Political Quotes

“I recognize this is a very difficult decision, and I regret disagreeing with some of my colleagues who oppose the participation of our forces in the NATO peacekeeping effort, but it boils down really to a simple proposition: Is NATO worthwhile? What is the purpose of NATO? What is our role with NATO? We are the leaders of NATO. NATO is an extremely useful institution to have. It is beginning to integrate Germany in this exercise. Germany is to provide 3,000 troops, the British, 8,000, the French, 6,000, the United States 4,000, and to what end? To stop genocide. To stop the slaughter. To be peacekeepers. There really is a moral obligation on those people who have the resources to intercede when people are being wantonly, atrociously killed, and that is what our purpose is. We have a national purpose: to prevent the spread of this conflict. If we appease Milosevic, if we leave the field and let the killing go on, we are inviting a wider spread of the war that could involve two of our NATO allies on the opposite side, Greece and Turkey. So there is a humanitarian purpose; there is a peacekeeping purpose, and in my judgment, the very purpose of NATO would be frustrated; it would be eviscerated if we turned our back and walked away. Mr. Chairman, leadership imposes heavy burdens and a cost must be paid, but we either are going to lead in the struggle, and it is a struggle for world peace, or we are going to be on the sidelines.”