[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 62 (Friday, April 27, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BOSNIA TWENTY YEARS AFTER THE WAR BEGAN

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                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 27, 2012

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, this month marks the twentieth anniversary of 
the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was launched with full force 
by militants under the direction of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic. 
It was as a result of this conflict that the phrase ``ethnic 
cleansing'' entered our vocabulary. Pictures from mass graves in Europe 
were no longer confined to history books but to the front pages of our 
daily newspapers.
  As a Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission during most of that time, 
I participated in the efforts to document the atrocities taking place 
in Bosnia as well as in the efforts to develop effective policy 
responses. The Commission, as many of you know well, is mandated to 
monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act, and the 
aggression against Bosnia unquestionably constituted a significant 
violation of Helsinki principles. And it occurred, not during the Cold 
War, but when Europe was in the process of re-uniting and becoming more 
democratic.
  Unfortunately, despite the many Members of Congress from both 
chambers and both parties who worked tirelessly for decisive action, 
for too long the international community was slow to respond. While 
outside intervention was ruled out, an arms embargo denied a UN member 
its right to self-defense. Ongoing diplomatic negotiations muted 
official outrage over the killing of innocent civilians. The senseless 
shelling of cities and sniper attacks on pedestrians were blamed not on 
the individuals committing those acts but on history itself and 
presumed ancient hatreds. Ultimately, it took the genocide in 
Srebrenica in July 1995 to compel action on the part of the 
international community and to create a consensus in this country on 
the need for U.S. leadership.
  The twentieth anniversary of the Bosnian conflict should not, 
however, be remembered only with remorse. It should also be a time for 
renewed commitment by all of us to learn from the past. In response to 
the Bosnian conflict, NATO made a decision to transition from a purely 
defensive alliance to one that operates ``out-of-area'' in a 
peacemaking and peacekeeping capacity for the sake of international 
security. In response to the conflict, the international community 
decided for the first time since World War II to bring to justice those 
who committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. In 
response to what happened in Bosnia, we decided to start the 
technically difficult and emotionally agonizing task of locating 
missing persons, in order to bring closure to surviving friends and 
family and the traumatized communities and societies in which they 
live.
  Joined by some of my colleagues still serving in this chamber, I 
stood over a mass grave in Bosnia as it was being excavated in 1998, 
and the experience is something I will never forget.
  I want to conclude by offering the Bosnian conflict as a good example 
of the Congressional role in foreign policy making and why we cannot 
ignore foreign policy responsibilities. Congress played a key role in 
eventually getting the policy back on track, which ultimately led to 
the American leadership that brought the Bosnian conflict to an end 
with the Dayton Agreement. We, in this chamber, give our foreign policy 
its democratic context and ensure that human rights, free elections, 
the rule of law, and other issues are key elements in how we approach 
foreign policy. I ask all my colleagues, regardless of party 
affiliation, to keep this in mind as we respond to the global 
challenges of today.

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