USA: KOSOVO: CLINTON TO SEND MORE TROOPS TO THE BALKANS - UPDATE скачать в хорошем качестве

USA: KOSOVO: CLINTON TO SEND MORE TROOPS TO THE BALKANS - UPDATE

(3 Jun 1999) English/Nat President Clinton gave the go-ahead on Wednesday to send more U-S ground troops to the Balkans. He says the U-S will send seven-thousand troops into the region, as part of a larger 50-thousand strong NATO peacekeeping force for Kosovo. America's growing presence in the Balkans was underscored on Wednesday by President Clinton and senior administration officials. At the U-S Air Force Academy in Colorado, the President laid out plans for a larger American ground force to join a NATO peacekeeping force set for Kosovo. And that force, he said, would stand ready to help return Kosovar refugees to their homeland, once a peace deal is brokered with Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Approximately 50 thousand troops will take part in this effort. Our European allies will provide the vast bulk of them, but America will also contribute and we should. Today I am announcing my decision to provide about 7 thousand of these troops for Kosovo - about 15 percent of the total force. The leading in head quarters are already in Albania and Macedonia ready to deploy to Kosovo in a few hours to oversee the safe return of the refugees. " SUPER CAPTION: President Bill Clinton. The seven thousand is an increase from the four-thousand promised a few months ago. Clinton also signaled approval for renewed Russian efforts to broker a deal in Belgrade, and also hinted at a possible role for Russia in NATO's peacekeeping plans. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Russia is now working with us on a solution that meets our requirements. We hope Russian troops will participate in the force that keeps the peace in Kosovo, just as they have done so well in our joint efforts in Bosnia." SUPER CAPTION: President Bill Clinton. But at the Pentagon, U-S defence chief William Cohen seemed to indicate there was no decision yet on what Russia's role might be in a peacekeeping force. Nor was there any indication that a larger force set for the Balkans would also be poised for an invasion if necessary. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The only plans that we have would be for the enhanced K-FOR - the more robust peacekeeping mission that the NATO countries have basically ...or the Knack (?) has recommended. And the numbers that would go from the 28 thousand originally discussed to the up to approximately 50 thousand to go in and be prepared to go in as soon as there is a peace agreement. That is the only planning that has been done through the NATO process." SUPER CAPTION: William Cohen, U.S. Defense Secretary. U-S officials say NATO still stands by a list of demands, including the withdrawal of all Serb forces from Kosovo, as conditions that Milosevic must accept. That point was made by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, meeting Wednesday with the Macedonian Prime Minister. She says envoys from Russia and Finland set for talks in Belgrade would elaborate, not negotiate, NATO's views. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The big question that remains to be answered is how Milosevic will react. The ball is in his court, once this elaboration of the conditions has been presented, and we're just going to have to see how he reacts to it." SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U.S. Secretary of State. The demands made to Milosevic by NATO, she said, are already clear. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...