THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release December 18, 2000
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE
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 Yugoslavia (FRY); enforce the terms of the under-standing with the
former Kosovo Liberation Army to demilitarize and reintegrate itself into
civil society; provide operational direction to the Kosovo Protection
Corps; and main-tain 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 adminis-tration, 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
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