[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 51 (Monday, December 25, 2000)]
[Pages 3112-3113]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on the Deployment of United 
States Military Personnel as Part of the Kosovo International Security 
Force

December 18, 2000

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)

    In my report to the Congress of June 16, 2000, I provided 
information on the deployment of combat-equipped U.S. military personnel 
as the U.S. contribution to the NATO-led international security force in 
Kosovo (KFOR) and to other countries in the region in support of that 
force. I am providing this supplemental report, consistent with the War 
Powers Resolution, to help ensure that the Congress is kept fully 
informed on continued U.S. contributions in support of peacekeeping 
efforts in Kosovo.
    As noted in my previous report, the U.N. Security Council authorized 
member states to establish KFOR in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 
of June 10, 1999. The mission of KFOR is to provide a military presence 
in order to deter renewed hostilities; verify and, if necessary, enforce 
the terms of the Military Technical Agreement between NATO and the 
Federal Republic of

[[Page 3113]]

Yugoslavia (FRY); enforce the terms of the understanding with the former 
Kosovo Liberation Army to demilitarize and reintegrate itself into civil 
society; provide operational direction to the Kosovo Protection Corps; 
and maintain a safe and secure environment to facilitate the work of the 
U.N. Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
    Currently, the U.S. contribution to KFOR in Kosovo is approximately 
5,600 U.S. military personnel. An additional 500 U.S. military personnel 
are deployed as the National Support Element in Macedonia with an 
occasional presence in Albania and Greece. In the last 6 months, all 19 
NATO nations and 20 others, including Russia, have provided military 
personnel and other support personnel to KFOR in Kosovo and the 
surrounding countries.
    In Kosovo, the U.S. forces are assigned to a sector principally 
centered around Gnjilane in the eastern portion of Kosovo. For U.S. KFOR 
forces, as for KFOR generally, maintaining a safe and secure environment 
remains the primary military task. United States forces conduct security 
patrols in urban areas and in the countryside throughout their sector. 
Approximately 75 percent of KFOR soldiers are dedicated to patrolling, 
manning check-points, and mounting border and boundary patrols. The KFOR 
forces operate under NATO command and control and rules of engagement.
    Since my report to the Congress of June 16, free and fair municipal 
elections have been held in Kosovo, electing municipal assemblies in 27 
Albanian-majority municipalities. In addition, on October 5, former FRY 
President Slobodon Milosevic stepped down from the presidency in the 
midst of popular outcry after he was defeated in the September FRY 
presidential elections. Despite the progress of democracy in Kosovo and 
the FRY, ethnic tensions persist. The United States is actively engaged 
with our allies in Kosovo and leaders in the region to stop ethnic 
violence.
    The UNMIK continues to make progress in establishing the necessary 
structures for provisional self-government in Kosovo. The KFOR supports 
UNMIK at all levels, including public administration, and is represented 
at the Kosovo Transitional Council and the Joint Civil Commissions. 
Also, KFOR provides a security presence in towns, villages, and the 
countryside, and organizes checkpoints and patrols in key areas of 
Kosovo to provide security, protect minorities, resolve disputes, and 
help instill in the community a feeling of confidence. Finally, KFOR is 
helping to provide assistance, within means and capabilities, in the 
areas of humanitarian relief, international civil police training, and 
the maintenance of civic works resources.
    In November, NATO formally reviewed KFOR's mission, and will 
continue to do so at 6-month intervals. The reviews provide a basis for 
assessing current force levels, future requirements, force reductions, 
and the eventual withdrawal of KFOR. Over time, KFOR will incrementally 
transfer its security and policing responsibilities to the international 
civil administration, local institutions, and other organizations.
    I have taken these actions pursuant to my constitutional authority 
to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief 
Executive. I appreciate the continued support of the Congress in these 
actions.
     Sincerely,
                                            William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Strom Thurmond, President pro tempore of 
the Senate.