[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 50 (Monday, December 18, 1995)]
[Pages 2179-2180]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Senators Robert Dole and John McCain on the Balkan Peace 
Process

December 12, 1995

Dear Mr. Leader:

    I am writing in response to your December 12 letter on equip and 
train. You raise several questions to which I would like to respond.
    First of all, the United States will take a leadership role in 
coordinating an international effort to ensure that the Bosnian 
Federation receives the assistance necessary to achieve an adequate 
military balance when IFOR leaves. As in all things related to our 
effort to bringing peace to the region, U.S. leadership has been 
critical.

[[Page 2180]]

    As I stated in my December 10 letter to you, I want to assure the 
impartiality of IFOR. In the view of my military advisors, this requires 
minimizing the involvement of U.S. military personnel. But we expect 
that some individual military officers, for example, working in OSD, 
DSAA or other agencies, will be involved in planning this effort. We 
also will offer the Bosnians participation in U.S. programs such as 
IMET. I agree that maintaining flexibility is important to the success 
of the effort to achieve a stable military balance within Bosnia. But I 
will do nothing that I believe will endanger the safety of American 
troops on the ground in Bosnia. I am sure you will agree that is my 
primary responsibility.
    I want to assure you that I am focusing on what the United States 
can do. That is why I sent an assessment team to the region to properly 
evaluate the needs of the Federation. Training programs and provision of 
non-lethal assistance can begin immediately after the peace agreement 
enters into force; and provision of small arms can begin after three 
months. We intend to move expeditiously.
    I have given you my word that we will make certain that the Bosnian 
Federation will receive the assistance necessary to achieve an adequate 
military balance when IFOR leaves. I intend to keep it.
    Sincerely,
                                                  Bill Clinton

Note: This letter was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on December 12 but was not issued as a White House press 
release.