Holbrooke says policy needs moral basis

Christian Century, Sept 22, 1999

Richard Holbrooke, U.S. ambassador to the UN, in his first public appearance since his confirmation by the Senate said that the situation in East Timor is "intolerable," one of "extreme danger," and he stressed that the Indonesian government will be held accountable for its "very disturbing performance." He described it as an example of a trouble spot where the U.S. must deal with the human consequences of its policies. Holbrooke was speaking at a benefit forum for the Anglican Observer's Office at the United Nations held at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in New York City.

"Foreign policy that does not have a moral base is bankrupt," Holbrooke argued during a discussion of the interaction of global economic, political and religious forces. "We can have a foreign policy that is tough-minded and moral at the same time," he said, dismissing more cynical policies based strictly on self-interest. As the world's only superpower, the U.S. cannot ignore "moral and humanitarian consequences of its role," especially now that "new forces of darkness are emerging."

According to Holbrooke, "diplomacy is a relational process: unilateralism is not an option." And the role of non-governmental organizations, such as church bodies, is very important, as they "courageously try to put out fires" in places like Bosnia and Kosovo.

Expressing concern that there was no intervention as the world watched in horror while genocide unfolded in Rwanda, Holbrooke nonetheless suggested that the U.S. didn't have the options there that it did in Bosnia and Kosovo; in those instances "action was relatively easy," especially when compared with Africa and East Timor.

An expert on the Balkans, where he helped broker a settlement in the Bosnian crisis, Holbrooke maintained that religious leaders were "either at the heart of the problem or directly related, to it, using religion and ethnic differences to foment violence. "Ethnic hatred is a euphemism for racism," he said, deploring the role of Orthodox clergy .in the Balkans and their "opportunism." When asked about the clergy's call for the resignation of President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, Holbrooke said it was important to take note of where those church leaders stood in 1990 and 1991. He suggested that they changed their minds because of a "disastrous tailspin in the economy."

Speaking about the U.S.'s failure to pay its dues to the UN, Holbrooke said that the Clinton administration "really cares about the United Nations," and that "there is no excuse for us being in arrears." But the reason for the delinquency, he said, has to do with an "astonishing" series of legislative events that "would leave you speechless," most of them based on persistent demands for reform in the UN and the problem of "ferocious" opposition to UN-sponsored family planning programs.