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Clinton: Stick to IFOR Withdrawal Schedule
President says IFOR should be fully operational for
Regarding troop withdrawal from Bosnia, Clinton said, "I believe that we should stick with our timetable. We believe that IFOR (the international peacekeeping force) can complete its mission in about a year."
The United States has about 18,000 troops within the NATO-led peacekeeping force, which began arriving in the former Yugoslavia last December after the signing of a peace accord hammered out in talks at Dayton, Ohio. The question of a timely troop withdrawal was raised earlier Wednesday when Defense Secretary William Perry said on a trip to
the Balkans that he would recommend sending U.S. troops back to Bosnia next year if NATO decided to deploy a new ground force to stem renewed warfare.
Even before Clinton spoke, the White House discounted Perry's comments as speculative, stressing that Clinton still aimed to meet the year-end withdrawal plan. Clinton was joined at the news conference by Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, whose nation holds the rotating EU presidency, and European Commission President Jacques Santer after they conferred at the White House.
Clinton said the three had agreed that elections in Bosnia should proceed in September "as agreed in Dayton," noting that Friday will be the six-month anniversary of the Dayton accord. He commended the EU for supporting civilian reconstruction in Bosnia after the bloody civil war in the former Yugoslav province, and said there was agreement on the thorny issue of scheduling elections to form a democratic government there.
Some critics have argued that the peace process has not proceeded quickly enough among formerly warring Bosnian Serbs, Muslims and Croats to hold elections in September.
Perry told reporters that no decision was expected until after September on whether to send a new NATO ground force to Bosnia, or perhaps post "rapid reaction" troops nearby after the current NATO-led peacekeeping force of 60,000 pulls out.
"It is not clear that ground troops would be a part of the decision. But if ground troops are part of the decision, then I would think the U.S. would want to participate in it," he said of any recommendation he might make to Clinton on the matter.
U.S. and Western European leaders have been very cautious in predicting whether NATO would commit forces to Bosnia next year after IFOR troop withdraw.
Perry said the touchy political subject would be seriously considered by NATO after the Bosnia elections in September and before U.S. presidential elections in November, in which
Democratic incumbent Clinton is expected to face Republican challenger Bob Dole. |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton said Wednesday that U.S. peacekeeping troops will be in Bosnia in full strength to support elections set for September but will begin withdrawing on schedule in late December. "We believe that it has to be in full force at the time of the election," Clinton said at a news conference with European Union leaders. "We believe that it has to be an effective military force certainly until Dec. 20 and then some draw-down can begin after that."
Berserkistan, June 12 · Perry Favors US in Bosnia in '97
Berserkistan, June 11 · West Signals Longer Bosnia Mission
Berserkistan, June 11 · NATO’s Michael Walker Sees Extended Bosnia Mission
Berserkistan, June 5 · Perry Considers Extended NATO Role in Bosnia
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