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for Balkan Development | Action Alert May 21, 2000 U.S. PEACEKEEPING URGENT ACTION Senator Judd Gregg (R) of New Hampshire, has singlehandedly placed a "hold" on $368 million for UN peacekeeping forces in Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Congo, and East Timor. He placed a hold on $96 million for the Sierra Leone force; $181 million for East Timor, where United Nations troops are trying to maintain order on a island ravaged by forces that oppose the newly won independence from Indonesia; $50 million for Kosovo, where the troops policing towns and cities to halt ethnic conflict; and $41 million for Congo, where soldiers are starting to set up a system to monitor a cease-fire. As reported in the New York Times this past Sunday, ' "We might have difficulty paying our personnel, in particular the 3,700 policemen who are trying to maintain law and order" '. Administration officials also said the Kosovo mission faced logistical problems like paying for gasoline and electricity." Friends of Bosnia ask all activists, especially those in New Hampshire, to immediately contact Senator Gregg's office and convey your concern about the hold on this money. As always, when you call, write, email, or fax, be polite, be direct, and request a response from the Senator himself. Talking points: 1. Identify yourself and give your address, so the office knows if you are from New Hampshire. If you learned of this issue through your religious organization or other association, you might want to mention it. 2. State politely that you are aware that Senator Gregg has placed a "hold" on $368 million in funds for UN peacekeeping troops. That Congress has already appropriated money--the Senator is simply prohibiting the President from spending it. 3. Convey your dismay over the hold and express how important U.S. funding is for peacekeeping in Kosovo and other areas. U.S. funding is essential both to support our troops and also to demonstrate to Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade that we are committed to peace. Milosevic will surely go back to war if he suspected that the NATO powers are not serious in their commitment to peacekeeping in Kosovo. 4. Politely ask that Senator Gregg remove his hold from the peacekeeping money so that the US can fulfill its obligations to the United Nations. (Please note: the $368 million for peacekeeping is simply the assessed contribution for the U.S.--it represents 25% of the overall cost). To Contact Senator Judd Gregg: 393 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-3324 Fax: 202-224-4952 Email: [email protected] Send copies of your letters to: Kevin Linskey Chief of Staff Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary S146A US Capitol Washington, DC 20510 |