[House Document 104-151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





        104th Congress 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House 
Document 104-151


 
   UPDATED REPORT CONCERNING U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS AND 
          NATO EFFORTS TO BRING PEACE TO THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              TRANSMITTING

 AN UPDATED REPORT CONCERNING U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS AND 
NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) EFFORTS TO BRING PEACE TO THE 
                           FORMER YUGOSLAVIA




    December 21, 1995.--Referred to the Committee on International 
                  Relations and ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                     Washington, December 21, 1995.
Hon. Newt Gingrich,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: I last reported to the Congress on 
December 6, 1995, concerning U.S. support for the United 
Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) efforts 
to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia. In that report I noted 
the success of our diplomatic efforts at Dayton, Ohio, to 
assist the parties to reach a negotiated settlement to the 
conflict in the former Yugoslavia and reported the deployment 
of a NATO ``enabling force'' and U.S. support forces in order 
to lay the groundwork for the deployment of the main body of 
the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR). I am now able to 
report that on December 14, 1995, the peace agreement that was 
initialed in Dayton was formally signed in Paris.
    Following the formal signing of the peace agreement by all 
the parties, and consistent with our consultations with the 
Congress, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1031, and 
the North Atlantic Council (NAC) decision of December 16, 1995, 
I have ordered the deployment of approximately 20,000 U.S. 
military personnel to participate in the IFOR in the Republic 
of Bosnia and Herzegovina, principally in a sector surrounding 
Tuzla. Approximately 5,000 U.S. military personnel will also 
deploy as part of the IFOR in other states of the former 
Yugoslavia, principally Croatia. The IFOR, including U.S. 
forces assigned to it, will be under NATO operational control 
and will operate under NATO rules of engagement. In addition, a 
total of approximately 7,000 U.S. support forces, under U.S. 
command and control and rules of engagement, will deploy in 
Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and other states in the region in 
support of IFOR. These force levels are those stated by U.S. 
commanders to be appropriate for the missions assigned to them.
    The IFOR's mission, as outlined in more detail in the 
summary of the operation plan (OPLAN), which I sent to the 
Congress on December 11, 1995, is to monitor and help ensure 
compliance by all parties with the military aspects of the 
peace agreement. In particular, IFOR will ensure withdrawal of 
the forces of the parties to the agreed inter-entity borders 
within an agreed period and enforce establishment of agreed 
zones of separation between forces of the parties. IFOR will 
also create secure conditions for the safe, orderly, and speedy 
withdrawal from the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina of those 
elements of the U.N. Protection Force not assigned to NATO. 
Finally, within the strict limits of its key military tasks, 
IFOR will endeavor to create secure conditions for the conduct 
by other agencies and organizations of tasks associated with 
the peace agreement. NATO and U.S. military commanders believe, 
and I expect, that the military mission can be accomplished in 
about a year.
    Many of the U.S. forces that will deploy to the Republic of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be drawn from the U.S. Army's 1st 
Armored Division stationed in Germany, including two mechanized 
brigades and an aviation brigade. Other participating U.S. 
forces include special operations forces, airfield operations 
support forces, naval and air forces previously assigned to 
support NATO's Operations Sharp Guard and Deny Flight, and an 
amphibious force in reserve in the Mediterranean Sea. 
Additionally, a carrier battle group will provide support for 
IFOR's air operations.
    All of our NATO allies are contributing forces as well 
(except for Iceland, which has no military). Non-NATO nations 
whose offers to provide forces to IFOR are under consideration 
include Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, 
Sweden, and Ukraine. These forces also will be under NATO 
operational control and rules of engagement. In total, 
approximately 60,000 military personnel are expected to be 
deployed by IFOR to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As 
in the U.S. case, the non-U.S. contingents in Bosnia will in 
most cases be supported by forces of their respective countries 
at home and in nearby countries and waters.
    I authorized these deployments and U.S. participation in 
IFOR in conjunction with our NATO allies and other troop 
contributing nations following the relevant U.N. Security 
Council resolutions and NAC decisions and as part of our 
commitment to secure the peace and halt the tragic loss of life 
in the former Yugoslavia. I have directed the participation of 
U.S. forces 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 effort to keep the 
Congress fully informed about developments in the former 
Yugoslavia, consistent with the War Powers Resolution. I remain 
committed to consulting closely with the Congress and I will 
continue to keep the Congress fully informed regarding these 
important deployments of our forces.
            Sincerely,
                                                      Bill Clinton.

                                
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