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Soldiers

Senate Leaders' Hopes for Quick Approval of Bosnia Deployment dwindle

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole has expressed uncertainty about the chances of a quick approval of a resolution supporting President Clinton's planned deployment of U.S. troops to Bosnia for a peacekeeping mission. The measure is facing opposition and refinement, with Dole and Senator John McCain drafting the resolution to include conditions for the mission. The administration is divided on the issue, with some officials arguing that direct U.S. involvement would taint the country's role as a neutral broker and increase the risk of attack on U.S. troops.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole has expressed uncertainty about the chances of a quick approval of a resolution supporting President Clinton's planned deployment of U.S. troops to Bosnia.
  • Senator John McCain is working with Dole to draft the resolution and add conditions for the mission.
  • The administration is divided on the issue, with some officials arguing that direct U.S. involvement would taint the country's role as a neutral broker and increase the risk of attack on U.S. troops.
  • Former President George Bush has announced his support for the deployment, despite having "misgivings about the mission itself."
  • Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell has backed the proposal to use U.S. ground troops to enforce the Bosnian peace settlement.
  • A bipartisan group of foreign policy experts, including former Rep. Stephen Solarz and Edmund Muskie, have weighed in to support the deployment plan.
  • The peace agreement is expected to be formally signed in Paris on Dec. 14, and Congress is facing a deadline for action.

Statistics:

  • 42 months: The length of time of civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina before an agreement was reached to end the conflict.
  • 44 members: The number of foreign policy experts who have signed the Committee for American Leadership in Bosnia letter urging Congress to support the deployment plan.
  • 15 members: The size of the congressional delegation to Bosnia led by Rep. Susan Molinari, R-N.Y.

Sources:

  • Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole
  • Senator John McCain
  • Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke
  • Committee for American Leadership in Bosnia
  • Former Rep. Stephen Solarz
  • Edmund Muskie
  • Former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci
  • Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brezinski
  • Rep. Susan Molinari, R-N.Y.
  • The Washington Post
  • The New York Times
  • The Associated Press

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