[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 71 (Monday, May 20, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FOLLOW-ON FORCE IN BOSNIA

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 20, 1996

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, during a hearing in the International 
Relations Committee last month on the situation in Bosnia, Under 
Secretary of State Peter Tarnoff was asked to address the important 
issue of what will happen in Bosnia after the NATO-led peace 
implementation force, IFOR, is withdrawn, starting after the planned 
Bosnian elections, scheduled for mid-September of this year.
  Following the hearing I requested Under Secretary Tarnoff to respond 
in more detail, in writing, about the status of planning for a possible 
follow-on force in Bosnia. In his letter the Under Secretary emphasizes 
that ``The administration remains committed to completing IFOR's 
mission in approximately 1 year.'' He also stresses that ``the 
completion of IFOR's mission will not mean the end of the international 
community's efforts to support peace and economic reconstruction in 
Bosnia. The United States will continue to assist in these important 
international efforts.''
  I am inserting the full text of Under Secretary Tarnoff's letter in 
the Record so that Members of Congress can better understand the 
administration's approach to the critical issue of the timing of the 
withdrawal of IFOR and the planning for a possible follow-on force.


                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                     Washington, DC, May 15, 1996.
     Hon. Lee H. Hamilton,
     U.S. House of Representatives.
       Dear Congressman Hamilton: Under Secretary Tarnoff has 
     requested that I respond to your letter of April 25, in which 
     you asked about the status of planning for a follow-on force 
     in Bosnia.
       From the beginning of his Administration the President made 
     clear that he was prepared to support the deployment of U.S. 
     forces in conjunction with a peace agreement in Bosnia. 
     Following the successful negotiation of the Dayton accords, 
     the President indicated his intention to deploy approximately 
     20,000 U.S. ground troops as part of the NATO-led IFOR. The 
     Dayton Accords, United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1031 authorizing IFOR, and the NATO Operational Plan 
     governing IFOR's deployment set forth a duration of 
     ``approximately one year'' or ``about 12 months''. As the 
     President stated in his November 27, 1995, address to the 
     nation, ``Our Joint Chiefs of Staff have concluded that this 
     mission should and will take about one year.'' The President 
     subsequently wrote to House Speaker Gingrich on December 21, 
     saying, ``And I expect, that the military mission can be 
     accomplished in about a year.'' This has been--and remains--
     Administration policy.
       On April 30, the President approved an approach regarding 
     the drawdown of troops in Bosnia consistent with previous 
     Administration and NATO policy. Specifically, it recognized 
     that IFOR will play a crucial role in providing security for 
     upcoming Bosnian elections, which, according to the Dayton 
     Agreement, are to be held by mid-September. To that end, IFOR 
     should remain at full strength through the Bosnian elections. 
     The pace and extent of the drawdown in the period between the 
     Bosnian elections and the conclusion of IFOR's mandate on 
     December 20 will be determined by General Joulwan and other 
     senior NATO military officials, in consultation with NATO's 
     North Atlantic Council.
       IFOR should retain until December 20, 1996 sufficient 
     forces to accomplish its full mission and protect the lives 
     of its personnel including U.S. troops. This approach will 
     mean that IFOR would complete its drawdown in the weeks after 
     December 20, on a schedule and in a manner consistent with 
     logistical requirements and the safety of our troops.
       The Administration remains committed to completing IFOR's 
     mission in approximately one year. It was with this in mind 
     and in the context of discussions of the presence of the IPTF 
     or others in a post-IFOR environment in which Under Secretary 
     Tarnoff stated that ``we are not contemplating any organized 
     military force.''
       In the referenced New York Times piece, Secretary Perry 
     noted, ``As we get nearer that December date we're going to 
     have to take a look and say, `What is the likelihood of a war 
     starting up again?' If we conclude that there's a danger, 
     then the question that NATO will have to answer is what kind 
     of force deployment do we need to provide an adequate 
     deterrence for that not happening.'' It is only prudent that 
     this Administration and NATO should review, as we approach 
     fall, the specific security situation in Bosnia. However, 
     neither this Administration nor NATO is planning at this time 
     to deploy a follow-on force in Bosnia.
       Of course, the completion of IFOR's mission will not mean 
     the end of the international community's efforts to support 
     peace and economic reconstruction in Bosnia. Numerous tasks 
     will continue, including the return of refugees and displaced 
     persons, arms control and military stabilization, removal of 
     land mines, investigations by the International Criminal 
     Tribunal, and the mending of civil, political, and economic 
     institutions damaged or destroyed by the war. The United 
     States will continue to assist in these important 
     international efforts.
       Thank you for forwarding your concerns with respect to 
     these important issues. I hope you have found this helpful.
           Sincerely,

                                               Barbara Larkin,

                                        Acting Assistant Secretary
     for Legislative Affairs.

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