i said to lift the arms embargo against bosnia so they can defend itself. i visited kosovo five times and i voted and spoke out on the floor to approve the bombing campaign to stop the serbian atrocities against muslims in kosovo. i was one of the first members to raise concerns about the persecution of muslims in china and continued to speak out when few others do. further, i was the author of the international religious freedom act which created the u.s. commission on international religious freedom as well as the international religious freedom office at the state department. central to the act was the assertion that, quote, freedom of religious beliefs and practices is a universal human rights and fundamental freedom, end of quote. the legislation and ultimately the offices it created strengthens the united states advocacy on behalf of individuals persecuted in foreign countries on accounts of religion which includes persecuted muslims. america is an imperfect nation but a great nation, a shining city on the hill described by our founders, a beacon of h

you go to places like afghanistan or iraq or pakistan or the west bank and -- and you see people -- bosnia, and they just can't get a legal system working. and it does not work and people are not protected in their persons from attacks and their property is not protected. contracts often aren't enforced properly, and that just demoralizes countries and it makes it very difficult for them to progress. so i'm so proud of the american legal system. it's something that we inherited. we built upon and it is the bull work for our liberty and prosperity. so we ask this question: what do judges do? do they faithfully interpret the text of our laws and constitution as written? or do they have the power to reinterpret those documents through the lens of their personal views, backgrounds and innocence is the judiciary to be a modest one applying the policies that others have enacted or can it, the judiciary, create new policies that are -- that a judge may desire or think is good? and when the correct answer to a legal case is difficult to ascertain, is a judge then empowered to remove his or her bli

when you go to afghanistan or iraq or the west bank, or bosnia, they cannot get the legal system working. people are now protected from being attacked, their property is not protected. contracts are not enforced properly, and this demoralizes the country's and it makes it difficult to progress. i am proud that the american legal system is something that we inherited and we built upon, this is part of the liberty and prosperity. what do the judges do? do they interpret the constitution as it is written, or can they reinterpret read this through their personal view and background and opinions? is it better to use the policy that others have enacted, or can the judiciary have new policies? and when the correct answer is difficult to understand, is the judge empowered it to remove the blindfold, the lady of justice, holding the scales? can they allow their personal feelings for other, outside the normal judicial evidence factors make field amid decision in the case? i will be addressing those questions in the weeks to come, i think that we first need to begin at the source, we must return to

when in a sense in bosnia are slaughtered, that is a stand on our collective conscience. -- a stain on our collective conscience. [applause] that is what it means to share the world in the 21st century. that is the irresponsibility we have to one another as human beings. is it difficult responsibility to embrace. human history has often been a record of nations and tribes and religions subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests. in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. given our interdependence, in the world order that elevates one nation or group of people over a another will inevitably fail. whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. our problems must be dealt with through partnership. our progress must be shared. [applause] that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. indeed it suggests the opposite. we must face these tensions squarely. in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly -- plainly as i can about some specific issues that i believe we must finally confront together. the first issue that we have to confront

intelligence showed that he was responsible for the shooting death of william jefferson when a diplomat to bosnia. was there evidence that you felt was inadmisable. >> no, there was not sufficient evidence to tie him to the crimes. not that but submission. >> and mohammed received from jose badias accomplice in the attacks after 9/11. and there was a plot to blowup buildings and with a bomb? did you approve his release? >> i take responsibility. >> were you aware of the serious allegations? >> in the determination we made, we made the conclusion of charges and allegations lodged against people, there was insufficient proof to bring those cases. anybody who poses a danger tots -- to the united states will be held and tried.

citizen and deployment and 19 -- planting a car bomb in bosnia in 1997. he was involved in the attack of one of the u.s. ship. >> he was approved for release by the bush a ministration. the determination was that there was not sufficient proof to bring a case against him. he is hoping to transfer to saudia arabia where he will be subject to judicial review and a re-education program that they have. >> was that based on a question evidence that cannot be utilized? military intelligence shows he was responsible for the shooting death of a diplomat, william jefferson. was there evidence that you felt was inadmissible to make this case? >> the determination we made is that there was insufficient proof to tie him to those very serious and regrettable crimes. it was not a question of the admissibility of the evidence but the insufficiently of it. >> another detainee reportedly received instructions directly from one person and is believed to be the accomplice in the al qaeda plan for a second wave of attacks after 9/11. the charges tie him to a plot to blow up

you go to places like afghanistan or iraq or pakistan or the west bank and -- and you see people -- bosnia, and they just can't get a legal system working. and it does not work and people re not protected in >> and people are not protected in their persons from

with the head of intelligence for the european command during the un protection force in croatia and bosnia. in the fall of 1993, there was bitter fighting going on in eight bi-national town south of sarajevo. you're all familiar of the korean war scenes of towns being leveled. this town was leveled by small arms fire. the old, traditional brick buildings were whittled down by automatic weapons fire and not artillery. we were asked by the four-star deputy commander of the forces in europe who was on the offensive. we said that the croatians were against the bosnians. he asked for the would go. we told them they would go all the way to the river. he asked why. we said it was a natural defense line. that river drops down about 20 meters on the croatian side, but that was not the reason why they would fight to the river and stop. the answer was that in christendom, in the 11th century, the dividing line between protestants and catholicism was the river. they would go to the river and stop. they did. that is what i mean about observe -- absorbing the world beyond our shores. sometimes this know

