Jerry Nadler: “I rise to support the Gejdenson resolution to authorize the NATO action in Yugoslavia. Tragically, we were unable to…”

“I rise to support the Gejdenson resolution to authorize the NATO action in Yugoslavia. Tragically, we were unable to prevent Serbian forces from brutally killing thousands of people, forcing innocent people from their homes, and burning and bombarding countless villages. Now, we must do everything in our power to put an end to this tragedy, to halt the mass killings, and hold accountable those responsible for the unspeakable atrocities that Serbian forces are committing against the ethic Albanians in Kosovo. First, we must aid the refugees in any way that we can. We cannot allow refugee camps to turn into death camps due to poor sanitation, the spread of disease, and the lack of food and shelter. I support a massive humanitarian response to this crisis. The U.S. should do whatever it takes to bring food, medicine, and shelter to the refugees, and I support efforts by the United States and other countries to admit any refugees seeking asylum. But I am afraid that is not nearly enough. We have a moral obligation to protect the internally displaced ethnic Albanians within Kosovo. Those who have not yet been slaughtered must be protected. We must not allow them to suffer the same fate as so many other Kosovars. Unfortunately, we did not act soon enough to address the murderous actions by Serbia, and today thousands of people are dead because of international indifference.”