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Soldiers

Confidence Grows in NATO's Bosnia Peacekeeping Mission

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

President Clinton's administration has increased its optimism about the success of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, citing the incorporation of key conditions for success: clear goals, powerful force, NATO command and control, robust rules of engagement, a one-year time limit, and the expressed cooperation of rival factions. Military leaders and administration officials have expressed confidence that the mission will be executable, with a senior Army planner stating that "by the time this thing gets approved, it will be a highly refined operational plan that will be executable." Defense Secretary William J. Perry emphasized that the military has learned from past conflicts, including Vietnam, Lebanon, and Somalia, and will not repeat the mistakes of vaguely defined, open-ended operations or limits on protecting forces.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia includes 20,000 American troops and aims to achieve a tightly circumscribed set of goals with minimum casualties.
  • The agreement meets virtually every condition the American military insisted on for success, including clear goals, a powerful force, NATO command and control, robust rules of engagement, a one-year time limit, and the expressed cooperation of rival factions.
  • Military leaders have reversed their skepticism about the mission, with even the most skeptical commanders now expressing confidence in the plan's feasibility.
  • The Pentagon's senior representative at the talks, Lieut. Gen. Wesley Clark, stated that the NATO force will have "a very, very broad range of authorities, which should enable it to do all that's necessary to enforce its specific military tasks."
  • President Clinton has insisted on letters from Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian leaders promising to insure the safety of American and other troops.
  • The 60,000-member NATO force will have "a very, very broad range of authorities, which should enable it to do all that's necessary to enforce its specific military tasks."
  • NATO troops will withdraw from Bosnia by December 1996, with potentially returning home by June 1996 if all goes well.
  • The Administration argues that the United States, as the leader of NATO, is obliged to help enforce the peace agreement after playing a pivotal role in negotiating it.

Statistics:

  • 20,000: The number of American troops participating in the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.
  • 70%: The percentage of House members with military experience 20 years ago, compared to 37% of House members today.
  • 73%: The percentage of Senators with military experience 20 years ago, compared to 50% today.
  • 58,000: The number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War.
  • 18: The number of American soldiers killed in the failed Army raid in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993.
  • $1.5 billion: The United States share of the operation.

Sources:

  • ABC News program "This Week with David Brinkley"
  • CBS News program "Face the Nation"
  • The American Legion
  • The Pentagon
  • President Clinton's administration
  • Lieut. Gen. Wesley Clark
  • Defense Secretary William J. Perry
  • James Pardew, a senior Defense Department negotiator at the talks.

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