New Tasks Could Extend U.S. Troop
Presence in Bosnia Beyond December
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The United States will remain deeply engaged in civilian activities in Bosnia indefinitely, even if military forces leave by year's end as expected, a senior U.S. official said Friday. The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, also kept alive speculation that new tasks could be found to necessitate keeping American troops in Bosnia beyond a one-year deadline.He predicted a "very bumpy period" in Bosnia until elections are held — possibly in September —as candidates representing the country's three rival factions jockey for political advantage ahead of the polls. Under the U.S.-brokered Dayton peace agreement, the NATO-led implementation force would be out of Bosnia in one year, reflecting an oft-stated committment by President Clinton.
The senior U.S. official said that, while IFOR is supposed to leave Bosnia after one year, "the United States as a government, as a civilan entity will be there for much longer than a year. We in the State Department will be there very actively for as long as necessary to make sure this works," he said. "There will be an ongoing engagement in a whole number of areas... economic reconstruction... refugee resettlement... human rights... arms control... confidence-building measures. The only thing that's a one-year program is the specific mission of IFOR," he said.
Nevertheless, the official said it was legitimate to ask what tasks the international community must engage in after December and "will military forces be needed to help do these tasks. That's a question I can't answer," he said. "Right now, the military task is set for about a year. It is well on its way to being completed. Maybe new tasks will be defined. But right now it is certainly not possible for us to do so."
The next six weeks will see an intensive diplomatic effort to put new momentum behind the civilian aspects of the Dayton agreement, especially setting up conditions and mechanisms to carry out Bosnia's first elections as an independent state.
The official acknowledged that expectations for the polls are minimal, saying: "You also have to accept these are going to be pragmatic elections, not based on the establishment of pure democracy there." The Federation Forum — grouping Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and Croatian officials — will hold a one-day meeting in Washington Tuesday to discuss strengthening Bosnia's shaky Muslim-Croat alliance.
A meeting in June of NATO foreign ministers and the annual G-7 summit of the world's richest countries later that month will also make statements in support of the Bosnia elections.
Brits Rule Out Extended IFOR Mission
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