[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[May 18, 2001]
[Pages 549-550]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on the Deployment of United 
States Military Personnel as Part of the Kosovo International Security 
Force
May 18, 2001

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    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

[[Page 550]]

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

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