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Episode 491: BOB DOLE 1995 Clintons Comeback Bosnia (A) The Powder Keg · BOB DOLE : 1995 Clinton's Comeback

0:25
SPEAKER_00: On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces led by General Radkom Ladic began a systematic killing of nearly 10,000 Bosnian Muslim, sometimes referred to as Bosniaks, men and boys in the area of Srevenica, a small town located about halfway between the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo and the Serbian capital of Belgrade.
0:49
SPEAKER_00: Widespread ethnic violence in what had been Yugoslavia led to the outbreak of the largest armed conflict in Europe since the end of World War II, since eclipsed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: The horrific images beamed worldwide on news programs, newspapers, and magazines shocked the world, bringing back memories of the Holocaust and the outbreak of World War I in 1914, which began in the same region.
1:18
SPEAKER_00: Along with the nearly four-year-long siege of Sarajevo, the massacres at Slebenica reminded the world that despite its modernity and sophistication, Europe still struggled with its dark past, which was made worse with the most modern weapons and technology.
2:00
SPEAKER_21: The Bosnian War, a conflict so brutal and complex it carved an indelible scar on the landscape of Europe.
2:06
SPEAKER_21: And now we're going to tell you all about it.
2:08
SPEAKER_21: The seeds of war.
2:09
SPEAKER_21: The stage was set in the heart of the former Yugoslavia.
2:12
SPEAKER_21: For decades, the region thrived as a socialist federation comprising of six republics.
2:17
SPEAKER_21: However, following the death of Yugoslavia's leader, Joseph Brastito, the country started to fall apart.
2:22
SPEAKER_21: Nationalist sentiments flared up in each republic and a growing economic crisis aggravated tensions.
2:27
SPEAKER_21: By 1991, Slovenia and Croatia had already declared their independence, kicking off the brutal Yugoslav Wars.
2:34
SPEAKER_21: Bosnia and Herzegovina, a diverse republic with a blend of Bosniaks, Muslims, Serbs, Orthodox Christians, and Croats, Catholics found itself caught in the crossfire.
2:43
SPEAKER_21: As the JNA, the Yugoslav National Army, sided with the Serbs, many Bosniaks and Croats viewed independence as their only way out.
2:50
SPEAKER_21: The SPARK.
2:51
SPEAKER_21: On March 3, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence following a referendum that was boycotted by most Bosnian Serbs.
2:59
SPEAKER_21: Little did they know this decision would ignite a powder keg of ethnic tensions.
3:03
SPEAKER_21: The response was swift and violent.
3:05
SPEAKER_21: Bosnian Serb forces backed by the JNA and led by the controversial duo of Radovan Karajic and General Radko Molodic seized key territories.
3:12
SPEAKER_21: Their ultimate goal, the creation of a greater Serbia by annexing predominantly Serb areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina and linking them to Serbia proper.
3:20
SPEAKER_21: Thus, the Bosnian War began with the Bosnian Serbs on the offensive.
3:24
SPEAKER_21: Siege of Sarajevo, the war's most haunting chapter, unfolded in the besieged city of Sarajevo.
3:29
SPEAKER_21: As the Bosnian Serbs tightened their grip on the city, the siege commenced on April 1992 and endured for nearly four years.
3:36
SPEAKER_21: The lifting of the siege on February 1996 marked a significant turning point in the war.
3:40
SPEAKER_21: During this harrowing period, Sarajevo's residents endured relentless shelling and sniper fire, turning everyday activities like fetching water or food into perilous quests for survival.
3:49
SPEAKER_21: The once vibrant city was transformed into a scene of despair, with buildings reduced to rubble and its inhabitants living in constant fear.
3:56
SPEAKER_21: The siege caused immense suffering with over 11,000 people losing their lives, including thousands of children.
4:02
SPEAKER_21: The images of civilians navigating through sniper alleys, often referred to as the most beautiful and the deadliest street in the world, became haunting symbols of the war's brutality.
4:10
SPEAKER_21: The Siege of Sarajevo remains a stark reminder of the depths of human cruelty and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.
4:17
SPEAKER_21: Ethnic cleansing.
4:18
SPEAKER_21: Against the backdrop of the Siege of Sarajevo, a horrifying parallel narrative of ethnic cleansing unfolded across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
4:25
SPEAKER_21: This systematic and brutal campaign aimed at removing Bosniak and Croat.
4:29
SPEAKER_21: Populations from Serb-controlled areas involved the mass expulsion and in many cases the horrific killing of civilians based on their ethnicity.
4:37
SPEAKER_21: Entire villages were razed to the ground, leaving behind haunting scenes of desolation and loss.
4:41
SPEAKER_21: The atrocities committed during this dark chapter of the war included the infamous detention camps such as Omaska and Tranopoli, where prisoners were subjected to appalling conditions and horrific abuse.
4:51
SPEAKER_21: Furthermore, the war saw the tragic reality of men and boys being separated from women and girls who endured horrific experiences of mass sexual violence.
4:59
SPEAKER_21: This systematic targeting of civilians based on their ethnicity stands as a chilling testament to the depths of hatred and brutality that emerged during the conflict.
5:06
SPEAKER_21: The year 1995 proved to be a pivotal and tragic moment in the Bosnian War.
5:11
SPEAKER_21: In July, the United Nations declared Srebrenica a safe area, aiming to provide refuge and protection to Bosniaks seeking sanctuary from the conflict.
5:19
SPEAKER_21: However, this designation tragically failed to shield the town from the horrors that unfolded.
5:23
SPEAKER_21: Bosnian Serb forces led by General Radko Molodic overran the town and what followed was one of the darkest chapters in recent European history.
5:30
SPEAKER_21: Over a span of several days, Bosnian Serb soldiers methodically executed more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys, marking the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II.
5:39
SPEAKER_21: The victims were primarily from Srebronica and nearby Zeppa with their bodies hastily buried in mass graves.
5:45
SPEAKER_21: This horrific incident later came to be known as the Srebronitzer genocide, a chilling testament to the depths of brutality that characterize certain aspects of the conflict.
5:54
SPEAKER_21: The failure of the UN peacekeepers or Dutch soldiers tasked with ensuring safety in the region to prevent this massacre raised serious questions about the effectiveness and preparedness of international peacekeeping missions.
6:05
SPEAKER_21: The international community's response to the escalating violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a complex and evolving process marked by both successes and failures.
6:13
SPEAKER_21: For much of the conflict, the UN and its various agencies played a significant role in attempting to bring peace to the region.
6:19
SPEAKER_21: The UPRO for the United Nations Protection Force was deployed to monitor and enforce the fragile ceasefire agreements.
6:25
SPEAKER_21: However, these peacekeepers faced numerous challenges, including a lack of resources, unclear mandates, and the deeply entrenched hostility among the warring factions.
6:33
SPEAKER_21: Despite these difficulties, the UN's humanitarian agencies provided essential aid to millions of people affected by the conflict.
6:40
SPEAKER_21: The UNHCR, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, worked tirelessly to assist the massive influx of internally displaced persons and refugees who fled the violence.
