For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 18, 2001
Presidential Letter to Congress
Text of a Letter from the President To the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore to the Senate
November 18, 2001
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
In my report to the Congress of May 18, 2001, I provided
information regarding the continued 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 Congress is kept fully informed on continued U.S.
contributions in support of peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo.
As noted in previous reports, 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 (MTA)
between NATO and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY); enforce the
terms of the Undertaking on Demilitarization and Transformation of the
former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA); provide day-to-day 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
5,500 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 19
others, including Russia, have provided military personnel and other
support personnel to KFOR in Kosovo and other countries in the region.
In Kosovo, the U.S. forces are assigned to a sector principally
centered upon 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 79 percent of KFOR
soldiers are dedicated to patrolling, manning checkpoints, and mounting
border and boundary patrols. The KFOR forces operate under
NATO command and control and rules of engagement.
The UNMIK continues to make progress in establishing the necessary
structures for provisional democratic self-government in Kosovo,
including through adoption of the Constitutional Framework for
Provisional Self-Government, and preparations for Kosovo-wide elections
scheduled to occur on November 17, 2001. The KFOR
coordinates with and supports UNMIK at most levels,
and is represented at the Joint Implementation
Commission. Also, KFOR support includes providing a security
presence in towns, villages, and the countryside, and organizing
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 supporting, within
its means and capabilities, the provision of humanitarian relief,
public safety and order, and the maintenance of essential civic works
resources.
NATO continues formally to review KFOR's mission at 6-month
intervals. The most recent 6-month review will be completed
this month, and presented to the North Atlantic Council in December
2001. These reviews provide a basis for assessing current
force levels, future requirements, force structure, force reductions,
and the eventual withdrawal of KFOR. The KFOR has
transferred full responsibility for its public safety and policing
responsibilities to the UNMIK international and local police forces in
every area except Kosovska Mitrovica, where the responsibility is
shared due to security concerns.
The continued deployment of U.S. forces has been undertaken
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,
GEORGE W. BUSH
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