March 31, 1999
COMMITTEE ON CONSCIENCE ISSUES STATEMENT ON ACTIONS IN KOSOVO
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to NATO military operations to halt the atrocities in Kosovo, the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council issued the following statement:
“The Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council condemns the barbaric and genocidal acts perpetrated against civilians in Kosovo and commends the efforts of NATO to stop these crimes against humanity.
The Committee believes that providing safe haven and aid to refugees and preparing for a full moral and legal accounting must also be pursued. History has taught us that in order to be effective, documentation of war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as pursuit of war criminals on all sides should be undertaken immediately.
The Committee is deeply concerned for the security and safety of all innocent people of the region, now and in the future.”
On June 14, 1995, the United States Holocaust Memorial Council voted unanimously to establish a Committee on Conscience. The mandate of the Committee on Conscience, as commended to it by the President’s Commission on the Holocaust and the United States Congress, is “to alert the national conscience, influence policy makers, and stimulate worldwide action to confront and work to halt acts of genocide or related crimes against humanity.”
UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL COUNCIL
MILES LERMAN, CHAIRPERSON
RUTH B. MANDEL, VICE CHAIRPERSON
COMMITTEE ON CONSCIENCE
THOMAS BUERGENTHAL, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE
