X-mas celebration at White House

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

As with most American families, the Christmas celebration in the Clinton household doesn't really begin until every member of the family arrives.

This year, we expected my mother and our brothers with their wives and children. We'd marvel over how the nephews have grown and trade stories about everything that's happened since we were last together.

Bill, Chelsea and I will tell our Christmas stories about the experiences we just had in Bosnia. What we saw there makes us grateful for the simple pleasures we enjoy daily.

For four years, the people of Bosnia fought a bloody civil war, grounded in ethnic hatred and violence, which displaced two million people from their homes.

We traveled to Bosnia for two reasons. First, we wanted to visit and thank the brave men and women of the United States armed forces stationed there and separated from their families at Christmas time. Second, we wanted to meet the Bosnian people and their leaders to encourage them to accelerate their efforts to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.

The scars of war are still evident on the landscape. Buildings are still without roofs. Painted red roses - marking the spots where innocent civilians were gunned down by snipers -- bear grim witness to the carnage.

But everywhere we looked, there was also evidence of rebuilding: the new Holiday Inn on the road from the airport, gleaming in its fresh coat of yellow paint; electricity functioning again; glass instead of plastic sheeting in the windows; stores and cafes full of goods and lively conversation; children on the streets in safety.

More important even than the physical restoration is the sense of calm that has returned. In Sarajevo, little more than two years ago, men, women and children ran the gauntlet of snipers and shells in a desperate search for water. Now, they walk in security to school and work.

Chelsea and I spent about an hour and a half with representatives of several non-governmental organizations, some of whom I had met when I visited Tuzla in the spring of 1996. In the case of two women in particular, I was struck by the dramatic difference in their physical appearance. Instead of being marked by fear and anger, their faces radiated hope and resolve.

Bill, Chelsea and I were lucky enough to spend some time with about 10 young people in a cafe in Sarajevo. They told us they want what young people everywhere want -- a chance -- a chance to finish their education, to get on with their professional and personal lives, to see their government function again and to be part of their country's fate.

To a person everyone we spoke with agreed none of this would have been possible without the U.S. military. As we walked down the streets, the crowds swelled behind the barricades, straining to see the President because they are so grateful for what the United States has done.

But much remains to be done, mostly by the Bosnians themselves, to rebuild their country economically and politically. And our presence is still needed for a while longer.

The job we have asked our young soldiers to perform is not easy -- especially during the holidays. The weather is cold and dreary. There are lots of jokes about the food.

Although I'd be the last to stereotype our men and women in uniform, their tents are as different as night and day. The women's tents are cheerier, with more amenities and touches of home. Some even had Christmas trees.

Many of our soldiers are sharing the spirit of Christmas with Bosnia's youngest victims by collecting and distributing toys and school supplies. Despite being far from home at the holidays, our soldiers believe in what they're doing. Outside of the cafe in Sarajevo, three American soldiers from Richmond, Va. told us: "We're really proud to be here because we know we're doing a good thing."

Comments like this make me proud to be an American.

The message these young men and women are sending to the people of Bosnia is: The world cares about you and about peace. The world is going to stick with you through this effort. But you have to lay down your hatred, let the scars of war heal and get on with building your common future.

As we celebrate the holidays, I hope you'll take a moment to say a special prayer for all the American servicemen and women stationed in Bosnia and everywhere else around the world. They are living the true spirit of Christmas, bringing peace on earth, goodwill to all people. I send them and you my best wishes for a very merry Christmas -- and a commitment to peace the whole year long.