    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [November 26, 2002]
    [Pages 2137-2138]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Achieving
    Militarily Significant Benchmarks for a Sustainable Peace in Kosovo
    November 26, 2002

    Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
        Pursuant to section 1212 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense
    Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, Public Law 106-398, I hereby
    submit a report, prepared by my Administration, on the progress made in
    achieving the militarily significant benchmarks for conditions that
    would achieve a sustainable peace in Kosovo and ultimately allow for the
    withdrawal of the United States military presence in Kosovo.
        The term ``militarily significant'' relates to tasks and objectives
    significant from a military standpoint that once accomplished would
    allow for withdrawal of military forces from Kosovo. In the
    establishment of the Kosovo benchmarks, four critical tasks for NATO
    forces were identified: military stability, public security, border/
    boundary issues, and war crimes/International Criminal Tribunal for the
    Former Yugoslavia support. Objectives for these tasks were drawn from
    United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, the NATO Operations
    Plan, the Military Technical Agreement, and the Kosovo Liberation Army
    Undertaking.
        I anticipate that KFOR--and U.S. participation in it--will gradually
    reduce in size as public security conditions improve and Kosovars assume
    increasing responsibility for their own self-government.
             Sincerely,

                                                              George W. Bush

    [[Page 2138]]

    Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
    House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the
    Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    November 27.