Thomas Daschle: “There ought to be three rules this country should always adhere to in an addressing an international conflict. The first…”

“There ought to be three rules this country should always adhere to in an addressing an international conflict. The first rule is that every effort should be made to resolve the matter diplomatically. I believe this is being done in the case of the conflict in Kosovo. In this struggle, there is no end to the lengths the United States and NATO have gone in an effort to resolve this matter diplomatically. As we speak, diplomatic efforts are underway. There will continue to be negotiations, discussions, and communications to resolve this matter diplomatically. Up to now all these efforts have failed. Secondly, should diplomacy fail and U.S. forces be needed, we must not tie the hands of the Commander-in-Chief. We must provide whatever support is requested. That is what this resolution says: that the President is authorized to use all necessary force. I understand and support that concept. Thirdly, we must support our troops when they come home--something we haven't always done.”