[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 8, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PEACE AGREEMENT IN KOSOVO
(Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, about 40 days ago an 11-member bipartisan
congressional delegation, led by my good friend, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), went to Vienna in search of a structure of
peace which could be put together with leaders of the Russian Duma, a
peace plan which, hopefully, would lead to an end to the war in the
Balkans. That was 40 days ago.
One of the principles in this plan was the following: Article 4. The
humanitarian crisis will not be solved by bombing. A diplomatic
solution to the problem is preferable to the alternative of military
escalation.
Unfortunately, in the ensuing 40 days we saw an intense military
escalation which resulted in the deaths of countless innocent
civilians.
One of the articles in this plan that was put together called on the
interested parties to find practical measures for a parallel solution
to three tasks, without regard to sequence: the stopping of the
bombing, the withdrawal of Serbian armed forces from Kosovo, and the
cessation of the military activities of the KLA.
That is where the G-8 is headed now. But they should have stopped the
bombing, and they should not today be threatening Belgrade with further
bombing if there is not a signature on the dotted line today.
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