i went through bosnia and iraq. i respect all of you guys and today is your day for memorial. host: george, when he talked about it, the feeling you got from him that he was so terrified and that terror stayed with him throughout his life? caller: it did. i don't know if it really scared him, but he would get that -- he had ptsd really bad and he never believed in medicines because they didn't have them back then and he just kind of dealt with it in his own way. what i went through in iraq, there's no way i could have done what he done. and i know it was 10 times worst back in the 1940's when they went in on d-day. so it stayed with him and he would really have nightmares and it was scare him. host: thank you. john, is that somewhat typical of the reactions to the troops that landed on omaha beach? guest: i think it is very typical because that is some of the heaviest combat in world war ii and that is saying a lot. for most of these guys, that is always going to be with them. in one bay, shape form or another. doesn't mean they can't function as human beings and have good liv

the western balkans region or double i, acts obstructing implementation of the date and accords in bosnia or united nations security council resolution 1244 of june 101999 in kosovo that led to the declaration of a national emergency on june 26, twin, and executive order 13219 and to amendment of that order in executive order 13304 of may 28, 2009, has not been resolved. the acts of extremist violence and obstructionist activity outlined in executive order 13219 as amended are hostile to the u.s. interest and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary let to the national security and foreign policy of the united states. for these reasons i have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to the western balkans and maintain in force the sackses to respond to this threat. signed, barack obama, the white house, june 22, 2009. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered printed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 , the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a record

support to the health sector included 189 projects in bosnia, including refurbishment of the general hospital and the building of a children's hospital. as a whole international community magic 5000 schools as well as constructing new schools and classrooms in existing schools and despite high unemployment and the skill of the global recession and economic growth in iraq this year is predicted to be nearly 7%. signet and challenges remain, including that of finding a sustainable solution to the sharing of oil reserves. but iraq's future is now in the hands of its own people and politicians and we must pay tribute to the endurance of the iraqi people and pledge to them our continuing support. but it will be support very different from the kind we provided for the last six years. as the house knows, our military mission ended with the last combat patrol on basra on april 30. as of today there are fewer than 500 british troops in iraq with more returning each week. mr. speaker, the day of the last combat patrol in april, i welcome the prime minister al- maliki and most of his cabinet to

somalia, haiti, bosnia, east timor. afghanistan is the latest example of a country that is said to struggle to remain cohesive with american peace operations coming as a result. so we look quite closely to see if there are countries that are fragile states, that could require an american security response. so far there has been no major government that is toppled the to the recession. there have been peaceful changes of government. there have been reactions, strong reactions within countries to economic events. durbin policy changes within countries but we really haven't seen anything yet for example like the fall of this the part of government in the late 90's which was caused by the asian financial crisis. nonetheless, the recession continues, it's the worldwide gdp goes down the way it is predicted to next year and a trade continues to decline, protectionism raises barriers we can already see pressure countries coming under greater pressure that might result in internal instability and be subject to meddling from out

she had been born in the united states and her parents were from bosn bosnia. they lived in thomas keen's ward out on the northwest side and she had a job as a ctia ticket taker which she probably got as a political job so she was a chicago republican. so there was always sort of this clash -- i mean, chicago democrat, sorry. there was this clash between the democrats and the republicans. his brother remains a staunch republican. he probably wishes he had never joined his brother's political persuasion since he also is now indicted. so there was that split. i think rod eventually figured out that his political career would be a lot better off if he's running the city of chicago as a democrat so he did move over. >> one of his first jobs -- first political jobs was working with edward vadolic who was a democrat. those of you don't know chicago politics, he was a big time chicago democratic alderman who converted to republican party in the '80s, sometime, correct? >> correct. >> to what extent -- and this gets to a larger question i have about blagojevich, how mu

citizen and diplomat in 1995 planning a -- planting a car bomb in bosnia in 1997, and the involvement with the attack on the u.s.s. cole. do you a-- did you approve the release of zuhair to saudi arabia? >> i did as did the former administration. he was approved for release by the bush administration. the determination that we made was there was not sufficient proof to bring a case against him. and he was transferred, not released. transferred to saudi arabia where he will be subject to judicial review. and in addition to that, to the re-education program that they have. so -- >> was that based on a question of evidence that could not be utilized? i understand the military intelligence showed that zuhair was responsible for the death of william jefferson. was there evidence that you felt was ined a missable to make -- inadmirable to make the case? >> well, i think consistent with the bush administration was there was insufficient proof to tie him to those very serious and regrettable crimes. it wasn't a question of thed a -- of the admissable -- admissability of it. >> and one receive