Brian Bilbray: “today we are not just taking a resolution, and I want to support this resolution, but it is not just about East Timor.…”

“today we are not just taking a resolution, and I want to support this resolution, but it is not just about East Timor. As my colleague from California has pointed out in the past and the President has pointed out, the United States cannot be the policeman all over the world for everyone all the time. We cannot be expected to carry that responsibility, and we should not. This resolution recognizes, in my opinion, the new world order of peacekeeping that we need to look forward to going into the next millennium; and that is an order that says the United States will be involved anywhere and everywhere it can be, but the nations and the communities where the problems occur must take the lead, they must take the responsibility of being the regional leaders. Australia and her Asian allies have taken this responsibility and set an example for not only other countries in Europe and Africa, but also for us that we should be engaged; but we should also recognize that the responsibility of world peacekeeping, of human rights, is not just uniquely an American responsibility. It is time that we recognize that part of maturing as a society is to make sure that everyone participates. This resolution supports a strategy that shows that we are now participating with but not doing for the rest of the world what they need to do for themselves.”