[House Document 106-43]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






106th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-43
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            ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON MACEDONIA AND ALBANIA            

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              TRANSMITTING

      NOTIFICATION THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC AND VERY SERIOUS 
   DEVELOPMENTS IN KOSOVO AND THE REGION, PARTICULARLY MACEDONIA AND 
ALBANIA. IN THE LIGHT OF THESE DISTURBING EVENTS, I HAVE DIRECTED THAT 
ADDITIONAL U.S. FORCES BE DEPLOYED TO ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA IN ORDER TO 
SUPPORT DISASTER RELIEF BY, AMONG OTHER ACTIVITIES, DELIVERING FOOD AND 
ESSENTIALS, CONSTRUCTING SHELTER, PROVIDING COORDINATION AND ASSISTING 
IN ONWARD MOVEMENT, AND WHEN NECESSARY, PROVIDING PROTECTION FOR RELIEF 
         SUPPLIES AND REFUGEES, PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 105-262




 April 12, 1999.--Referred jointly to the Committees on International 
Relations, Appropriations, and Armed Services and ordered to be printed

                               --------

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE                    
69-011                     WASHINGTON : 1999




                                           The White House,
                                     Washington, DC, April 3, 1999.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: Since I reported to the Congress on March 
25, 1999, under section 8115 of the Department of Defense 
Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105-262), there have been 
dramatic and very serious developments in Kosovo and the 
region, particularly Macedonia and Albania. Belgrade's 
sustained and accelerating repression and ethnic cleansing in 
Kosovo has created a humanitarian crisis of staggering 
dimensions. Estimates are that more than 800,000 Kosovars have 
been displaced from their homes and villages, with large 
concentrations in Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro, and with 
the numbers rising dramatically every day. Throughout Kosovo, 
Serb forces have burned villages. Homes throughout the region 
have been looted and are smoldering. In Pristina, Kosovars are 
being forced into rail cars and shipped to the Macedonian 
border.
    As the refugee flow out of Kosovo has surged, the limited 
ability of Albania and Macedonia to deal with the situation has 
been overwhelmed. The international organizations engaged in 
refugee assistance do not currently have in the region the 
ability and resources to deal with a refugee crisis of this 
magnitude. Unless adequate care can be provided for these 
refugees, a humanitarian disaster of immense proportions will 
result. In addition to the human suffering involved, such a 
disaster carries with it the very real possibility of 
destabilizing the governments and societies of Albania and 
Macedonia. This disaster could have the effect of spreading 
violence in the region that NATO is determined to prevent.
    In the light of these disturbing events, I have directed 
that additional U.S. forces be deployed to Albania and 
Macedonia in order to support disaster relief by, among other 
activities, delivering food and essentials, constructing 
shelter, providing coordination and assisting in onward 
movement, and when necessary, providing protection for relief 
supplies and refugees. In regard to the elements of section 
8115(a)(1)-(8), I am providing the following information:
    1 & 2. National Security Interests. I hereby certify that 
the deployment of additional forces to Albania and Macedonia as 
described above is necessary in the national security interests 
of the United States. These actions will provide additional 
forces to aid in the relief efforts supporting Kosovar 
refugees. They also will contribute to the overall effort to 
stabilize this region that has historically been a tinderbox, 
thereby helping to preserve peace and security in the region.
    3. Numbers. The number of U.S. personnel who will be 
deployed for these purposes cannot be definitively provided at 
this time, since planning for the deployment is ongoing. I 
would anticipate, at a minimum, a deployment of 1,000 
personnel. It can be anticipated that headquarters elements, 
air crews, airlift control elements, selected transport and 
rotary wing aircraft, security personnel, civil affairs and 
psychological operations personnel, medical and engineer 
forces, and logistics support forces may become involved in the 
operation. These forces will operate under U.S. and NATO 
operational control. I will ensure that the Congress is 
informed in a timely manner about deployments described in this 
report when the information is available.
    4. Mission/Objectives. As stated above in my report to the 
Congress of March 25, the overall objective of our efforts with 
our allies is to maintain stability in the region and prevent a 
humanitarian disaster resulting from the ongoing offensive 
against the people of Kosovo. The specific military mission of 
the forces deployed as described in this report would be to 
support disaster relief operations to aid in the care and 
protection of Kosovar refugees and to provide for their own 
security.
    5. Schedule. At this point, it is not possible to determine 
how long these deployments to Albania and Macedonia in response 
to this dire need will be required. This will be affected by 
how long Belgrade continues its campaign of ethnic cleansing 
and how long beyond the cessation of that campaign it will take 
before the Kosovar refugees will be able to return to their 
homes or resettle elsewhere. Circumstances permitting, it will 
be our objective to transfer responsibility for the refugees to 
other organizations such as the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees as soon as possible.
    6. Exit Strategy. The duration of the requirement for a 
U.S. military presence in Albania and Macedonia for these 
purposes will depend on the course of events, and in 
particular, on Belgrade's conduct on the ground in Kosovo. So 
long as Belgradeforces the Kosovar refugees to remain 
dispossessed, and the enormity of the situation continues to overwhelm 
the ability of Albania, Macedonia, and the international relief 
community to deal with the situation, it is likely that U.S. forces 
deployed for these purposes will be required. Nevertheless, as stated 
above, it will be our objective to transfer responsibility for the 
refugees to other organizations as soon as the emergency has subsided. 
In addition, we are working with our European partners to provide 
temporary asylum to some of the refugees in third countries.
    7. Costs. The costs of the deployment described in this 
notice will be paid initially from FY99 Defense appropriations, 
including the provision of defense commodities and services 
directed pursuant to Presidential Determination 99-20 of March 
31, 1999. An estimate of likely costs for these deployments is 
being prepared, and I will ensure that it is provided to the 
Congress as soon as it is available.
    8. Effect on Morale, Retention and Readiness. In the first 
instance, these deployments will have a positive effect on 
morale, retention and readiness because they will demonstrate 
the commitment of the necessary resources to those aspects of 
operations relating to response to the worsening conditions 
brought by the refugee crisis in the area.
    United States forces participating in these operations, as 
well as U.S. forces deployed for other purposes in the region 
are dedicated professionals serving with great pride and 
enthusiasm. Given the importance of these activities, 
particularly in humanitarian terms, we anticipate that U.S. 
forces would maintain the highest morale and effectiveness. It 
has been our experience that personnel serving in these types 
of operations manifest great pride and satisfaction in 
demonstrating America's capacity to ensure care and protection 
for people in need.
    However, we recognize that even deployments for the best of 
reasons increase the periods of separation from family and add 
other burdens to military service.
    The Department of Defense has underway extensive and 
effective programs to do what is necessary to manage personnel 
and other resources so as to reduce these problems. As with any 
operational deployment, the effects on readiness are mixed. In 
these operations, U.S. forces will be conducting one of the 
missions they have been trained to perform, which will provide 
an unparalleled opportunity to apply their skills in a unique 
environment. We believe that this will contribute significantly 
to a high state of morale and readiness.
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.

                                
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