Daschle, 2 Senate Colleagues Still Leaving for Balkans

WASHINGTON —  Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said he planned to leave as scheduled for the Balkans despite the crash there of the plane carrying Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown.

Daschle was being accompanied by Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah).

In a statement issued by his office Wednesday , Daschle praised Brown and said the crash of his plane in Croatia was “a terrible reminder of the risks so many public servants take to do their jobs.”

However, he said, “I intend to go ahead with my own plans to leave this evening for a nine-day fact-finding visit to Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and other Balkan states because I believe peace in Europe is vital to U.S. interest and peace in the Balkans is essential to peace in Europe.”