6:49
SPEAKER_21: Medical organizations such as the ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross, provided vital medical services and sought to alleviate the suffering of those trapped in the conflict.
6:59
SPEAKER_21: The establishment of the ICTY, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, marked a crucial step towards holding perpetrators of war crimes accountable.
7:08
SPEAKER_21: This tribunal played a pivotal role in documenting and prosecuting individuals responsible for the most heinous atrocities committed during the conflict.
7:15
SPEAKER_21: However, the effectiveness of these international efforts was often hampered by political complexities.
7:21
SPEAKER_21: Major powers had differing interests and priorities regarding the conflict.
7:24
SPEAKER_21: Moreover, the UN Security Council's reliance on consensus and the great powers' reluctance to commit resources for a robust peacekeeping mission limited the organization's ability to effectively intervene.
7:35
SPEAKER_21: Nevertheless, the international community's involvement in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s set important precedents for future peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts in conflict zones.
7:55
SPEAKER_22: When Republicans took control of Congress in January of 1995, they inherited a growing frustration with American policy toward Bosnia.
8:03
SPEAKER_22: The United States and its allies had imposed an arms embargo across the former Yugoslavia.
8:09
SPEAKER_22: On paper, it sounded reasonable.
8:11
SPEAKER_22: In practice, many lawmakers argued it benefited the Bosnian Serbs, who had inherited much of the former Yugoslavia military arsenal, while the Bosnian government struggled to defend itself.
8:22
SPEAKER_22: Bob Dole had reached a conclusion years earlier.
8:25
SPEAKER_22: The embargo, he argued, was preventing the victims of aggression from defending themselves.
8:30
SPEAKER_22: Again and again, Dole urged what became known as lift and strike.
8:35
SPEAKER_22: Lift the embargo, allow the Bosnian government to obtain the weapons, back the policy with NATO air power when necessary.
8:42
SPEAKER_22: President Clinton sympathized with portions of the argument, but faced opposition from European allies who feared lifting the embargo would endanger United Nations peacekeepers stationed throughout Bosnia.
8:54
SPEAKER_22: As spring turned into summer, the disagreement intensified.
8:58
SPEAKER_22: Throughout the first half of 1995, Bob Dole steadily built support for legislation requiring the United States to end its participation in enforcing the arms embargo.
9:08
SPEAKER_22: For Dole, this was more than a foreign policy debate.
9:11
SPEAKER_22: It was a question of American credibility.
9:13
SPEAKER_22: If the United States acknowledged that atrocities were occurring, he argued, how could it justify preventing the victims from defending themselves?
9:21
SPEAKER_22: The Senate increasingly agreed.
9:57
SPEAKER_26: It's quite clear that uh the allies of the United States are not willing to stand and protect those safe areas, the commitment that they had made in the past.
10:06
SPEAKER_26: We are heartened to hear that the uh uh U.S.
10:10
SPEAKER_26: administration is considering airstrikes without the impediment of a UN2 key.
10:17
SPEAKER_16: Anyway, we've talked about how effective the House had been and the big vote they had there on lifting the arms embargo, enough to override any veto, and we hope we'll be as successful and we'll raise or we'll bring up Bosnia resolution as soon as we complete action on reg reform, or as soon as it's clear we can't complete action on reg reform.
10:38
SPEAKER_16: Hopefully, no later than flown by American.
10:43
SPEAKER_26: Remember uh that the most decisive role that the UN forces in Bosnia have played over the last few weeks is that of hostages.
10:51
SPEAKER_26: Um and the fall of Srebenica, UN uh soldiers had in fact surrendered themselves to the Serbian side, were put up in a hotel, and then the Serbians declared them hostages and said if in fact airstrikes were carried out, that these uh UN soldiers would be murdered.
11:09
SPEAKER_26: We are not inclined to see new UN hostages created that would in fact allow Bosnian civilians to be sacrificed as a consequence of those UN hostages being taken by the Serbians.
11:21
SPEAKER_22: Thank you.
11:22
SPEAKER_22: On July 26, 1995, the Senate approved legislation to lift the arms embargo.
11:27
SPEAKER_22: The vote was bipartisan.
11:29
SPEAKER_22: It represented one of the most significant foreign policy rebukes of the Clinton presidency.
11:34
SPEAKER_22: The measure reflected growing impatience in Congress and demonstrated Dole's influence as the Senate majority leader.
11:41
SPEAKER_22: Yet, even as lawmakers celebrated what they viewed as a moral victory, events in Bosnia were moving faster than Congress.
11:52
SPEAKER_16: Obviously, I wish to cooperate with the president.
11:56
SPEAKER_16: Wherever and whenever possible.
11:59
SPEAKER_16: So that'd be my inclination.
12:02
SPEAKER_16: Let me not vote on the Bosnia resolution uh this week, but I will discuss it with some of my colleagues in the morning and get back to the president.
12:13
SPEAKER_09: This bill also puts U.S.
12:15
SPEAKER_09: policy partially in the hands of uh a foreign government in terms of providing the protection that they promised Bosni Muslims.
12:24
SPEAKER_09: Military help over food for dead people.
12:30
SPEAKER_09: Mr.
12:30
SPEAKER_09: President, we have to put an end to this madness.
12:33
SPEAKER_09: We have temporized for far too long.
12:37
SPEAKER_09: The so-called UN protection force has abdicated its responsibility to the people it had pledged to defend, and the contact group's diplomacy is at a dead end.
12:49
SPEAKER_07: It's time that we abandon this morally and politically bankrupt policy.
12:56
SPEAKER_07: It is long past time that we permitted the victims of ethnic genocide to defend themselves.
13:02
SPEAKER_07: And it's time we stand for a policy that may not guarantee an easy outcome, that will put the United States on the side of uh doing what is right.
13:11
SPEAKER_10: The Dole Amendment, what we ought to be talking about is how we strengthen NATO, strengthen the United Nations' capacity to deliver, and concern ourselves with whether or not there is a way to salvage Garazze, Sarajevo, and the capacity of the Bosnian government to survive.
13:32
SPEAKER_10: To follow the Dole amendment is literally to wash our hands, to pretend to feel good about it, and to invite a spectacle which would provide recrimination for years and years to come.
13:46
SPEAKER_26: To avail themselves of the government.
14:17
SPEAKER_13: And the only way to prevent a wider conflict is to allow someone who wants to fight against Serb expansionism to fight.
14:36
SPEAKER_25: Lift the arms embargo.
14:38
SPEAKER_25: The arms embargo that was placed in in 91 was placed on the entire Yugoslavia.
14:43
SPEAKER_25: There's none in a Yugoslavia today.
14:46
SPEAKER_14: The implications of removing UN forces and lifting the embargo could produce, Madam President, profound effects on the United States, on NATO, our most important strategic alliance, on other significant allies, on the nations and peoples neighboring Bosnia, and on the innocent people of Bosnia themselves, who have already suffered so much.
15:12
SPEAKER_15: We just continue to go along indecisively as a partner to this decision making between the United Nations and NATO.
15:23
SPEAKER_15: It is time, Mr.
15:25
SPEAKER_15: President, it is time somebody politic in this world stood up and said, this is the course of action we could take.
15:33
SPEAKER_15: And that option is now before the United States Senate this very morning.
15:41
SPEAKER_16: Senators voting in the affirmative.
15:47
SPEAKER_15: Mr.
15:47
SPEAKER_15: Lautenberg, aye.
15:50
SPEAKER_16: Bill as amended, received 69 aye votes, 29 nay.
15:55
SPEAKER_16: The bill is passed.
15:59
SPEAKER_25: On page two after line 18.
16:01
SPEAKER_06: A unilateral lift means in large measure unilateral responsibility.
16:10
SPEAKER_06: A unilateral lift means accelerated deployment of U.S.
16:13
SPEAKER_06: forces, and on that there can be no question.
16:17
SPEAKER_06: We lift, they leave.
16:20
SPEAKER_06: We lift, we help them leave.
16:22
SPEAKER_06: We lift, we're there, and the action spreads.
16:28
SPEAKER_16: I don't know how you Americanize the war.
16:31
SPEAKER_16: If you withdraw the protection forces and lift the arms embargo, the Democratic leader said, as sure as that happens, there are gonna be American troops there.
16:41
SPEAKER_16: Who said so?
16:42
SPEAKER_16: I assume the president come to Congress.
16:46
SPEAKER_16: They're not asking us to die for Bosnians, they're asking us to give them a chance to defend themselves, and they'll do the dying for their country.
17:14
SPEAKER_13: If we can't stop it and if we're unwilling to stop it, we surely must let the victims of the genocide try to protect themselves from that horror.
17:27
SPEAKER_13: The Senator from Connecticut is recognized.
17:31
SPEAKER_14: In my view, the worst is yet to come.
17:34
SPEAKER_14: For all that will be left in the pitiful land called Bosnia, are two highly armed forces locked in a death struggle with no regard for anyone who happens to be in their way, including, my fear, their own people.
18:09
SPEAKER_17: It is easy to understand the frustration of the Bosnian government as they attempt to deal with uh what is clearly a disparity that exists in in weaponry.
18:18
SPEAKER_17: But adding more gasoline to the fire at this point does not seem to the White House or to this president to be a good idea.
18:25
SPEAKER_17: Participating Vice President Gore has already been traveling around the country uh in coming thus responding to the five good morning.
18:54
SPEAKER_02: But in the event that it doesn't, and not knowing as we speak what the size of the margin is going to be, what's the next step?
19:01
SPEAKER_02: What else would you look to do?
19:02
SPEAKER_19: Well, whatever the vote is, we still might sustain a veto.
19:06
SPEAKER_19: So but I was encouraged by uh a few people who told me that they had decided uh on reflection that it was not the thing to do now.
19:14
SPEAKER_19: The rapid reaction force, after all, is showing some strength there.
19:19
SPEAKER_19: Uh and I would remind you that uh the only thing that has ever worked in the last two and a half years is when the the Bosnian Serbs thought the United Nations uh would permit NATO and the Americans who are working with NATO to use air power to stop the aggression so that there would have to be a negotiated settlement.
19:38
SPEAKER_19: And in the last several days, the last couple of weeks in Garazza, you know, we've gotten five convoys through.
19:43
SPEAKER_19: There has been no assault on it.
19:44
SPEAKER_19: And uh, I think that this new strategy will work if we can hammer out a negotiated settlement, and there's a new effort there.
19:51
SPEAKER_19: So I believe that is the best strategy.
19:53
SPEAKER_19: I've said it uh all along and haven't changed my position.
19:55
SPEAKER_19: I'm gonna try to see that position prevail.
19:57
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
20:06
SPEAKER_22: The world watched in disbelief.
20:09
SPEAKER_22: Thousands of Muslim men and boys disappeared.
20:12
SPEAKER_22: Reports of mass executions began to emerge.
20:15
SPEAKER_22: What had been described as a protected safe haven had collapsed almost overnight.
20:21
SPEAKER_22: For Dole, Sarah Ronica became evidence that the existing strategy had failed.
20:27
SPEAKER_22: The United Nations had promised protection, the West had promised protection, and neither had delivered.
20:33
SPEAKER_22: As details emerged, Dole argued that Congress had been right to challenge the administration policy.
20:39
SPEAKER_22: The tragedy strengthened support for lifting the embargo and increased pressure on the White House.
20:54
SPEAKER_24: A new set of European leaders implored Clinton to act.
20:59
SPEAKER_24: The position of leader of the free world, complained French President Jacques Chirac, is vacant.
21:06
SPEAKER_24: Privately, Clinton had begun to rethink his policy.
21:11
SPEAKER_24: Haunted by his failure to stop a genocide in Rwanda the previous year, he could no longer stand idly by.
21:54
SPEAKER_20: Many decades after World War II was something that nobody could sit back and swallow.
22:02
SPEAKER_24: For Clinton, the wire had been tripped.
22:06
SPEAKER_24: On August 30th, fighter planes from NATO bases across Europe, acting on the president's go ahead, launched a massive attack against Serbs in Bosnia called Operation Deliberate Force.
22:21
SPEAKER_08: He didn't blink.
22:23
SPEAKER_08: And there wasn't.
22:25
SPEAKER_08: Tension on him, there wasn't pressure on him, he wasn't sweating and worrying about did I do the right thing.
22:31
SPEAKER_08: We knew then, we knew that day, that we had a commander-in-chief who was rational and comfortable with the use of force.
22:41
SPEAKER_24: For the next two weeks, NATO pilots flew 3,500 sorties as millions around the world watched the air war unfold on television.
22:50
SPEAKER_12: The NATO action began early this morning.
22:54
SPEAKER_12: The harsh light of fires and explosions colouring the night sky.
22:59
SPEAKER_12: Some people watched the bombardment from their houses.
23:02
SPEAKER_12: But after more than 10,000 deaths here in the last three years, most Saryavans had given up any hope of outside intervention.
23:12
SPEAKER_12: Last night it came on a scale which could yet change the course of this war.
23:38
SPEAKER_22: Congress was demanding action.
23:40
SPEAKER_22: Bob Dole continued to argue that American policy had failed.
23:44
SPEAKER_22: And President Clinton faced a decision that would ultimately place American troops on the ground in the Balkans.
23:52
SPEAKER_22: This is the story of how NATO finally intervened, how peace negotiations emerged from years of war, and how Bill Clinton convinced the American people to support a military mission in Bosnia.
24:03
SPEAKER_22: On August 28, 1995, tragedy struck Sarajevo once again.
24:09
SPEAKER_22: A mortar attack exploded in the city's Markel marketplace.
24:13
SPEAKER_22: Dozens were killed.
24:14
SPEAKER_22: Many more were wounded.
24:16
SPEAKER_22: The attack became a turning point.
24:18
SPEAKER_22: For years, NATO had threatened stronger military action.
24:22
SPEAKER_22: Now those threats became reality.
24:24
SPEAKER_22: Within days, NATO launched Operation Deliberate Force.
24:29
SPEAKER_22: The bombing campaign was unlike anything NATO had attempted before.
