[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[December 20, 1996]
[Pages 2229-2230]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Deployment of United States 
Military Forces for Implementation of the Balkan Peace Process
December 20, 1996

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    In my report to the Congress of June 21, 1996, I provided further 
information on the deployment of combat-equipped U.S. Armed Forces to 
Bosnia and other states in the region in order to participate in and 
support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led Implementation Force 
(IFOR). 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 the former Yugoslavia.
    We continue to work in concert with others in the international 
community to encourage the parties to fulfill their commitments under 
the Dayton Peace Agreement and to build on the gains achieved over the 
last year. It remains in the U.S. national interest to help bring peace 
to Bosnia, both for humanitarian reasons and to arrest the dangers the 
fighting in Bosnia represented to security and stability in Europe 
generally. Through American leadership and in conjunction with our NATO 
allies and other countries, we have seen real progress toward 
sustainable peace in Bosnia. We have also made it clear to the former 
warring parties that it is they who are ultimately responsible for 
implementing the peace agreement.
    Approximately 9,000 U.S. troops currently are deployed in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina under NATO operational command and control as part of the 
current Stabilization Force (SFOR) total of about 35,800. All NATO 
nations and 18 others, including Russia, contributed troops or other 
support to IFOR and most will continue to provide such support to the 
follow-on force, discussed below. Most U.S. troops are assigned to 
Multinational Division, North, centered around the city of Tuzla. In 
addition, approximately 6,900 U.S. troops are deployed to Hungary, 
Croatia, Italy, and other states in the region in order to provide 
logistical and other support to SFOR.
    Consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 
1031 (1995) and the North Atlantic Council decision of December 16, 
1995, IFOR has now successfully accomplished its mission to monitor and 
ensure compliance by all parties with the military aspects of the Peace 
Agreement initialed in Dayton and formally signed in Paris on December 
14, 1995. War no longer rages throughout Bosnia. Weapons have been 
cantoned, troops demobilized, and territory exchanged. While inter-
ethnic tensions remain, the killing has ended and peace is taking hold. 
Building on its accomplishment of military tasks that established the 
necessary environment for civilian implementation, IFOR also assisted in 
the overall civilian implementation effort, including elections support, 
support to the international criminal tribunal and the facilitation of 
freedom of movement of civilian persons. IFOR also stood ready to 
provide emergency support to the United Nations Transitional 
Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES).
    In order to contribute further to a secure environment necessary for 
the consolidation of peace throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, NATO has 
approved, and I have authorized U.S. participation in, an IFOR follow-on 
force to be known as the Stabilization Force (SFOR). The United Nations 
Security council authorized member states to establish the follow-on 
force in UNSCR 1088 of December 12, 1996. Transfer of authority from 
IFOR to SFOR occurred on December 20, 1996. The parties to the Peace

[[Page 2230]]

Agreement have all confirmed to NATO their support for the SFOR mission. 
In particular, Bosnia and Herzegovina has indicated that it welcomes 
SFOR.
    SFOR's tasks are to deter or prevent a resumption of hostilities or 
new threats of peace, to consolidate IFOR's achievements, to promote a 
climate in which the civilian-led peace process can go forward. Subject 
to this primary mission, SFOR will provide selective support, within its 
capabilities, to civilian organizations implementing the Dayton Peace 
Agreement.
    NATO has planned for an 18-month SFOR mission, to be formally 
reviewed at 6 and 12 months, with a view to progressively reducing the 
force's presence and, eventually, withdrawing. I expect the U.S. force 
contribution to SFOR to be about 8,500, less than half that deployed 
with IFOR at the peak of its strength. Many of the U.S. forces 
participating in SFOR are U.S. Army forces that were stationed in 
Germany. Other participating U.S. forces include special operations 
forces, airfield operations support forces, air forces, and reserve 
personnel. An amphibious force is normally in reserve in the 
Mediterranean Sea, and a carrier battle group remains available to 
provide support for air operations.
    IFOR's withdrawal has begun, on a schedule set by NATO commanders, 
consistent with the safety of the troops and the logistical requirements 
for an orderly withdrawal. A covering force of approximately 5,000 
troops, drawn primarily from the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, deployed to 
Bosnia in November to assist in IFOR's withdrawal. During IFOR's one-
year mission, U.S. forces sustained a total of 13 fatalities, all 
resulting from accidents. Twenty-one American servicemembers were also 
injured in accidents. As with U.S. forces, traffic accidents, landmines, 
and other accidents were the primary causes of injury to IFOR personnel.
    A U.S. Army contingent remains deployed in the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia as part of the United Nations Preventive 
Deployment force (UNPREDEP). This U.N. peacekeeping force observes and 
monitors conditions along the border with the Federal Republic of 
Yugoslavia, effectively contributing to the stability of the region. 
Several U.S. Army support helicopters are also deployed to provide 
support to U.S. forces and UNPREDEP as required. Most of the 
approximately 500 U.S. soldiers participating in these missions are 
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor, 1st Infantry Division. A 
small contingent of U.S. military personnel is also serving in Croatia 
in direct support of the UNTAES Transitional Administrator.
    U.S. naval forces continued, until October 2, to assist in enforcing 
the U.N.-mandated economic sanctions as part of NATO's participation in 
Operation SHARP GUARD. Because the economic sanctions have been 
terminated, U.S. naval activities in support of Operation SHARP GUARD 
have ceased. U.S. naval forces will remain on call to provide assistance 
should economic sanctions be reimposed.
    I have directed the participation of U.S. Armed Forces in these 
operations pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. 
foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive, and in 
accordance with various statutory authorities. I am providing this 
report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed about 
developments in Bosnia and other states in the region. I will continue 
to consult closely with the Congress regarding our efforts to foster 
peace and stability in the former Yugoslavia.
        Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House 
of Representatives, and Strom Thurmond, President pro tempore of the 
Senate.