Clinton Administration Announces Plan for 50,000-Troop Peacekeeping Force in Kosovo

Strategic Insights -

The Clinton Administration unveiled a plan to deploy a 50,000-troop peacekeeping force to Kosovo, with the majority of troops to be stationed on the borders of the province. The US and its allies aim to establish a force that can help return Kosovar Albanian refugees and police any agreement reached with the Serbs. However, NATO and the Pentagon have left open the possibility of deploying troops without the permission of President Slobodan Milosevic, increasing pressure on him to comply with international demands.

As part of the plan, about 7,000 American soldiers will be part of the new force, with another 5,000 troops based in Albania accompanying a fleet of Apache helicopters. The Administration is also negotiating with Russia on concessions that would allow Milosevic to keep some forces in Kosovo, a significant shift from NATO's previous stance that he must depart entirely. The United States and Britain will argue that time is running out to deploy the force before winter arrives in October.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Clinton Administration announced plans to deploy a 50,000-troop peacekeeping force to Kosovo, with the majority of troops to be stationed on the province's borders.
  • About 7,000 American soldiers will be part of the new force, while another 5,000 troops will be based in Albania accompanying a fleet of Apache helicopters.
  • NATO and the Pentagon have left open the possibility of deploying troops without the permission of President Slobodan Milosevic, increasing pressure on him to comply with international demands.
  • The Administration is negotiating with Russia on concessions that would allow Milosevic to keep some forces in Kosovo, a significant shift from NATO's previous stance.
  • The United States and Britain will argue that time is running out to deploy the force before winter arrives in October.
  • About 13000 NATO troops are already in the region, primarily in Macedonia, awaiting the deployment of the peacekeeping force.
  • The US has pledged 15 billion dollars in emergency spending for the Kosovo operation, with 15 billion dollars approved by the House of Representatives for the "costs associated with the peacekeeping force."
  • Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic will have some control over troops in Kosovo in a proposed peace deal, in exchange for his agreement to bring an end to violence in the region.
  • Other countries, including Britain and Germany have cast doubts on the peacekeeping plan and left unresolved issues on how many troops the peacekeeping force will comprise.
  • The specifics of how many troops, which country they belong to and who pays for the troops deployment have not been revealed.
  • Prior to announcing the new peacekeeping plan, it is reported that there were talks between Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Russia's Balkan envoy Viktor S. Chernomyrdin in Moscow, resulting in a deal to resolve some of the outstanding issues.
  • Furthermore, the deal may be reviewed at a forthcoming summit meeting of seven major nations in Cologne, Germany, on June 18.
  • The house of Representatives will not support the White House plan to send ground troops without prior Congressional approval.
  • There are varying responses on deploying ground troops, some countries (Britain) support deployment while others (Germany) refuse deployment outright.
  • It has been argued that a ground invasion would be a significant shift to move forward in the deployment of peacekeeping forces.
  • As of today, US troops are expected to deploy 'as quickly as possible' for peacekeeping purposes after being authorized by NATO.

Statistics:

  • 50,000 troops total planned for peacekeeping in Kosovo (includes US and other NATO countries).
  • 7,000 Americans will be part of the 50,000-troop peacekeeping force.
  • 13,000 NATO troops are already in the region, primarily in Macedonia.
  • 5,000 American troops are in Albania accompanying a fleet of Apache helicopters.
  • 8,000 Italian soldiers are based in northern Albania, working mainly on helping ethnic Albanian refugees.
  • 15 billion dollars approved by the House of Representatives for emergency spending for the Kosovo operation.
  • 3 weeks ago, NATO agreed that Kosovo will remain part of Yugoslavia.
  • US agrees to deploy peacekeeping forces into Kosovo, but other countries are still divided on the matter.
  • Around 17,000 troops of NATO have been trained on how to work with each other effectively.
  • Time is running out before October winter begins.

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • Associated Press
  • The White House