24:33
SPEAKER_22: Aircraft struck Bosnian Serb command centers, ammunition depots, communication networks, and military infrastructure.
24:40
SPEAKER_22: For the first time, sustained air power was being used to compel a political settlement.
24:45
SPEAKER_22: The results were significant.
24:47
SPEAKER_22: Bosan Serb military leaders suddenly faced pressure they had largely avoided for years.
24:52
SPEAKER_22: At the same time, Croatian and Bosnian government offenses altered the military balance on the ground.
24:58
SPEAKER_22: Territory changed hands, momentum shifted, and the war that had seemed frozen was suddenly moving rapidly toward a conclusion.
25:07
SPEAKER_22: Bob Dole supported stronger action.
25:10
SPEAKER_22: In many ways, NATO was finally doing what he had advocated for years, but he remained critical of the administration.
25:16
SPEAKER_22: His argument was straightforward.
25:18
SPEAKER_22: The intervention should have happened sooner.
25:20
SPEAKER_22: The West should not have waited until after Sabernika, and the administration was finally pursuing policies Dole believed Congress had urged all along.
25:29
SPEAKER_22: As the presidential campaign slowly approached, Bosni became another example of Dole's sighted when criticizing Clinton's leadership.
25:37
SPEAKER_22: Yet events were now moving beyond partisan debate.
25:40
SPEAKER_22: For the first time, peace seemed possible.
25:56
SPEAKER_16: The Serbs are removing some of the heavy weapons, uh, but it's been a very slow process.
26:01
SPEAKER_16: I think they're behind schedule.
26:03
SPEAKER_16: Now maybe it's uh if it's intentional, then I certainly would hope uh when the time comes, they would continue the bombing, renew the bomb.
26:13
SPEAKER_16: Differences between the house and the setup building are obviously to be some give and take.
26:17
SPEAKER_16: Well, I think what I'd like to see happen is probably too late.
26:20
SPEAKER_16: You've got uh a poor defenseless country uh now is gonna be at the mercy of the so-called contact group and give up 49% of their land, and then we're gonna see occupying forces, including Americans, and I think that's a mistake.
26:35
SPEAKER_16: Why not lift the arms embargo and let the Bosnians defend themselves?
26:39
SPEAKER_16: Why send Americans there?
26:41
SPEAKER_16: But I think based on promise President Clinton made over a year ago, there's probably not much uh uh recourse.
26:47
SPEAKER_16: But it if he comes to Congress, he'll have a it might be a hard time getting approval to send American forces, even as peacekeepers.
27:12
SPEAKER_19: Today we take another solid step on the hard but hopeful road to peace in Bosnia.
27:18
SPEAKER_19: I'm pleased to announce that the parties in Bosnia have agreed to a ceasefire to terminate all hostile military activities throughout the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina to become effective on October the 10th if certain conditions are met.
27:37
SPEAKER_19: At the same time, the governments of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia have agreed to proximity peace talks in the United States beginning about October the 25th, aimed at bringing them closer to a peace agreement.
27:53
SPEAKER_19: Those negotiations will take place with the assistance of our able negotiating team, led by Assistant Secretary Holbrook, together with our contact group partners.
28:02
SPEAKER_19: The talks will continue then at an international peace conference in Paris that can help to achieve an enduring end to the struggle.
28:13
SPEAKER_19: This is an important moment in the painful history of Bosnia.
28:16
SPEAKER_19: For today, the parties have agreed to put down their arms and roll up their sleeves and work for peace.
28:24
SPEAKER_19: We need to be clear-eyed about this.
28:27
SPEAKER_19: What matters is what the parties do, not simply what they say.
28:31
SPEAKER_19: There remain deep divisions to overcome.
28:34
SPEAKER_19: We are now on the right road, but we have by no means reached our destination, which is a serious and lasting peace in Bosnia.
28:43
SPEAKER_19: This ceasefire, however, greatly increases our chances to end the war and to achieve a peace.
28:49
SPEAKER_19: The United States, together with our European and our Russian partners, intends to use all of our influence and every ounce of our energy to seize this historic opportunity for peace.
29:10
SPEAKER_19: All I know is that we uh we're on the verge of a ceasefire, and we're gonna do our best to get the ceasefire.
29:16
SPEAKER_19: We have five days of hard work to do on that.
29:20
SPEAKER_15: Will NATO police this ceasefire?
29:22
SPEAKER_15: How will this be enforced?
29:24
SPEAKER_19: You will uh we are going to brief you on all the details of the ceasefire.
29:28
SPEAKER_19: We uh we intend to uh to go forward with the ceasefire, then go forward with the uh the talks here in Washington.
29:35
SPEAKER_19: We hope we can start the talks in Washington by October the 25th, and we feel very strongly that that will increase the chances of peace.
29:42
SPEAKER_19: Mr.
29:42
SPEAKER_09: President while that's going on, sir.
29:45
SPEAKER_09: Mr.
29:45
SPEAKER_09: President Billy Plot said yesterday nine to twelve months.
29:55
SPEAKER_22: Throughout the September and October diplomats intensified negotiations.
29:59
SPEAKER_22: The military situation had changed dramatically.
30:02
SPEAKER_22: The Bosnian Serbs no longer held the overwhelming advantage they once possessed.
30:07
SPEAKER_22: American negotiators worked to bring all parties to the table, and the center of diplomacy shifted to an unlikely location, Dayton, Ohio.
30:16
SPEAKER_22: At Wright Patterson Air Force Base, representatives from Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia began intensive negotiations under American leadership.
30:24
SPEAKER_22: For weeks, diplomats worked behind closed doors.
30:27
SPEAKER_22: The goal was ambitious.
30:29
SPEAKER_22: End a war that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
30:32
SPEAKER_22: In November, negotiators achieved a breakthrough, the Dayton Accords, established a framework for peace.
30:38
SPEAKER_22: Bosnia would remain a single state.
30:40
SPEAKER_22: Power would be divided among competing ethnic communities.
30:43
SPEAKER_22: The agreement was imperfect.
30:45
SPEAKER_22: Nearly everyone involved had reservations, but it did stop the fighting.
30:50
SPEAKER_22: For President Clinton, Dayton represented one of the most important foreign policy achievements of his presidency.
30:55
SPEAKER_22: The peace agreement immediately created a new political challenge.
30:59
SPEAKER_22: Who would enforce it?
31:00
SPEAKER_22: The answer was NATO, and that meant American troops.
31:05
SPEAKER_22: Approximately 20,000 U.S.
31:07
SPEAKER_22: service members would participate in multinational implementation force.
31:11
SPEAKER_22: Congress erupted in debate.
31:13
SPEAKER_22: Many Republicans opposed the deployment.
31:16
SPEAKER_22: Some feared mission creep.
31:17
SPEAKER_22: Others questioned whether Bosnia justified risking American lives.
31:22
SPEAKER_22: The administration argued that the mission would be limited and clearly defined.
31:26
SPEAKER_22: In late November 1995, President Clinton addressed the nation.
31:30
SPEAKER_22: His talk was difficult.
31:32
SPEAKER_22: Americans were weary of foreign conflicts.
