    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [January 31, 2003]
    [Page 118]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting a Report on Achieving Militarily
    Significant Benchmarks for a Sustainable Peace in Kosovo
    January 31, 2003

    To the Congress of the United States:
        Pursuant to section 1212 of the 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/support to the International Criminal
    Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. 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 Kosovo Force--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.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     January 31, 2003.

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