Thomas Daschle: “the agreement signed yesterday between NATO and Yugoslavia is hopeful news as we move toward our goals of ending the…”

“the agreement signed yesterday between NATO and Yugoslavia is hopeful news as we move toward our goals of ending the atrocities and genocide in Kosovo and bolstering stability in southeastern Europe. The vote by the UN Security Council today authorizing an international peacekeeping force in Kosovo is yet another hopeful sign. This agreement is a victory for freedom. It is a defeat for dictators around the world. NATO's resolve to halt and redress Milosevic's crimes against humanity sends an important message to world leaders who engage in ethnic cleansing and other atrocities. NATO's victory over Yugoslav aggression also sends a positive signal to the forces of democracy in the region. President Clinton deserves immense credit for his leadership throughout this 11-week military operation. When so many said it was impossible, he kept a 19-member NATO alliance intact. When so many said it would never work, he stuck to the air campaign that led that NATO alliance to victory. The President never wavered in his commitment to the alliance's goals of ending the atrocities in Kosovo, forcing the withdrawal of Serb forces from the region, and ensuring the safe return of Kosovar refugees to their homes. President Clinton's steadfast resolve, together with our NATO allies, forced President Milosevic to back down and accept NATO's conditions for a halt in the bombing campaign.”