[House Document 105-21]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - -  House Document 105-21


 
 FOLLOW-UP REPORT ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES TO 
                 BOSNIA AND OTHER STATES IN THE REGION

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 HIS FOLLOW-UP REPORT ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF COMBAT-EQUIPPED U.S. ARMED 
FORCES TO BOSNIA AND OTHER STATES IN THE REGION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE 
       IN AND SUPPORT THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION-LED 
  IMPLEMENTATION FORCE (IFOR)--RECEIVED IN THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF 
                   REPRESENTATIVES, DECEMBER 20, 1996




January 9, 1997.--Referred to the Committee on International Relations 
                       and ordered to be printed


                                           The White House,
                                     Washington, December 20, 1996.
Hon. Newt Gingrich,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: In my report to the Congress of June 21, 
1996, I provided further information on the deployment of 
combat-equipped U.S. Armed Forces to Bosnia and other states in 
the region in order to participate in and support the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization-led Implementation Force (IFOR). I 
am providing this supplemental report, consistent with the War 
Powers Resolution, to help ensure that the Congress is kept 
fully informed on continued U.S. contributions in support of 
peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia.
    We continue to work in concert with others in the 
international community to encourage the parties to fulfill 
their commitments under the Dayton Peace Agreement and to build 
on the gains achieved over the last year. It remains in the 
U.S. national interest to help bring peace to Bosnia, both for 
humanitarian reasons and to arrest the dangers the fighting in 
Bosnia represented to security and stability in Europe 
generally. Through American leadership and in conjunction with 
our NATO allies and other countries, we have seen real progress 
toward sustainable peace in Bosnia. We have also made it clear 
to the former warring parties that it is they who are 
ultimately responsible for implementing the peace agreement.
    Approximately 9,000 U.S. troops currently are deployed in 
Bosnia and Herzegovina under NATO operational command and 
control as part of the current Stabilization Force (SFOR) total 
of about 35,800. All NATO nations and 18 others, including 
Russia, contributed troops or other support to IFOR and most 
will continue to provide such support to the follow-on force, 
discussed below. Most U.S. troops are assigned to Multinational 
Division, North, centered around the city of Tuzla. In 
addition, approximately 6,900 U.S. troops are deployed to 
Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and other states in the region in 
order to provide logistical and other support to SFOR.
    Consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 
(UNSCR) 1031 (1995) and the North Atlantic Council decision of 
December 16, 1995, IFOR has now successfully accomplished its 
mission to monitor and ensure compliance by all parties with 
the military aspects of the Peace Agreement initialed in Dayton 
and formally signed in Paris on December 14, 1995. War no 
longer rages through Bosnia. Weapons have been cantoned, troops 
demobilized, and territory exchanged. While inter-ethnic 
tensions remain, the killing has ended and peace is taking 
hold. Building on its accomplishments of military tasks that 
established the necessary environment for civilian 
implementation, IFOR also assisted in the overall civilian 
implementation effort, including elections support, support to 
the international criminal tribunal and the facilitation of 
freedom of movement of civilian persons. IFOR also stood ready 
to provide emergency support to the United Nations Transitional 
Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES).
    In order to contribute further to a secure environment 
necessary for the consolidation of peace throughout Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, NATO has approved, and I have authorized U.S. 
participation in, an IFOR follow-on force to be known as the 
Stabilization Force (SFOR). The United Nations Security Council 
authorized member states to establish the follow-on force in 
UNSCR 1088 of December 12, 1996. Transfer of authority from 
IFOR to SFOR occurred on December 20, 1996. The parties to the 
Peace Agreement have all confirmed to NATO their support for 
the SFOR mission. In particular, Bosnia and Herzegovina has 
indicated that it welcomes SFOR.
    SFOR's tasks are to deter or prevent a resumption of 
hostilities or new threats of peace, to consolidate IFOR's 
achievements, to promote a climate in which the civilian-led 
peace process can go forward. Subject to this primary mission, 
SFOR will provide selective support, within its capabilities, 
to civilian organizations implementing the Dayton Peace 
Agreement.
    NATO has planned for an 18-month SFOR mission, to be 
formally reviewed at 6 and 12 months, with a view to 
progressively reducing the force's presence and, eventually, 
withdrawing. I expect the U.S. force contribution to SFOR to be 
about 8,500, less than half that deployed with IFOR at the peak 
of its strength. Many of the U.S. forces participating in SFOR 
are U.S. Army forces that were stationed in Germany. Other 
participating U.S. forces include special operations forces, 
airfield operations support forces, air forces, and reserve 
personnel. An amphibious force is normally in reserve in the 
Mediterranean Sea, and a carrier battle group remains available 
to provide support for air operations.
    IFOR's withdrawal has begun, on a schedule set by NATO 
commanders, consistent with the safety of the troops and the 
logistical requirements for an orderly withdrawal. A covering 
force of approximately 5,000 troops, drawn primarily from the 
U.S. 1st Infantry Division, deployed to Bosnia in November to 
assist in IFOR's withdrawal. During IFOR's one-year mission, 
U.S. forces sustained a total of 13 fatalities, all resulting 
from accidents. Twenty-one American servicemembers were also 
injured in accident. As with U.S. forces, traffic accidents, 
landmines, and other accidents were the primary causes of 
injury to IFOR personnel.
    A U.S. Army contingent remains deployed in the Former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as part of the United Nations 
Preventive Deployment force (UNPREDEP). This U.N. peacekeeping 
force observes and monitors conditions along the border with 
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, effectively contributing to 
the stability of the region. Several U.S. Army support 
helicopters are also deployed to provide support to U.S. forces 
and UNPREDEP as required. Most of the approximately 500 U.S. 
soldiers participating in these missions are assigned to the 
2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor, 1st Infantry Division. A small 
contingent of U.S. military personnel is also serving in 
Croatia in direct support of the UNTAES Transitional 
Administrator.
    U.S. naval forces continued, until October 2, to assist in 
enforcing the U.N.-mandated economic sanctions as part of 
NATO's participation in Operation SHARP GUARD. Because the 
economic sanctions have been terminated, U.S. naval activities 
in support of Operation SHARP GUARD have ceased. U.S. naval 
forces will remain on call to provide assistance should 
economic sanctions be reimposed.
    I have directed the participation of U.S. Armed Forces in 
these operations pursuant to my constitutional authority to 
conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and 
Chief Executive, and in accordance with various statutory 
authorities. I am providing this report as part of my efforts 
to keep the Congress fully informed about developments in 
Bosnia and other states in the region. I will continue to 
consult closely with the Congress regarding our efforts to 
foster peace and stability in the former Yugoslavia.
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.

                                
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