    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [December 12, 1995]
    [Pages 1884-1885]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Senators Robert Dole and John McCain on the Plan for
    Implementation of the Balkan Peace Agreement
    December 12, 1995

    Dear Mr. Leader:
        I am writing in response to your December 12 letter on equip and
    train. You raise several questions to which I would like to respond.
        First of all, the United States will take a leadership role in
    coordinating an international effort to ensure that the Bosnian
    Federation receives the assistance necessary to achieve an adequate
    military balance when IFOR leaves. As in all things related to our
    effort to bringing peace to the region, U.S. leadership has been
    critical.
        As I stated in my December 10 letter to you, I want to assure the
    impartiality of IFOR. In the view of my military advisors, this requires
    minimizing the involvement of U.S. military personnel. But we expect
    that some individual military officers, for example, working in OSD,
    DSAA or other agencies, will be involved in planning this effort. We
    also will offer the Bosnians participation in U.S. programs such as
    IMET. I agree that maintaining flexibility is important to the success
    of the effort to achieve a stable military balance within Bosnia. But I
    will do nothing that I believe will endanger the safety of American
    troops on the ground in Bosnia. I am sure you will agree that is my
    primary responsibility.
        I want to assure you that I am focusing on what the United States
    can do. That is why I sent an assessment team to the region to properly
    evaluate the needs of the Federation. Training programs and provision of
    non-lethal assistance can begin immediately after the peace agreement
    enters into force; and provision of small arms can begin after three
    months. We intend to move expeditiously.
        I have given you my word that we will make certain that the Bosnian
    Federation will receive

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    the assistance necessary to achieve an adequate military balance when
    IFOR leaves. I intend to keep it.
            Sincerely,

                                                                Bill Clinton

    Note: This letter was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on December 12 but was not issued as a White House press
    release.