Deja Vu

Regarding Bosnia, during consideration of that same bill, the Senate passed a sense of Congress amendment that no funds should be made available to deploy U.S. armed forces to participate in the implementation of a peace settlement in Bosnia unless previously authorized by Congress. Another provision on the same bill opposed U.S. participation in any peacekeeping or peace-enforcing operations unless "the President initiates consultations with the bipartisan leadership of Congress" [Senator Robert Dole, Congressional Record, 9/26/95, p. S14271].

Issues for Consideration

The decision to send U.S. troops to any region warrants Congressional scrutiny. The Clinton Administration's willingness to send U.S. troops to implement a peace agreement in Bosnia raises a number of significant issues for Congressional consideration, which include:

Identifying the U.S. national security interests that are at stake;

Determining the number of troops to be deployed, how long they will stay and
conditions for withdrawal;

Defining the mission, rules of engagement, and command structure;

Allowing Russian participation in the peacekeeping operation;

Understanding how such deployment will impact the U.S. military's ability to fulfill other national security objectives (e.g., the ability to fight two nearly-simultaneous major regional conflicts, as identified by the Clinton Administration);

Analyzing the implications of troop deployment upon current policies toward Bosnia, (including: U.S. participation in enforcing No-Fly Zone; impact on the Administration's arms embargo policy);

Paying for the military operation; and, Ensuring Congressional participation (e.g., from consultation to authorization).