{ NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF THE SENATE PROCEEDINGS.}
DENIAL OF FREEDOM BEGAN. IT IS FROM WITHIN RUSSIA, UNDER THE
HISTORIC PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP OF MIKHAIL GORBACHEV AND FROM
WITHIN WITHIN THE HARDY AND HEROIC BAND THAT RESISTED TYRANNY
EVEN AS IT BEGAN TO REAR ITS HEAD AGAIN AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF
THE BERLIN WALL, IT IS FROM WITHIN RUSSIA THAT THIS HISTORIC
CHANGE BEGAN. IT GANG, AS I SAID EARLIER, AND OCCURRED BECAUSE
{14:30:36} (MR. LIEBERMAN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
OF THE STEADFASTNESS, THE SENSE OF PURPOSE, THE HEROISM OF
PEOPLE IN THE NATO ALLIANCE AND WESTERN EUROPE AND THE UNITED
STATES AND IT BEGAN AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF SUFFERING BY THOSE
WHO LIVED WITHIN RUSSIA AND WITHIN THE MEMBER STATES OF THE
FORMER SOVIET UNION UNDER SOVIET DOMINATION. IT HAS TO BE A
CENTRAL TENET, A PRIORITY OF OUR FOREIGN AND DEFENSE POLICY, TO
{14:31:12} (MR. LIEBERMAN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
DEVELOP GOOD RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. WE HAVE WORKED MIGHT LLY AT
THAT -- WE HAVE WORKED MIGHTILY AT THAT. BUT I MUST SAY, AS I
HEAR SOME OF THOSE WHO OPPOSE EXPANSION, ENLARGEMENT OF NATO,
WHO ARE PREPARED TO BLAME ENLARGEMENT OF NATO ON ANYTHING THAT
GOES WRONG IN RUSSIA, I SIMPLY CANNOT ACCEPT THAT PREDICTION.
{14:31:45} (MR. LIEBERMAN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THOSE WHO FORESEE THE MOST DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF NATO
ENLARGEMENT, INCLUDING AS SOME HAVE SUGGESTED HERE, THE
HEIGHTENED POSSIBILITY OF NUCLEAR WAR, I SIMPLY DO NOT SEE IT.
MR. PRESIDENT, THESE ARGUMENTS IN SOME WAYS SEEM MORE
PSYCHOANALYTICAL THAN GEOPOLITICAL, MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL THAN
STRATEGIC. YES, I KNOW THAT RUSSIA HAS STRUGGLED AND HAS MUCH
{14:32:18} (MR. LIEBERMAN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
WORK TO DO, AND I WOULD SIMPLY ECHO AND EMBRACE BY ASSOCIATION
THE WORDS -- THE COMMENTS OF THE SENATOR FROM INDIANA, MR.
LUGAR, ON THIS COURSE. THE FACT IS THAT RUSSIA HAS COME SOME
DISTANCE IN SPITE OF THE CHALLENGES IT HAS FACED. IT HAS
SUSTAINED A DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED GOVERNMENT. IT HAS FOUGHT
OFF ATTEMPTS TO CREATE DENIALS OF FREEDOM WITHIN THE COUNTRY.
{14:32:53} (MR. LIEBERMAN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. PRESIDENT, IF THERE IS A THREAT TO THE CONTINUED MOVEMENT
FORWARD OF FREEDOM WITHIN RUSSIA, IF THERE IS A THREAT THAT
WILL SOMEHOW RAISE THE POSSIBILITY OF NUCLEAR CONFLICT WITH
RUSSIA, IT IS NOT THE ENLARGEMENT OF NATO. I MUST SAY THAT, AS
I SPEAK TO MEMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE
CITIZENS, INCLUDING BUSINESS PEOPLE AND THINK TANK PEOPLE IN
RUSSIA, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME IN THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY
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WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE ENLARGEMENT OF NATO. BUT HONESTLY, I
DON'T FIND IT TO BE THE PRIORITY CONCERN THAT SOME ON THIS
FLOOR HAVE SUGGESTED. THE FACT IS, AS THE SENATOR FROM
MINNESOTA, MR. GRAMS, SAID, EVERY POLL THAT I'VE SEEN TAKEN IN
RUSSIA SHOWS THAT THE PEOPLE LIST NATO ENLARGEMENT FAR DOWN IN
THEIR ITEMIZATION OF CONCERNS THEY HAVE ABOUT WESTERN BEHAVIOR.
AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE AND OUR PEOPLE WOULD FEEL IF WE WERE IN
RUSSIA. WHAT WOULD BE MORE IMPORTANT TO US?
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THAT NATO IS ABOUT TO ACCEPT HUNGARY, POLAND AND THE CZECH
REPUBLIC INTO THIS ALLIANCE?
OR THAT I'M NOT GETTING MY PAYCHECK FOR WORKING AT THE
SHIPYARD, OR I'M NOT GETTING MY PENSIONEER'S CHECK AS A RETIRED
PERSON, OR MY CHILDREN'S EDUCATION IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE?
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THIS THE RUSSIANS ARE FOCUSED ON, THOSE
ARE THE THREATS TO STABILITY IF IT EXISTS WITHIN THE SOVIET
UNION, THOSE ARE THE -- THOSE CONSTITUTE THE GROUND IN WHICH A
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MORE AGGRESSIVE AND WARLIKE LEADERSHIP MIGHT, -- I HOPE NEVER
WILL -- BUT MIGHT ARISE AGAIN IN RUSSIA. BUT NOT NATO
ENLARGEMENT. IT SIMPLY, AND RESPECTFULLY, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO
ME THAT THAT IS THE CASE. NOW I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE'VE WORKED
HARD AT BUILDING GOOD RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. THE FOUNDING ACT,
WHICH HAS BEEN REFERRED TO CREATES AN INSTITUTIONALIZED
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NATO THAT SOME FEEL ACTUALLY
GOES TOO FAR. I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATELY BALANCED. THE
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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRESIDENT CLINTON, PRESIDENT YELTSIN, VICE
PRESIDENT GORE, FORMER PRIME MINISTER C CHERNOMYRDIN IS VERY
STRONG. IF WE HAVE HAD A SHORTCOMING IN OUR POLICY IN OUR
POST-COLD WAR REACTION TO RUSSIA THAT MAY HAVE SQUANDERED AN
OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS A PHRASE THAT ONE OF THOSE WHO OPPOSES
NATO ENLARGEMENT SPOKE EARLIER -- IT'S NOT TO ENLARGE NATO. IT
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IS THAT WE DID NOT RUSH IN EARLY ENOUGH AND BROADLY ENOUGH TO
HELP THE RUSSIANS BUILD THEIR ECONOMY IN THE PERIOD AFTER THE
BERLIN WALL FELL. THERE WAS SOME GREAT VOICES AT THAT TIME --
LATE PRESIDENT NIXON MOST PROMINENTLY AT THAT POINT SPEAKING TO
THE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY WE HAD. THE TRUTH IS THAT WHAT WE
DELIVERED WAS TIMID, WAS WEAK, WAS INSUFFICIENT. IF WE
SQUANDERED AN OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITY, IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT
WHEN, AS SOME SAID, WE MIGHT WELL IN OUR OWN SELF-INTEREST HAVE
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ADOPTED THE EQUIVALENT OF A MARSHALL PLAN FOR RUSSIA, ENCOURAGE
AND CREATING INCENTIVES FOR AMERICAN BUSINESSES TO GO OVER AND
INVEST THERE AND CREATE OPPORTUNITY, NOT ENOUGH OF THAT HAS
HAPPENED. AND VERY LITTLE OF THAT HAS HAPPENED. THAT -- IT IS
IN THAT NEGLECT THAT WE PLANTED THE SEEDS THAT MIGHT -- AND
AGAIN WE HOPE AND PRAY NEVER WILL -- GROW INTO A LESS DEMOCRAT,
MORE AGGRESSIVE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. BUT NOT NATO ENLARGEMENT.
AND LET'S COME BACK TO THIS. SO MUCH OF THE OPPOSITION TO THIS
{14:36:54} (MR. LIEBERMAN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
ENLARGEMENT IS BASED ON THE EFFECT IT WILL HAVE ON RUSSIA. BUT
THAT'S WHERE I SAID EARLIER -- AND I SAY RESPECTFULLY -- THIS
BECOMES AN ARGUMENT MORE IN PSYCHOANALYSIS THAN IN GEOPOLITICS
OR REALITY. NATO IS A DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE. NATO HAS NO HOSTILE
INTENT ON RUSSIA. DOES RUSSIA FEAR MILITARY AGGRESSION FROM
HUNGARY, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, AND POLAND?
