Trent Franks: “allow me to address a very deep and growing concern about American policy in the Balkans. The policy of the United…”

“allow me to address a very deep and growing concern about American policy in the Balkans. The policy of the United States should be predicated upon its own interests and its own sovereignty and security. Defying reason, somehow we keep hearing that the current administration plans to continue the former administration's policy in Southeast Europe. Mr. Speaker, I cannot understand this, given the fact that we have learned so much about the nature of the foreign fighters that have come into Bosnia-Herzegovina to fight the Serbs, and now we have encountered them ourselves in Iraq. To observe the current unemployment and socialist economic structure in Kosovo is to recognize that the previous administration's so-called policy there has been an absolute and utter failure. I certainly agree that we should be looking for a workable solution for all in that region; but in order to do so, we cannot disregard the fact that there have been over 300 mosques constructed in Kosovo since 1999, mostly funded by Saudi Arabia, while at the very same time, 150 Serbian churches, Orthodox churches, about 10 percent of all the churches in Kosovo, have been destroyed. And I am wondering if this is the legacy that we want to leave for the United States involvement, Mr. Speaker. Further, we can now clearly see that many of the most dangerous terrorists that the United States has encountered in the fight against terrorism have had some connection to the Balkans and particularly Bosnia.…”