    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [December 6, 1995]
    [Pages 1844-1845]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Committee for American Leadership in Bosnia and an
    Exchange With Reporters
    December 6, 1995

        The President. I want to welcome this distinguished group of
    Americans to the White House. Each of you has worked very hard
    throughout your career to preserve and to project America's leadership
    around the world. Today you have joined across partisan lines to make a
    strong case for America's leadership in Bosnia, and I thank you for
    that.
        I welcome the support that you and others, including Presidents Bush
    and Ford, have shown for our troops and our efforts to secure a peace in
    Bosnia. All of you represent a spirit that has helped to keep our
    country strong. Regardless of party or political differences, you've
    stood up for America's leadership on behalf of our interests and our
    values.
        Many of you have been working for peace in Bosnia since that
    terrible war began. Now that the Balkan leaders have made a commitment
    to peace, you know that we must help that peace take hold. You
    understand the importance of our action and the costs of our failure to
    act, something, I might add, that has been under-discussed in the public
    arena in the last few weeks. Our conscience demands that we seize this
    chance to end the suffering, but our national security interests are
    deeply engaged as well.
        Europe's security is still inextricably tied to America's. We need a
    strong Europe as a strong partner on the problems from terrorism to the
    spread of weapons of mass destruction. Europe's stability is threatened
    as long as this war burns at its center. We have to stand with the
    Europeans on Bosnia if we're going to stand with them and if we expect
    them to stand with us, on the whole range of other issues we clearly are
    going to face together in the years ahead.
        Our engagement in Bosnia is also essential for the continued
    viability of NATO. All the parties, all the parties there, asked for
    NATO's help in securing this peace. If we're going to be NATO's leader,
    we have to be part of this mission. If we turn our backs on Bosnia now,
    our allies will do the same. The peace will fail; the conflict could
    spread; the slaughter will certainly resume. NATO would be shaken at its
    core. Its ability to shape a stable, undivided Europe would be thrown
    into doubt, and our leadership in Europe and around the world would pay
    a terrible, terrible price.
        For 50 years, the bipartisan consensus for our leadership in the
    world has been a source of America's progress and strength. At the dawn
    of the post-cold-war era, that consensus is being questioned. But I
    believe that vision and unity are still called for.
        During my recent trip to Europe, everywhere I went and every person
    with whom I talked, from people on the street to Prime Ministers, said
    the very same thing: American leadership matters; American leadership is
    welcome; American leadership is necessary. But leadership is not a
    spectator sport. In Bosnia, our leadership can make a difference between
    peace and war. It demands our participation.
        I have to tell you that I knew how the European leaders felt, and I
    thought I knew how the people in the street felt. But the personal
    expression of support for America's willingness to help broker this
    peace agreement in Dayton and then to help participate in the peace
    mission in Bosnia was more intense, more persistent, and more urgent
    than I had imagined, from the Prime Minister of Great Britain to the
    Prime Minister of Germany to the Prime Minister of Spain to the Prime
    Minister of Ireland, everyone else I talked to. This is a very, very,
    very important thing in terms of our relationships with Europe and what
    we expect in terms of a partnership with Europe in the years ahead.

    [[Page 1845]]

        Let me say to those of you who come here from both parties, I
    understand that bipartisanship in foreign policy has never meant
    agreement on every detail of every policy. And while we may differ from
    time to time on the specifics of our policies, we still must agree and
    we have never fundamentally disagreed on our purpose: to defend our
    interests, to preserve peace, to protect human rights, to promote
    prosperity around the world.
        That does not mean that we can solve every problem. We cannot be the
    world's policeman. But when our leadership can make a difference between
    war and peace and when our interests are engaged, we have a duty to act.
    We have seen the dividends of that from the Persian Gulf to the Middle
    East, from North Korea to Northern Ireland to Haiti. American leadership
    can also produce those dividends and more in Bosnia, because we can make
    a difference there.
        I'm convinced that this mission is clear; it's achievable. Our
    troops will have strong rules of engagement. They will operate under an
    American general. They will be fully trained and heavily armed. Our
    commanders have done all they can to minimize the risks and to maximize
    their ability to carry out a clearly defined mission with a clear end
    point. There will be no mission creep.
        The peace agreement has given these parties a real opportunity to
    have a peaceful future. But they can't do it alone, and they're looking
    to us to help.
        America is seen by all of them as an honest broker and a fair
    player. Each of you has played a role in creating that image, and I want
    to thank you for that as much as anything else. The thing that has
    constantly impressed me as I have dealt with people all around the world
    is that people believe we are a nation with no bad motives for them or
    their future.
        That is what has made this moment possible in Bosnia; that is what
    has also imposed upon us our responsibilities at this moment. For all
    that you have done to bring that about and for your support today, I
    thank you very, very much.
        Thank you.
        Q. Do you think you can bring the House along with you, Mr.
    President?
        The President. Well, one thing at a time. I think we're better off
    today than we were yesterday. We're working on it day-by-day. I'm
    encouraged. I had a good visit with the Speaker about it yesterday, and
    I talked with several Members who were here last night at the annual
    congressional ball. And we're working at it.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
    House.