[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 51 (Monday, December 25, 1995)]
[Pages 2215-2216]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders on Bosnia-Herzegovina

December 21, 1995

Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Mr. President:)

    I last reported to the Congress on December 6, 1995, concerning U.S. 
support for the United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(NATO) efforts to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia. In that report I 
noted the success of our diplomatic efforts at Dayton, Ohio, to assist 
the parties to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict in the 
former Yugoslavia and reported the deployment of a NATO ``enabling 
force'' and U.S. support forces in order to lay the groundwork for the 
deployment of the main body of the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR). 
I am now able to report that on December 14, 1995, the peace agreement 
that was initialed in Dayton was formally signed in Paris.
    Following the formal signing of the peace agreement by all the 
parties, and consistent with our consultations with the Congress, United 
Nations Security Council Resolution 1031, and the North Atlantic Council 
(NAC) decision of December 16, 1995, I have ordered the deployment of 
approximately 20,000 U.S. military personnel to participate in the IFOR 
in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, principally in a sector 
surrounding Tuzla. Approximately 5,000 U.S. military personnel will also 
deploy as part of the IFOR in other states of the former Yugoslavia, 
principally Croatia. The IFOR, including U.S. forces assigned to it, 
will be under NATO operational control and will operate under NATO rules 
of engagement. In addition, a total of approximately 7,000 U.S. support 
forces, under U.S. command and control and rules of engagement, will 
deploy in Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and other states in the region in 
support of IFOR. These force levels are those stated by U.S. commanders 
to be

[[Page 2216]]

appropriate for the missions assigned to them.
    The IFOR's mission, as outlined in more detail in the summary of the 
operation plan (OPLAN), which I sent to the Congress on December 11, 
1995, is to monitor and help ensure compliance by all parties with the 
military aspects of the peace agreement. In particular, IFOR will ensure 
withdrawal of the forces of the parties to the agreed inter-entity 
borders within an agreed period and enforce establishment of agreed 
zones of separation between forces of the parties. IFOR will also create 
secure conditions for the safe, orderly, and speedy withdrawal from the 
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina of those elements of the U.N. 
Protection Force not assigned to NATO. Finally, within the strict limits 
of its key military tasks, IFOR will endeavor to create secure 
conditions for the conduct by other agencies and organizations of tasks 
associated with the peace agreement. NATO and U.S. military commanders 
believe, and I expect, that the military mission can be accomplished in 
about a year.
    Many of the U.S. forces that will deploy to the Republic of Bosnia 
and Herzegovina will be drawn from the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division 
stationed in Germany, including two mechanized brigades and an aviation 
brigade. Other participating U.S. forces include special operations 
forces, airfield operations support forces, naval and air forces 
previously assigned to support NATO's Operations Sharp Guard and Deny 
Flight, and an amphibious force in reserve in the Mediterranean Sea. 
Additionally, a carrier battle group will provide support for IFOR's air 
operations.
    All of our NATO allies are contributing forces as well (except for 
Iceland, which has no military). Non-NATO nations whose offers to 
provide forces to IFOR are under consideration include Austria, the 
Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Pakistan, 
Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Ukraine. These forces 
also will be under NATO operational control and rules of engagement. In 
total, approximately 60,000 military personnel are expected to be 
deployed by IFOR to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As in the 
U.S. case, the non-U.S. contingents in Bosnia will in most cases be 
supported by forces of their respective countries at home and in nearby 
countries and waters.
    I authorized these deployments and U.S. participation in IFOR in 
conjunction with our NATO allies and other troop contributing nations 
following the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and NAC 
decisions and as part of our commitment to secure the peace and halt the 
tragic loss of life in the former Yugoslavia. I have directed the 
participation of U.S. forces pursuant to my constitutional authority to 
conduct the foreign relations of the United States and as Commander in 
Chief and Chief Executive.
    I am providing this report as part of my effort to keep the Congress 
fully informed about developments in the former Yugoslavia, consistent 
with the War Powers Resolution. I remain committed to consulting closely 
with the Congress and I will continue to keep the Congress fully 
informed regarding these important deployments of our forces.
    Sincerely,
                                                  Bill Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House 
of Representatives, and Strom Thurmond, President pro tempore of the 
Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
December 22.