[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 48 (Monday, December 2, 2002)]
[Page 2100]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Achieving 
Militarily Significant Benchmarks for a Sustainable Peace in Kosovo

November 26, 2002

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

    Pursuant to section 1212 of the Floyd D. Spence 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/International Criminal Tribunal for the 
Former Yugoslavia support. 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 KFOR--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.
     Sincerely,
                                                George W. Bush

Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the 
Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
November 27.