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OF COURSE NOT. SO WHY DO WE YIELD TO WHAT WE SEE OR FEAR MAY BE
THE OPPOSITION WITHIN RUSSIA TO THE ENLARGEMENT OF NATO?
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WHEN WE YIELD, WE DO SOMETHING FAR MORE
DAMAGING. AND THAT IS THAT WE FORGET THE PRINCIPLE I SPOKE
ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS FREEDOM. WE FORGET -- WE
FORGET WHAT WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID ABOUT THAT IRON CURTAIN
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FALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF EUROPE. WE FORGET WHAT HARRY TRUMAN
SPOKE TO US WHEN HE JOINED IN THE CREATION OF NATO, AS HE E#
WATCHED THE SOVIET THREAT IN EUROPE, AGAINST FREEDOM. WE FORGET
WHAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY DID AT THE BERLIN WALL AND THE
CONFRONTATION IN BERLIN IN THE 1960'S. WE FORGET WHAT PRESIDENT
REAGAN SAID ABOUT THE EVIL EMPIRE. WHY WAS IT EVIL?
BECAUSE IT DENIED ITS PEOPLE THE FREEDOM -- THAT'S THE DRIVING
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REASON FOR BEING -- OF AMERICA. AND WE FORGET THAT WE FOUGHT
THAT COLD WAR OVER AND -- OVER AN ARBITRARY, DICTATORIAL,
UNNATURAL DIVISION IN EUROPE, WHICH DENIED THE PRINCIPLE OF
FREEDOM. THE LINE STALIN FORCED IN EUROPE. SO WILL WE NOW,
BECAUSE OF OUR FEAR -- STRANGE FOR A VICTOR, THE WORLD'S GLOBAL
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SUPERPOWER, TO HAVE SUCH FEAR. WILL WE NOW REDRAW THAT LINE BY
SHUTTING PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE OUT OF THE
COMMUNITY OF FREEDOM -- OF FREE NATIONS?
I DON'T BELIEVE WE WILL. I'M CONFIDENT THAT MORE THAN THE
NECESSARY NUMBER OF OUR COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE SENATE WILL SEE
THE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO VALIDATE THE END OF THE
COLD WAR, TO UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLE ON WHICH IT WAS FOUGHT, AND
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TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR PEACE AND SECURITY IN EUROPE AMONG
THE MEMBER NATIONS OF NATO, AS THOSE MEMBERS EXPAND, AND
TOGETHER BETWEEN THEM IN A FREE AND SECURE AND STRONG RUSSIA.
MR. PRESIDENT, I CLOSE WITH WORDS FROM ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE
CENTURY AND CERTAINLY THE MERE ROWS OF THE POST-COLD WAR PERIOD
-- ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE POST-COLD WAR PERIOD, HAFEZ
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EL-ASSAD HALF, WHO WROTE -- VAK LAUGH HALF HE WILL, -- VACLAV
HAVEL HAVEL. THE NATO ALLIANCE SHOULD URGENTLY REMIND ITSELF
THAT IT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST AN INSTRUMENT OF DEMOCRACY,
INTENDED TO DEFEND MUTUALLY-HELD AND CREATED POLITICAL AND
SPIRITUAL VALUES VALUES. IT MUST SEE ITSELF NOT AS A PACT OF
NATIONS AGAINST A MORE OR-LESS OBVIOUS ENEMY, BUT AS A
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GUARANTOR OF UROAMERICAN CIVILIZATION AND, THUS, AS A PILLAR OF
GLOBAL SECURITY. END QUOTE. THAT IS WHAT THIS DEBATE IS ABOUT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DIALOGUE AS IT CONTINUES THIS WEEK. IT IS
A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT DEBATE, AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL JOIN IT
DIRECTLY AND NOT HESITATE TO SPEAK FORCEFULLY BUT OF COURSE
RESPECTFULLY TO ONE ANOTHER. THAT MUCH IS AT STAKE HERE. I
{14:41:28 NSP} (A SENATOR) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THANK THE CHAIR, AND I YIELD THE FLOOR. A SENATOR: MR.
PRESIDENT?
{14:41:32 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE DISTINGUISHED SENATOR FROM MISSOURI
IS RECOGNIZED.
