[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.