[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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