Charles Skelton: “Today I am giving this second in a series of speeches updating the Congress on the state of our peacekeeping mission in…”

“Today I am giving this second in a series of speeches updating the Congress on the state of our peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. Last night in his State of the Union Address the President thanked the American troops taking part in the Bosnian peacekeeping mission and the families that support them in their efforts. Also, it was good to see the President make a visit to the forces in Hungary and in Bosnia just a few days ago. The Americans in uniform seemed to appreciate this. I am pleased the President made the trip. Mr. Speaker, the men and women in our country's military deserve the full support of every Member in this body and the American people. There continue to be causes for concern regarding our peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. First, there is the enduring presence of Muslim extremists in that country. According to news reports, most recently in an article in last Sunday's Washington Post, some Muslim extremists who previously aided the Bosnians in their military efforts have not left the country. Many of these groups oppose the presence of our troops. Their stated opposition to our mission poses a serious threat to the success of our peacekeeping effort and the safety of American troops. On January 18 I sent a letter to President Clinton asking that the American-led effort to arm and train the Muslim Croat Federation be delayed until groups such as the Iranians and Mujaheddin leave Bosnia.”