Political Quotes

“I have been deeply troubled by aspects of NATO expansion and by what NATO expansion means in the post-cold-war era. NATO's original mission was clearly understood--we were standing up to the Soviet threat. Today, NATO's mission is very unclear, and the organization itself has become a bloated bureaucracy where politics often dictate military decisions. NATO's involvement in the Balkans and the manner in which military operations were conducted during the Kosovo air campaign are prime examples of a NATO without a clear mission and with a broken decisionmaking structure. Let me make one thing clear--I believe every nation deserves the right to self-determination. I am proud to state that I was an early advocate of Baltic independence from the Soviet Union even when some in the U.S. Government were opposed to the breakup of the Soviet Union. I have great admiration for the Baltic people--the Latvians, the Lithuanians, and the Estonians--they all suffered greatly and they deserve to be free nations as do all nations. I can understand their desire to join NATO and to integrate more fully into Western institutions. However, I believe that before we even consider expanding NATO, we must have a clear understanding of the mission of NATO.”