[House Document 104-143]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





        104th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House 
Document 104-143



           UPDATED REPORT CONCERNING THE USE OF U.S. AIRCRAFT IN 
 
   SUPPORT OF UNITED NATIONS AND NATO EFFORTS IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

  AN UPDATED REPORT CONCERNING THE USE OF U.S. AIRCRAFT IN SUPPORT OF 
UNITED NATIONS AND NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) EFFORTS IN 
                         THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA




December 6, 1995.--Referred to the Committee on International Relations 
                       and ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, December 6, 1995.
Hon. Newt Gingrich,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: I last reported to the Congress on 
September 1, 1995, concerning the use of U.S. aircraft in 
support of United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization (NATO) efforts in the former Yugoslavia. In that 
report I noted our diplomatic efforts to assist the parties to 
reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict. I am gratified 
to report that those efforts have borne fruit.
    On November 21, 1995, the Presidents of the Republic of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, and, on behalf 
of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the President of the 
Republic of Serbia initialed a peace agreement to end the 
conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The agreement has 11 annexes 
including, among others, Military Aspects, Regional 
Stabilization, Elections, Human Rights, Refugees and Displaced 
Persons, and Civilian Implementation. These annexes were also 
signed or initialed by the state parties, and where 
appropriate, by officials from the Republika Srpska and the 
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is the first step in 
a process that will lead to formal signing of the agreement on 
December 14 in Paris.
    As a result of this important first step, consistent with 
our consultations with the Congress, and pursuant to the North 
Atlantic Council (NAC) decision of December 1, 1995, I have 
ordered the deployment of approximately 1,500 U.S. military 
personnel to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia as part of a 
NATO ``enabling force'' to lay the groundwork for the prompt 
and safe deployment of the NATO-led Implementation Force 
(IFOR). United States personnel participating in the enabling 
force will be under NATO operational control and rules of 
engagement. To date, I have also authorized the deployment of 
approximately 3,000 additional U.S. military personnel to 
Hungary, Italy, and Croatia in order to establish forward U.S. 
support infrastructure for the enabling force and the IFOR. 
These personnel will deploy in the very near future and will 
remain under U.S. command and control and rules of engagement.
    As I have indicated before, now that I have approved the 
NATO operation plan for implementation, I will be requesting an 
expression of support from the Congress.
    The enabling force will join previously deployed NATO 
communications personnel in Croatia as well as various national 
forces currently part of the United Nations Protection Force; 
these other national forces will come under NATO operational 
control when the IFOR main force is deployed. The enabling 
force consists of headquarters and administrative staff, 
communications units, movement control teams, logistics units, 
special forces units and civil affairs personnel under NATO 
operational control. The enabling force will have combat 
capability for force protection. These forces will be fully 
authorized and equipped to defend themselves, and will be 
backed by U.S. and NATO forces in the theater of operations, 
including U.S. air assets supporting Deny Flight and an 
amphibious reaction force in the Adriatic that are ready and 
able to counter any threat to their safety. In addition, 
British and other elements of the U.N. Protection Force/Rapid 
Reaction Force (UNPROFOR/RRF) in Bosnia will be available to 
protect U.S. forces. It is envisioned that the IFOR main body 
will begin to deploy following the signature of the peace 
agreement in Paris and the issuance of final NATO and U.S. 
orders. The enabling force will thereafter remain as part of 
the IFOR.
    The U.S. forces participating in the enabling force being 
deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are drawn 
largely from U.S. forces stationed in Germany. Among the 
nations providing forces to the enabling force are the United 
Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada. In total, approximately 
2,600 troops will be deployed as part of the enabling force.
    I authorized these deployments in conjunction with our NATO 
allies following NAC decisions to permit implementation of the 
peace agreement following its formal signing. I have directed 
the participation of U.S. forces in these operations pursuant 
to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations 
of the United States and as Commander in Chief and Chief 
Executive.
    I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep 
the Congress fully informed about developments in the former 
Yugoslavia, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.

                                
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