31:34
SPEAKER_22: Many remembered Somalia.
31:35
SPEAKER_22: Many wondered why Bosnia mattered.
31:38
SPEAKER_22: Clinton argued that American leadership had produced peace and that peace would not survive without enforcement.
31:44
SPEAKER_22: He warned that a return to war could destabilize Europe and damage NATO.
31:48
SPEAKER_22: The mission he insisted was not open-ended.
31:51
SPEAKER_22: The troops would help implement peace, not wage war.
31:54
SPEAKER_22: It was one of the most consequential speeches of his entire presidency.
32:02
SPEAKER_23: This is a CBS News Special Report.
32:07
SPEAKER_23: President Clinton's address from the Oval Office at the White House.
32:12
SPEAKER_23: From CBS News headquarters in New York, here is Dan Rather.
32:16
SPEAKER_18: Good evening.
32:17
SPEAKER_18: President Clinton is about to address the nation from the Oval Office at the White House.
32:21
SPEAKER_18: The President will be trying to convince a skeptical American public and Congress about the need to send about 20,000 U.S.
32:28
SPEAKER_18: troops to help oversee the Bosnian peace accords.
32:31
SPEAKER_18: Those troops would make up roughly one-third of a NATO force assigned to implement the peace agreement reached last week in Dayton, Ohio.
32:39
SPEAKER_18: The president spent the day at the White House rewriting an address that's been described as the toughest and most important of his presidency.
32:47
SPEAKER_18: Over the past several days, the president and his aides have been arguing forcefully about the need for the biggest U.S.
32:53
SPEAKER_18: military operation since the Persian Gulf War.
32:56
SPEAKER_18: Earlier today, the president said the people of Bosnia have suffered, quote, unspeakable atrocities.
33:01
SPEAKER_18: He said a lasting peace is at hand because of the Ohio Pact, and now it's up to the American people to see it through.
33:07
SPEAKER_18: Republican leaders in Congress remain to be convinced.
33:10
SPEAKER_18: Immediately after the president's address, we'll talk live with Senate Majority Leader Bob Doe.
33:15
SPEAKER_18: Now here's the President.
33:20
SPEAKER_19: Good evening.
33:22
SPEAKER_19: Last week, the warring factions in Bosnia reached a peace agreement as a result of our efforts in Dayton, Ohio, and the support of our European and Russian partners.
33:34
SPEAKER_19: Tonight, I want to speak with you about implementing the Bosnian peace agreement and why our values and interests as Americans require that we participate.
33:44
SPEAKER_19: Let me say at the outset, America's role will not be about fighting a war.
33:51
SPEAKER_19: It will be about helping the people of Bosnia to secure their own peace agreement.
33:57
SPEAKER_19: Our mission will be limited, focused, and under the command of an American general.
34:04
SPEAKER_19: In fulfilling this mission, we will have the chance to help stop the killing of innocent civilians, especially children, and at the same time, to bring stability to Central Europe, a region of the world that is vital to our national interests.
34:20
SPEAKER_19: It is the right thing to do.
34:23
SPEAKER_19: From our birth, America has always been more than just a place.
34:29
SPEAKER_19: America has embodied an idea that has become the ideal for billions of people throughout the world.
34:35
SPEAKER_19: Our founders said it best.
34:38
SPEAKER_19: America is about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
34:43
SPEAKER_19: In this century especially, America has done more than simply stand for these ideals.
34:49
SPEAKER_19: We have acted on them and sacrificed for them.
34:53
SPEAKER_19: Our people fought two world wars so that freedom could triumph over tyranny.
34:58
SPEAKER_19: After World War I, we pulled back from the world, leaving a vacuum that was filled by the forces of hatred.
35:06
SPEAKER_19: After World War II, we continued to lead the world.
35:11
SPEAKER_19: We made the commitments that kept the peace, that helped to spread democracy, that created unparalleled prosperity, and that brought victory in the Cold War.
35:23
SPEAKER_19: Today, because of our dedication, America's ideals, liberty, democracy, and peace are more and more the aspirations of people everywhere in the world.
35:35
SPEAKER_19: It is the power of our ideas, even more than our size, our wealth, and our military might, that makes America a uniquely trusted nation.
35:47
SPEAKER_19: With the Cold War over, some people now question the need for our continued active leadership in the world.
35:54
SPEAKER_19: They believe that, much like after World War I, America can now step back from the responsibilities of leadership.
36:01
SPEAKER_19: They argue that to be secure, we need only to keep our own borders safe, and that the time has come now to leave to others the hard work of leadership beyond our borders.
36:13
SPEAKER_19: I strongly disagree.
36:16
SPEAKER_19: As the Cold War gives way to the global village, our leadership is needed more than ever because problems that start beyond our borders can quickly become problems within them.
36:27
SPEAKER_19: We're all vulnerable to the organized forces of intolerance and destruction, terrorism, ethnic, religious, and regional rivalries, the spread of organized crime and weapons of mass destruction and drug trafficking.
36:43
SPEAKER_19: Just as surely as fascism and communism, these forces also threaten freedom and democracy, peace and prosperity.
36:51
SPEAKER_19: And they too demand American leadership.
36:56
SPEAKER_19: But nowhere has the argument for our leadership been more clearly justified than in the struggle to stop or prevent war and civil violence from Iraq to Haiti, from South Africa to Korea, from the Middle East to Northern Ireland.
37:10
SPEAKER_19: We have stood up for peace and freedom because it's in our interest to do so, and because it is the right thing to do.
37:18
SPEAKER_19: Now that doesn't mean we can solve every problem.
37:21
SPEAKER_19: My duty as president is to match the demands for American leadership to our strategic interest and to our ability to make a difference.
37:30
SPEAKER_19: America cannot and must not be the world's policeman.
37:33
SPEAKER_19: We cannot stop all war for all time, but we can stop some wars.
37:38
SPEAKER_19: We cannot save all women and all children, but we can save many of them.
37:44
SPEAKER_19: We can't do everything, but we must do what we can.
37:49
SPEAKER_19: There are times and places where our leadership can mean the difference between peace and war, and where we can defend our fundamental values as a people and serve our most basic strategic interests.
38:02
SPEAKER_19: My fellow Americans, in this new era, there are still times when America and America alone can and should make the difference for peace.
38:14
SPEAKER_19: The terrible war in Bosnia is such a case.
38:18
SPEAKER_19: Nowhere today is the need for American leadership more stark or more immediate than in Bosnia.
38:25
SPEAKER_19: For nearly four years, a terrible war has torn Bosnia apart.
38:29
SPEAKER_19: Horrors we prayed have been banished from Europe forever, have been seared into our minds again.
38:36
SPEAKER_19: Skeletal prisoners caged behind barbed wire fences, women and girls raped as a tool of war, defenseless men and boys shot down in the mass graves, evoking visions of World War II concentration camps, and endless lines of refugees marching toward a future of despair.
38:57
SPEAKER_19: When I took office, some were urging immediate intervention in the conflict.
39:02
SPEAKER_19: I decided that American ground troops should not fight a war in Bosnia because the United States could not force peace on Bosnia's warring ethnic groups, the Serbs, Croats, and Muslims.
39:13
SPEAKER_19: Instead, America has worked with our European allies in searching for peace, stopping the war from spreading, and easing the suffering of the Bosnian people.
39:23
SPEAKER_19: We imposed tough economic sanctions on Serbia.
39:26
SPEAKER_19: We used our air power to conduct the longest humanitarian airlift in history and to enforce a no-fly zone that took the war out of the skies.
39:35
SPEAKER_19: We helped to make peace between two of the three warring parties, the Muslims and the Croats.
39:41
SPEAKER_19: But as the months of war turned into years, it became clear that Europe alone could not end the conflict.
39:49
SPEAKER_19: This summer, Bosnian Serb shelling once again turned Bosnia's playgrounds and marketplaces into killing fields.
39:56
SPEAKER_19: In response, the United States led NATO's heavy and continuous airstrikes, many of them flown by skilled and brave American pilots.
40:05
SPEAKER_19: Those airstrikes, together with the renewed determination of our European partners and the Bosnian and Croat gains on the battlefield, convinced the Serbs finally to start thinking about making peace.
40:18
SPEAKER_19: At the same time, the United States initiated an intensive diplomatic effort that forged a Bosnia-wired ceasefire and got the parties to agree to the basic principles of peace.
40:30
SPEAKER_19: Three dedicated American diplomats, Bob Frazier, Joe Krusel, and Nelson Drew, lost their lives in that effort.
40:38
SPEAKER_19: Tonight we remember their sacrifice and that of their families.
40:42
SPEAKER_19: And we will never forget their exceptional service to our nation.
40:47
SPEAKER_19: Finally, just three weeks ago, the Muslims, Croats, and Serbs came to Dayton, Ohio in America's heartland, to negotiate a settlement.
40:57
SPEAKER_19: There, exhausted by war, they made a commitment to peace.
41:03
SPEAKER_19: They agreed to put down their guns to preserve Bosnia as a single state, to investigate and prosecute war criminals, to protect the human rights of all citizens, to try to build a peaceful, democratic future.
41:18
SPEAKER_19: And they ask for America's help as they implement this peace agreement.
41:24
SPEAKER_19: America has a responsibility to answer that request, to help to turn this moment of hope into an enduring reality.
41:32
SPEAKER_19: To do that, troops from our country and around the world would go into Bosnia to give them the confidence and support they need to implement their peace plan.
41:42
SPEAKER_19: I refuse to send American troops to fight a war in Bosnia, but I believe we must help to secure the Bosnian peace.
41:50
SPEAKER_19: I want you to know tonight what is at stake, exactly what our troops will be asked to accomplish, and why we must carry out our responsibility to help implement the peace agreement.
42:03
SPEAKER_19: Implementing the agreement in Bosnia can end the terrible suffering of the people, the warfare, the mass executions, the ethnic cleansing, the campaigns of rape and terror.
42:13
SPEAKER_19: Let us never forget a quarter of a million men, women, and children have been shelled, shot, and tortured to death.
42:20
SPEAKER_19: Two million people, half of the population, were forced from their homes and into a miserable life as refugees.
42:28
SPEAKER_19: And these faceless numbers had millions of real personal tragedies.
42:33
SPEAKER_19: For each of the war's victims was a mother or daughter, a father or son, a brother or sister.
42:40
SPEAKER_19: Now the war is over.
42:43
SPEAKER_19: American leadership created the chance to build a peace and stop the suffering.
42:49
SPEAKER_19: Securing peace in Bosnia will also help to build a free and stable Europe.
42:54
SPEAKER_19: Bosnia lies at the very heart of Europe, next door to many of its fragile new democracies and some of our closest allies.
43:02
SPEAKER_19: Generations of Americans have understood that Europe's freedom and Europe's stability is vital to our own national security.
43:10
SPEAKER_19: That's why we fought two wars in Europe.
43:13
SPEAKER_19: That's why we launched the Marshall Plan to restore Europe.
43:16
SPEAKER_19: That's why we created NATO and waged the Cold War.
43:20
SPEAKER_19: And that's why we must help the nations of Europe to end their worst nightmare since World War II.
43:27
SPEAKER_19: Now.
43:28
SPEAKER_19: The only force capable of getting this job done is NATO, the powerful military alliance of democracies that has guaranteed our security for half a century now.
43:39
SPEAKER_19: And is NATO's leader and the primary broker of the peace agreement.
43:44
SPEAKER_19: The United States must be an essential part of the mission.
43:49
SPEAKER_19: If we're not there, NATO will not be there.
43:52
SPEAKER_19: The peace will collapse, the world will reignite, the slaughter of innocents will begin again.
43:58
SPEAKER_19: A conflict that already has claimed so many victims could spread like poison throughout the region, eat away at Europe's stability, and erode our partnership with our European allies.
44:11
SPEAKER_19: And America's commitment to leadership will be questioned if we refuse to participate in implementing a peace agreement we brokered right here in the United States, especially since the The presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia all asked us to participate and all pledged their best efforts to the security of our troops.
44:36
SPEAKER_19: When America's partnerships are weak and our leadership is in doubt, it undermines our ability to secure our interests and to convince others to work with us.
44:45
SPEAKER_19: If we do maintain our partnerships and our leadership, we need not act alone.
44:51
SPEAKER_19: As we saw in the Gulf War and in Haiti, many other nations who share our goals will also share our burdens.
45:00
SPEAKER_19: But when America does not lead, the consequences can be very grave, not only for others, but eventually for us as well.
45:10
SPEAKER_19: As I speak to you, NATO is completing its planning for I-4, an international force for peace in Bosnia, of about 60,000 troops.
45:20
SPEAKER_19: Already, more than 25 other nations, including our major NATO allies, have pledged to take part.
45:27
SPEAKER_19: They will contribute about two-thirds of the total implementation force, some 40,000 troops.
45:33
SPEAKER_19: The United States would contribute the rest, about 20,000 soldiers.
45:39
SPEAKER_19: Later this week, the final NATO plan will be submitted to me for review and approval.
45:45
SPEAKER_19: Let me make clear what I expect it to include and what it must include for me to give final approval to the participation of our armed forces.
45:55
SPEAKER_19: First, the mission will be precisely defined with clear, realistic goals that can be achieved in a definite period of time.
46:07
SPEAKER_19: Our troops will make sure that each side withdraws its forces behind the front lines and keeps them there.
46:14
SPEAKER_19: They will maintain the ceasefire to prevent the war from accidentally starting again.
46:20
SPEAKER_19: These efforts, in turn, will help to create a secure environment so that the people of Bosnia can return to their homes, vote in free elections, and begin to rebuild their lives.
46:32
SPEAKER_19: Our joint chiefs of staff have concluded that this mission should and will take about one year.
46:40
SPEAKER_19: Second, the risks to our troops will be minimized.
46:45
SPEAKER_19: American troops will take their orders from the American general who commands NATO.
46:50
SPEAKER_19: They will be heavily armed and thoroughly trained.
46:53
SPEAKER_19: By making an overwhelming show of force, they will lessen the need to use force.
