Barbara Kennelly: “Everyone in this Chamber is moved by the suffering we have seen in Bosnia. Everyone in this Chamber is disturbed by the…”

“Everyone in this Chamber is moved by the suffering we have seen in Bosnia. Everyone in this Chamber is disturbed by the frightening historical echoes of previous episodes of carnage in Europe. Yet not one person in this Chamber has come up with a completely satisfying answer. Three years ago the United States imposed an arms embargo on the former Yugoslavia. It is evident that the embargo has little or no effect on the Serbian aggressors. Obviously that is for one reason: because they inherited the arms of the former Yugoslavian military. Has this policy worked? It is clear to me that it has not. For 3 years we have stood by a policy that has permitted the loss of 70 percent of the Bosnian land which has ended in tremendous suffering to get this land. After 3 years, I do not believe this policy, if continued, can accomplish anything further. So what do we do? If we had a clearly preferable solution, one that guaranteed success, I know every Member of this House would support it wholeheartedly. But there is no policy, no clear best course. We only know now what did not and does not work. Our choice today is to continue down a path that has already resulted in so much suffering or to embark on a new path. For me the choice is clear. The choice now is in front of us, that we must, we have to look to a different way. We have to take a new course. I will vote to lift the embargo today.”