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31 January 2003

Bush Tells Congress Kosovo Force to Reduce Gradually

(Reports on progress toward sustainable peace) (300)
President Bush sent a letter to Congressional leaders January 31 with
a Congressionally mandated report regarding the continued deployment
of U.S. military personnel serving as the U.S. contribution to the
NATO-led international security force in Kosovo.
"I anticipate that Kosovo Force -- 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," the letter said.
(begin text)
The White House 
Office of the Press Secretary 
January 31, 2003
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Pursuant to section 1212 of the 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/support to the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. 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 Kosovo Force -- 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.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE, January 31, 2003
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)