46:59
SPEAKER_19: But unlike the UN forces, they will have the authority to respond immediately and the training and equipment to respond with overwhelming force to any threat to their own safety or any violations of the military provisions of the peace agreement.
47:16
SPEAKER_19: If the NATO plan meets with my approval, I will immediately send it to Congress and request its support.
47:23
SPEAKER_19: I will also authorize the participation of a small number of American troops in a NATO advanced mission that will lay the groundwork for I-4 starting sometime next week.
47:34
SPEAKER_19: They will establish headquarters and set up the sophisticated communication systems that must be in place before NATO can send in its troops, tanks, and trucks to Bosnia.
47:45
SPEAKER_19: The implementation force itself would begin deploying in Bosnia in the days following the formal signature of the peace agreement in mid-December.
47:54
SPEAKER_19: The international community will help to implement arms control provisions of the agreement so that future hostilities are less likely and armaments are limited.
48:04
SPEAKER_19: While the world community, the United States and others, will also make sure that the Bosnian Federation has the means to defend itself once I-4 withdraws.
48:15
SPEAKER_19: I-4 will not be a part of this effort.
48:19
SPEAKER_19: Civilian agencies from around the world will begin a separate program of humanitarian relief and reconstruction, principally paid for by our European allies and other interested countries.
48:29
SPEAKER_19: This effort is also absolutely essential to making the peace endure.
48:33
SPEAKER_19: It will bring the people of Bosnia the food, shelter, clothing, and medicine so many have been denied for so long.
48:39
SPEAKER_19: It will help them to rebuild, to rebuild their roads and schools, their power plants and hospitals, their factories and shops.
48:47
SPEAKER_19: It will reunite children with their parents and families with their homes.
48:51
SPEAKER_19: It will allow the Bosnians freely to choose their own leaders.
48:54
SPEAKER_19: It will give all the people of Bosnia a much greater stake in peace than war, so that peace takes on a life and a logic of its own.
49:03
SPEAKER_19: In Bosnia, we can and will succeed because our mission is clear and limited, and our troops are strong and very well prepared.
49:15
SPEAKER_19: But my fellow Americans, no deployment of American troops is risk-free, and this one may well involve casualties.
49:23
SPEAKER_19: There may be accidents in the field or incidents with people who have not given up their hatred.
49:29
SPEAKER_19: I will take every measure possible to minimize these risks, but we must be prepared for that possibility.
49:37
SPEAKER_19: As President, my most difficult duty is to put the men and women who volunteer to serve our nation in harm's way when our interests and values demand it.
49:48
SPEAKER_19: I assume full responsibility for any harm that may come to them.
49:54
SPEAKER_19: But anyone contemplating any action that would endanger our troops should know this.
49:59
SPEAKER_19: America protects its own.
50:02
SPEAKER_19: Anyone, anyone who takes on our troops will suffer the consequences.
50:08
SPEAKER_19: We will fight fire with fire, and then some.
50:15
SPEAKER_19: After so much bloodshed and loss, after so many outrageous acts of inhuman brutality, it will take an extraordinary effort of will for the people of Bosnia to pull themselves from their past and start building a future of peace.
50:31
SPEAKER_19: But with our leadership and the commitment of our allies, the people of Bosnia can have the chance to decide their future in peace.
50:40
SPEAKER_19: They have a chance to remind the world that just a few short years ago, the mosques and churches of Sarajevo were a shining symbol of multi-ethnic tolerance.
50:52
SPEAKER_19: That Bosnia once found unity in its diversity.
50:56
SPEAKER_19: Indeed, the cemetery in the center of the city was just a few short years ago the magnificent stadium which hosted the Olympics, our universal symbol of peace and harmony.
51:11
SPEAKER_19: Bosnia can be that kind of place again.
51:14
SPEAKER_19: We must not turn our backs on Bosnia now.
51:19
SPEAKER_19: And so I ask all Americans, and I ask every member of Congress, Democrat and Republican alike, to make the choice for peace.
51:29
SPEAKER_19: In the choice between peace and war, America must choose peace.
51:38
SPEAKER_19: My fellow Americans, I ask you to think just for a moment about this century that is drawing to close and the new one that will soon begin.
51:48
SPEAKER_19: Because previous generations of Americans stood up for freedom, and because we continue to do so, the American people are more secure and more prosperous.
51:58
SPEAKER_19: And all around the world, more people than ever before live in freedom.
52:02
SPEAKER_19: More people than ever before are treated with dignity.
52:05
SPEAKER_19: More people than ever before can hope to build a better life.
52:09
SPEAKER_19: That is what America's leadership is all about.
52:14
SPEAKER_19: We know that these are the blessings of freedom.
52:18
SPEAKER_19: And America has always been freedom's greatest champion.
52:23
SPEAKER_19: If we continue to do everything we can to share these blessings with people around the world, if we continue to be leaders for peace, then the next century can be the greatest time our nation has ever known.
52:38
SPEAKER_19: A few weeks ago, I was privileged to spend some time with His Holiness Pope John Paul II when he came to America.
52:47
SPEAKER_19: At the very end of our meeting, the Pope looked at me and said, I have lived through most of this century.
52:55
SPEAKER_19: I remember that it began with a war in Sarajevo.
52:59
SPEAKER_19: Mr.
53:00
SPEAKER_19: President, you must not let it end with a war in Sarajevo.
53:08
SPEAKER_19: In Bosnia, this terrible war has challenged our interests and troubled our souls.
53:14
SPEAKER_19: Thankfully, we can do something about it.
53:17
SPEAKER_19: I say again, our mission will be clear, limited, and achievable.
53:24
SPEAKER_19: The people of Bosnia, our NATO allies, and people all around the world are now looking to America for leadership.
53:32
SPEAKER_19: So let us lead.
53:34
SPEAKER_19: That is our responsibility as Americans.
53:39
SPEAKER_19: Good night, and God bless America.
53:43
SPEAKER_18: President Clinton, live from the Oval Office at the White House.
53:46
SPEAKER_18: Now, how will the President's address go over in the Republican-controlled Congress?
53:49
SPEAKER_18: Joining us from his office on Capitol Hill now, the majority leader of the United States Senate, Republican Bob Dole of Kansas.
53:55
SPEAKER_18: Senator Dole, thanks for being with us.
53:57
SPEAKER_18: You've heard what the President had to say.
53:59
SPEAKER_18: Are you now prepared to support him?
54:01
SPEAKER_16: Well, I think the President took the first step.
54:04
SPEAKER_16: It was a good statement.
54:06
SPEAKER_16: We're going to be under the command of an American general.
54:08
SPEAKER_16: That's going to be very helpful.
54:09
SPEAKER_16: He didn't mention the United Nations.
54:11
SPEAKER_16: But what the President didn't talk about was the failure to do anything for 30 months while this ethnic cleansing was going on.
54:17
SPEAKER_16: And the fact that we tried and tried and tried in a bipartisan way to lift the arms embargoes that the Bosnians could defend themselves.
54:25
SPEAKER_16: Had we done that, no, that may be history, but had we done that, he wouldn't be addressing the American people or not about it sending 20,000 American troops.
