[House Document 107-74]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

107th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 
                                                      107-74


 
                 REPORT ON CONTINUED CONTRIBUTIONS IN
               SUPPORT OF PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS IN KOSOVO

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              Transmitting

 A 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 KOSOVO




May 22, 2001.--Referred to the Committee on International Relations and 
                         ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                          Washington, May 18, 2001.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: On December 18, 2000, then-President 
Clinton provided a report to the Congress regarding the 
continued deployment of combat-equipped U.S. military personnel 
as the U.S. contribution to the NATO-led international security 
force in Kosovo (KFOR) and to other countries in the region in 
support of that force. 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 Kosovo.
    As noted in previous reports, the U.N. Security Council 
authorized member states to establish KFOR in U.N. Security 
Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999. The mission of KFOR 
is to provide a military presence in order to deter renewed 
hostilities; verify and, if necessary, enforce the Terms of the 
Military Technical Agreement (MTA) between NATO and the Federal 
Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY); enforce the terms of the 
Undertaking on Demilitarization and Transformation of the 
former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA); provide day-to-day 
operational direction to the Kosovo Protection Corps; and 
maintain a safe and secure environment to facilitate the work 
of the U.N. Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
    Currently, the U.S. contribution to KFOR in Kosovo is 
approximately 6,000 U.S. military personnel. An additional 500 
U.S. military personnel are deployed as the National Support 
Element in Macedonia, with an occasional presence in Albania 
and Greece. In the last 6 months, all 19 NATO nations and 21 
others, including Russia, have provided military personnel and 
other support personnel to KFOR in Kosovo and other countries 
in the region.
    In Kosovo, the U.S. forces are assigned to a sector 
principally centered upon Gnjilane in the eastern portion of 
Kosovo. For U.S. KFOR forces, as for KFOR generally, 
maintaining a safe and secure environment remains the primary 
military task. United States forces conduct security patrols in 
urban areas and in the countryside throughout their sector. 
Approximately 79 percent of KFOR soldiers are dedicated to 
patrolling, manning checkpoints, and mounting border and 
boundary patrols. The KFOR forces operate under NATO command 
and control and rules of engagement.
    The UNMIK continues to make progress in establishing the 
necessary structures for provisional democratic self-government 
in Kosovo, including through the recent promulgation of the 
Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self Government and 
preparations for Kosovo-wide elections. The KFOR coordinates 
with and supports UNMIK at most levels, and is represented at 
the Kosovo Transitional Council and the Joint Civil 
Commissions. Also, KFOR support includes providing a security 
presence in towns, villages, and the countryside, and 
organizing checkpoints and patrols in key areas of Kosovo to 
provide security, protect minorities, resolve disputes, and 
help instill in the community a feeling of confidence. Finally, 
KFOR is supporting, within its means and capabilities, the 
provision of humanitarian relief, public safety and order, and 
the maintenance of essential civic works resources.
    NATO continues formally to review KFOR's mission at 6-month 
intervals. The conclusions reached as a result of the ongoing 
6-month review, which is scheduled to be completed by late May, 
will be presented to the NATO foreign and defense ministers' 
meeting, which will be held in late May and early June. These 
reviews provide a basis for assessing current force levels, 
future requirements, force structure, force reductions, and the 
eventual withdrawal of KFOR. The KFOR has transferred 
responsibility for its public safety and policing 
responsibilities to the UNMIK international and local police 
forces in every area except Kosovska Mitrovica and Pec.
    The continued deployment of U.S. forces has been undertaken 
pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign 
relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. I 
appreciate the continued support of the Congress in these 
actions.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.