Bill Clinton actually said...

"I hope very much that this development will create an opportunity for terminating the military phase of the Russian operation in Chechnya and putting the quest for peace there back on a political trac..."

"There has been too much reliance on violence and force, including on the part of the Russian government and the Russian armed forces."

"The United States has always said that Chechnya was a part of Russia and was ultimately a problem that had to be resolved by the people of your nation, consistent with your constitutional laws."

"We believe that ultimately in any democracy, all decisions were finally resolved in a political manner in a way that would permit the cycle of violence to be broken."