[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
[October 18, 1993]
[Pages 1770-1771]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1770]]


Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Use of United States Armed Forces 
in International Operations
October 18, 1993

Dear Mr. Leader:

    I am writing to express grave concern about a number of amendments 
that may be offered to H.R. 3116, the Defense Appropriations bill for FY 
94, regarding Haiti, Bosnia and the use of United States armed forces in 
international operations.

    I am fundamentally opposed to amendments which improperly limit my 
ability to perform my constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief, which 
may well have unconstitutional provisions, and which if adopted, could 
weaken the confidence of our allies in the United States. Such 
amendments would provide encouragement to aggressors and repressive 
rulers around the world who seek to operate without fear of reprisal.

    America's adversaries and allies must know with certainty that the 
United States can respond decisively to protect the lives of Americans 
and to address crises that challenge American interests. Successive 
administrations have found it critical in world affairs to be able to 
state that no option has been ruled out.

    I respect and acknowledge the importance of cooperation between the 
executive and legislative branches. There will inevitably be give and 
take between the executive branch and Congress as we work to redefine 
our role in the post Cold War world. But it is wrong and even dangerous 
to allow the questions of the moment to undercut the strength of our 
national security policies and to produce a fundamental shift in the 
proper relationship between our two branches of government.

    The amendment regarding command and control of U.S. forces, which 
already has been introduced, would insert Congress into the detailed 
execution of military contingency planning in an unprecedented manner. 
The amendment would make it unreasonably difficult for me or any 
President to operate militarily with other nations when it is in our 
interest to do so--and as we have done effectively for half a century 
through NATO. It could lead to an all-or-nothing approach that causes 
the United States to shoulder the entire burden of a conflict even when 
a multinational approach would be most effective from the standpoint of 
military planning, burden sharing and other American national interests.

    With regard to potential amendments on Haiti, let me caution against 
action that could aggravate that nation's violent conflict and undermine 
American interests. The situation on the ground in Haiti is highly 
unstable. Limiting my ability to act--or even creating the perception of 
such a limitation--could signal a green light to Haiti's military and 
police authorities in their brutal efforts to resist a return of 
democracy, could limit my ability to protect the more than 1,000 
Americans currently in Haiti, and could trigger another mass exodus of 
Haitians, at great risk to their lives and great potential cost and 
disruption to our nation and others.

    With regard to potential Bosnia amendments, our nation has worked 
with NATO to prepare to help implement a fair and enforceable peace 
settlement. This amendment thus could undermine our relationship with 
our NATO allies and frustrate the negotiation of an end to the 
aggression and ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. As you know, I 
have placed strict conditions on any U.S. involvement in Bosnia with 
which I believe most members of Congress would agree.

    I am committed to full consultation with Congress on our foreign 
policy. As I have clearly stated for the record, I welcomed 
congressional authorization for U.S. operations in Somalia and would 
welcome similar action regarding U.S. efforts in Bosnia, should that 
become necessary. Further, as this Administration has done and is 
continuing to do, we will consult with and keep Congress fully informed 
on these and other issues that affect American national security.

[[Page 1771]]

    I would welcome an opportunity to engage you and others in the bi-
partisan leadership in a full and constructive dialogue about the 
processes of executive-legislative relations regarding America's 
engagement in a changed world. But amendments such as these are not the 
right way for the American government to decide how we act in the world, 
and I urge the Senate to reject them.

                                                            Bill Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to George Mitchell, Senate majority 
leader, and Bob Dole, Senate Republican leader.