Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I rise to speak in favor of the Dole-McCain bill. Like Somalia before it, United States policy with respect to Bosnia is…”

“I rise to speak in favor of the Dole-McCain bill. Like Somalia before it, United States policy with respect to Bosnia is "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." When Winston Churchill used that phrase, he was referring to Russia, and he went on to say that the key to the riddle was Russian national interest. We must find the key to our predicament with regard to the administration's foreign policy. The question that we must answer for ourselves is, "What U.S. national security interests are at stake in Bosnia, and if no vital national security interests are at stake, do we then have a moral obligation to support the Bosnians?" It is clear that the United States has no strategic interests in Bosnia. Therefore, I feel it is not in our interest to place U.S. ground troops in harms way. We do, however, have a moral obligation to follow declared U.S. doctrine, as enunciated by U.S. Presidents from John F. Kennedy to George Bush in that we will lend our support to oppressed people who are willing to fight for the freedom. It is not always our responsibility to fight for them, but we must be willing to support them. The issue is American leadership and resolve. There are despots in the world who may mistakenly be tempted into challenging our vital interests if we are perceived as weak. Three years ago, the United States formed and led a coalition of diverse nations to a stunning victory in operation Desert Storm.…”