Bosnia Twenty Years After the War Began

Floor Speech

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.

Source