Benjamin Gilman: “Yes, the Clinton administration has failed to address the American people on why we should be in the Balkans, why we…”

“Yes, the Clinton administration has failed to address the American people on why we should be in the Balkans, why we should be in Bosnia, and why we should be in Kosovo. But let me tell my colleagues, I have spent 15 years as a member of the U.S. delegation to the NATO parliamentary group. I now serve as the Vice President. We must be a participant in Kosovo. Why? Because the Europeans cannot do it themselves. They have historic alliances. The French and the Russians have been with the Serbs. The Germans and the Italians have been with the Albanians. If we are not there and the NATO alliance is not able to go because we are not there, we are going to see the fighting begin again. When the Yugoslavs begin bringing in heavy weapons, the Kosovos are going to call on their Albanian brothers to come to their aid. We run the risk of Macedonia being involved or the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and then the really big danger that we have of the Turks and the Greeks becoming involved. Remember, World War I began at Sarajevo. Remember, we hesitated and did not go into Bosnia right away. We were treated every night to the atrocities on CNN.”