own 
     plans that would treat the Serbian nation as something more 
     than a bombing target.
       ``When at war, support the troops.'' To me, that means 
     making sure they have the strength they need, the affection, 
     respect--and doable mission.
       What is does not mean is keeping our mouths shut about 
     misconduct of a war by an American Government--or about its 
     failure to protect American interests in other crises that 
     may inconveniently present themselves. That's not supporting 
     American armed forces, but walking away from them.

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