Bill Clinton

Our mission is to implement the peace treaty, the military aspects of it.

Our troops are the best trained, best equipped, best prepared fighting force in the world.

Men and women of Task Force Eagle, I know the burden of our country's leadership now weighs most heavily on you and your families.

But I do want you to go there on a mission of peace.

To General Thurman's family and friends and to the Army community, I extend my heartfelt condolences.

They have the noblest mission of all: to stop incredible human suffering and lift people's lives.

You are about to do something very important for your Nation, very important for the world, very important for the future that you want your own children to have.

American leadership for peace matters.

Once they're in, they're in.

I am immensely proud to be here today with the men and women of the 1st Armored Division.

We're not in the killing business.

Today I am speaking to you from Germany, and I am with the men and women of the United States Army's 1st Armored Division.

I think it's important for the American people to understand that with our volunteer Army now, it's more and more of a family place.

We have to work with the Europeans on this if we're going to work on all those other problems that will be the security problems of the future.

We will not allow them to come back and -- like we saw.

Because our Nation is willing to lead, our strength will be multiplied and our burdens will be shared.

Once again, the United States has no hidden or dark motives here.

I pledged to the American people that I would not send you to Bosnia unless I was absolutely sure that the goals we set for you are clear, realistic, and achievable in about a year.

The men and women with whom I spoke today are committed to the humanitarian mission of saving the lives of the children and innocent civilians.

If necessary, we'll have to use lethal force.

We're there to enforce the treaty.

I feel good about where we are.

I want to emphasize the point here that, to the credit of the chain of command over here, we have been very open with our soldiers at every juncture as this mission has come our way.

It's been a huge advantage.

It is a peace that the people of Bosnia want.