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Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I come before the House tonight to reflect on what we have seen on television and heard about, relating to the President of the United States' visit to Africa. I think all of us have witnessed the President as he has made his way across the African continent.
I read in this morning's Washington Post, and I know it was covered by other newspapers, an account of what the President said. And he was in Rwanda when he made this statement. He said, `We did not act quickly enough after the killing began.' I believe he was talking to Rwandans.
I want to talk about that statement in a second. But President Clinton will not be going to Somalia on this trip. In Somalia, our President took a humanitarian mission initiated by President Bush, and turned it into a $3 billion disaster.
Remember, if you will, that President Clinton placed United States troops under United Nations command. Remember, if you will, that as Americans we watched in horror as our murdered troops were left under U.N. command, unable to defend themselves, were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu.
Today, Somolia has slipped back into chaos after this Clinton fiasco. We have to remember what took place in Africa and what the policies of this administration were. I protested the Clinton proposal for Somalia before that tragedy, time and time again, in the well and on the floor of this House.
Let me now turn to Rwanda. President Clinton, as I said in my opening statement, is quoted as saying, `We did not act quickly enough after the killing began.' Pay particular attention to what the President said and what is printed in the papers.
Let me, if I may, as Paul Harvey says, tell you and repeat the rest of the story.
The President said we did not act quickly enough after the killing began. But what the President of the United States did not say to the world and to Africa is what we should now be remembering. |
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I saved the newspaper accounts of what the President said, because I was so stunned by the lack of action and actually the blocking of action by this administration, and brought them with me to the floor tonight. I saved them and had them blown up.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Boutros-Ghali, begged President Clinton to allow an all-African U.N. force to go into Rwanda. Let me read what he said. This is what was in the newspaper. When last year's peace agreement collapsed on April 7th and fierce fighting broke out between Hutu and Tutsi, the United Nations cut its 2,700-member force in Rwanda back to a few hundred at the urging of the Clinton administration.
I spoke out then, and I have spoken out afterwards on the floor when we saw what was happening with this administration and this policy before 1 million Africans were slaughtered.
Let me, if I may, recall some of the statements that I made on this floor. I made one statement on this floor, and I will read it. Let me, if I may, trace the history of this tragedy. Let me also, if I may, trace the history of our failed policy.
On April 6th, a plane with the presidents of Rwanda, Burundi was shot down. We knew then the potential for violence, terror and mass killings.
On May 11th, the United States criticized a U.N. plan to send 5,500 multinational soldiers into Rwanda to protect refugees and assist relief workers. No U.S. troops would have been involved.
On May 16th, the U.S. forced the U.N. to delay plans to send 5,500 troops to end violence in Rwanda, an all-U.N. force.
So we see that the history of action and inaction by this administration, and history should so properly record it. |
