[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.