{14:41:36 NSP} (MR. ASHCROFT) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. ASHCROFT: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I'M PLEASED TO HAVE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RISE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE RAMIFICATIONS
OF THE PROPOSED EXPANSION OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY
ORGANIZATION. A NUMBER OF ISSUES HAVE RECEIVED ATTENTION, AND
IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE FOCUS ON THOSE ISSUES AND GIVE THEM
VERY, VERY INTENSE SCRUTINY. THE COST OF ENLARGEMENT, FOR
INSTANCE, DESERVES OUR ATTENTION. THE POLITICAL AND STRATEGIC
BENEFITS THAT -- OR DEFICITS THAT MIGHT COME AS A RESULT OF NEW
{14:42:08} (MR. ASHCROFT) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MEMBERS BECOME -- BECOMING A PART OF NATO. THE RELATIONSHIP OF
THE UNITED STATES WITH THE SOVIET UNION, WHICH WILL HAVE AN
IMPACT AS A RESULT OF WHAT THE UNITED STATES DOES IN TERMS OF
THE RATIFICATION OF A NATO WITH THREE NEW MEMBERS. BUT WHILE
ALL THESE ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT, I THINK IN SOME RESPECTS THEY
SERVE TO MASK A VERY IMPORTANT INQUIRY WHICH SHOULD BE MADE
REGARDING THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION. AND THAT IS,
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION?
{14:42:42} (MR. ASHCROFT) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
AND IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION BEING INAPPROPRIATELY
CHANGED?
IS IT BEING TRANSITIONED AWAY FROM THAT FOR WHICH IT WAS
INITIALLY CALLED INTO EXISTENCE EXISTENCE?
THE EXPANSION OF NATO -- AND THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT
SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE EXPANDED -- IS SIGNIFICANT. BUT
DEFINING WHAT THE ORGANIZATION IS FOR IS EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT.
I JUST MIGHT, IN AN ASIDE HERE, MENTION THAT I'M NOT SURE THAT
WE CAN REDEFINE NATO NATO. AND ONE THE MOST SERIOUS QUESTIONS
{14:43:13} (MR. ASHCROFT) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THAT I WOULD RAISE IS, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR NATO TO BE REDEFINED
WITHOUT NATO BEING RECONSTITUTED AS A TREATY ORGANIZATION AND
WITHOUT THE REDEFINITION BEING SUBJECT TO RATIFICATION BY THE
UNITED STATES SENATE?
IF A TREATY, ONCE IT'S ENACTED AND RATIFIED BY THE UNITED
STATES, CAN THEN BE CHANGED WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES SENATE
AGAIN RATIFYING THE TREATY, WE WOULD NEVER NEED BUT TO MAKE,
ENTER INTO ONE OR TWO TREATIES AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY
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ADMINISTRATIONS COULD TRANSFER AND TRANSITION AND ENLARGE AND
SUBTRACT AND GROW OR SHRINK THE TREATY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
DESIRES OF A PARTICULAR ADMINISTRATION, A FOREIGN POLICY
STRATEGY OF AN ADMINISTRATION, THE OBJECTIVES, WHETHER THEY BE
INTERNATIONAL OR NATIONAL, A TREATY'S SORT OF PURPOSE MIGHT BE
DISTORTED FROM DEFENSE TO TRADE OR OTHERWISE CHANGED, IF IT'S
POSSIBLE TO CHANGE A TREATY WITHOUT COMING BEFORE THE UNITED
{14:44:25} (MR. ASHCROFT) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
STATES SENATE. NOW, WE OBVIOUSLY FIND OURSELVES WITH THE NORTH
ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION LOOKING AT A TREATY WHICH WAS
DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE MEMBER STATES OF THE TREATY
ORGANIZATION FROM THE SOVIET UNION. NOW, THE SOVIET UNION
DOESN'T REALLY EXIST ANYMORE. THERE ARE NATIONS THAT WERE A
PART OF THE SOVIET UNION THAT NOW EXIST, BUT WE FIND OURSELVES
WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION OF FORCES, THE
CHALLENGES TO THE YURX THE CHALLENGES TO THE MEMBER STATES OF
{14:44:57} (MR. ASHCROFT) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
NATO ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE WHEN THE TREATY WAS CALLED
INTO EXISTENCE IN THE LATE 1940'S.
{END: 1998/04/27 TIME: 14-45 , Mon. 105TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}
{ NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF THE SENATE PROCEEDINGS.}