Darlene Hooley: “while I rise today in opposition to this resolution, I want to clearly state my desire to bring our soldiers home from…”

“while I rise today in opposition to this resolution, I want to clearly state my desire to bring our soldiers home from the former Yugoslavia. I am deeply concerned whenever our troops are sent into harms way, especially when the mission takes them to foreign shores. We must offer the highest respect for the sacrifices that those soldiers, our sons and daughters, are willing to make to protect our nation and maintain our role as the leader of the free world. Furthermore, we should commend them for the remarkable achievements that they have made in the former Yugoslavia. This resolution, unfortunately, does just the opposite. By pulling our troops out of Bosnia, just as the Dayton Accords and the peacekeeping mission is beginning to take effect, would send a message that we do not think that our troops are playing a critical role in keeping the peace in that region. It would also indicate to nations across the globe that the United States is unwilling to help implement the foreign policy agreements that it is involved in crafting. If the United States withdraws its troops, our allies are certain to follow. And without a strong international presence in the region, hostilities in Bosnia will inevitably resume. How can we stand by and watch this tenuous peace deteriorate, nullifying the extensive efforts of our soldiers and the diplomatic achievements of the past several years?”