54:34
SPEAKER_18: This is not going to come as a surprise to you that the Democrats, including those at the White House, will take part of that as a shot at them.
54:41
SPEAKER_18: Would you agree or disagree in your criticism about not doing anything that there wasn't much done during the previous presidency?
54:47
SPEAKER_16: Well, in fact, I've said so that's right.
54:49
SPEAKER_16: I've I've said so even in the started in the Bush administration.
54:53
SPEAKER_16: President or candidate Clinton said if he were elected, he would have airstrikes and lift the embargo.
54:58
SPEAKER_16: We talked about that at the White House.
55:00
SPEAKER_16: But again, I'm just laying the premise.
55:02
SPEAKER_16: I think the President made a good statement.
55:05
SPEAKER_16: It is a terrible tragedy that's happened.
55:07
SPEAKER_16: There are women and children dying.
55:09
SPEAKER_16: But I think to be very honest with the American people, and that's how he's going to get support, we have to recognize that maybe the White House made mistakes or the administration made mistakes.
55:18
SPEAKER_18: Senator Doe, what started out to be a skeptical U.S.
55:20
SPEAKER_18: military now takes the official position that the mission can be undertaken because all of the military's conditions have been met.
55:28
SPEAKER_18: Now, if the military has had its conditions met, what is it going to take to get your support for the President?
55:33
SPEAKER_16: Well, I obviously want to support the President.
55:35
SPEAKER_16: I talked to the President yesterday, he called me from Camp David.
55:39
SPEAKER_16: I have a strong belief in the power of the President, the constitutional authority of the President of the United States has and must have, and no doubt about it, whether Congress agrees or not, troops will go to Bosnia.
55:51
SPEAKER_16: So those are facts.
55:53
SPEAKER_16: We need to find some way to be able to support the President.
55:56
SPEAKER_16: And I think we need to wait and see what the American reaction is.
55:59
SPEAKER_16: I told him very honestly, I said, Mr.
56:01
SPEAKER_16: President, if you can't persuade the American people, I don't believe you'd be able to persuade the Congress in the United States, because this is an easy no vote.
56:08
SPEAKER_16: This is an easy political vote.
56:10
SPEAKER_16: Generally on the other side, Republicans now look back and see what Democrats did in the Gulf crisis.
56:15
SPEAKER_16: Well, not a single member of the Democratic leadership in the House or the Senate would support President Bush.
56:21
SPEAKER_16: Now, I don't think it ought to be that way.
56:23
SPEAKER_16: We only have one president at a time.
56:25
SPEAKER_16: President Clinton is a commander-in-chief.
56:27
SPEAKER_16: And when he makes a case, as he started to make tonight, if he makes that complete case, then he should have our support.
56:33
SPEAKER_18: Senator Dole, you are a deeply wounded war hero yourself with ground combat experience.
56:39
SPEAKER_18: Briefly, what do you believe will be the greatest danger to U.S.
56:42
SPEAKER_18: forces in Bosnia?
56:44
SPEAKER_16: I think the greatest danger is I think we need to find a way to arm and train the Bosnians, because if they're going to if we're going to depart there in six months or a year, they've got to be able to defend themselves.
56:55
SPEAKER_16: And we can't have this so-called build-down with the Serbs still in a stronger position than the Croats and the Muslims combined.
57:04
SPEAKER_16: In addition, uh, you know, we this this needs to be a peacekeeping mission, not a peace-enforcing mission.
57:10
SPEAKER_16: That's the concern of a lot of Americans.
57:12
SPEAKER_16: But on the other hand, keep everything in perspective, this is a volunteer force.
57:17
SPEAKER_16: When they volunteer for the Army, they understand there are certain risks involved.
57:21
SPEAKER_16: And uh I think uh most Americans will accept the responsibility.
57:25
SPEAKER_16: Certainly we're gonna support the troops.
57:27
SPEAKER_16: They're gonna be good young American men and women in some cases, and they're gonna have our full support once they're there.
57:33
SPEAKER_18: Senate Majority Leader Bob Doe, thank you very much.
57:36
SPEAKER_18: Thank you.
57:37
SPEAKER_18: Let's go now to CBS News correspondent, our national security correspondent, David Martin.
57:42
SPEAKER_18: David, what is the timetable for all this happening?
57:46
SPEAKER_11: Well, you know, Dan, there already are small numbers of American soldiers in Bosnia in the form of survey teams sent in to check out the uh roads and runways.
57:54
SPEAKER_11: Then next week, a so-called enabling force of about 2,600 NATO troops, about half of them American, would go into Bosnia and Croatia to set up the communications and logistics needed to handle the much larger force that would go in once the treaty is officially signed in mid-December.
58:13
SPEAKER_11: And at the same time, the American 1st Armored Division would begin moving from its bases in Germany down to forward staging areas in Hungary, about 200 miles north of Bosnia.
58:24
SPEAKER_11: Then, once the treaty is signed, uh, the 1st Armored Division and the rest of the 60,000-man NATO force would begin moving into Bosnia literally within a matter of hours to set up this four-kilometer wide zone of separation with the Bosnian Serbs on one side and the Muslims and Croats on the other side.
58:45
SPEAKER_11: And under the terms of the treaty, the warring parties have 30 days in which to pull their troops out of this zone or separation, or as the treaty puts it, be subject to military action.
58:57
SPEAKER_11: After that, the U.S.
58:58
SPEAKER_11: and other NATO troops would police this separation zone under rules that would allow them to use force against any threat either to themselves or to the ceasefire.
59:08
SPEAKER_18: Dan?
59:09
SPEAKER_18: David, when I was in Bosnia, I know, and I have no reluctance to confess it, I was scared to death of mines.
59:15
SPEAKER_18: There are literally many tens of thousands of mines in Bosnia.
59:20
SPEAKER_18: Will that be the greatest underground threat to our troops when they first come in?
59:24
SPEAKER_11: Well, I think if you were rating the uh the hazards, the first would be the weather, uh snow and ice, which could cause uh accidents.
59:31
SPEAKER_11: Second would be the mines.
59:33
SPEAKER_11: There are an estimated six million mines in Bosnia, of which only one million are actually charted.
59:39
SPEAKER_11: And then I think the uh the third threat would be the chance that renegade military units from either side who would not accept the peace treaty would uh launch attacks against the American or other NATO troops in hopes of undermining the peace treaty.
59:55
SPEAKER_18: David Martin, live at the Pentagon.
59:57
SPEAKER_18: There'll be more on President Clinton's plan to send about 20,000 U.S.
1:00:01
SPEAKER_18: troops to Bosnia on your late local news, and of course on the CBS News overnight broadcast up to the minute.
1:00:07
SPEAKER_18: Harry Smith and Paul Azan will have a full report tomorrow on CBS This Morning.
1:00:11
SPEAKER_18: And of course, we'll have a lot of analysis, background, and context of this on tomorrow night's CBS Evening News.
1:00:17
SPEAKER_18: For now, Dan Rather, CBS News.
1:00:20
SPEAKER_18: Good night.