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December 1, 1995
Web posted at: 10:45 p.m. EST
From Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There was growing frustration on Capitol Hill Friday over the realization that Congress is powerless to stop President Clinton from dispatching U.S. troops to Bosnia.
Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tennessee, said that the deployment plan had been presented as "fait accompli." "It raises the question as to the role of Congress," he said. (77K AIFF sound or 77K WAV sound)
"This has been a troubled world, but it's been at peace more than it's been at war, if you look at history. These people have shown the ability to live in peace,"
-- Secretary of State Warren Christopher
NATO has already issued marching orders to dispatch 2,600 advance troops to Bosnia beginning Sunday. By the end of next week, those troops will be in Bosnia and Croatia, preparing for the deployment of the main NATO force of 60,000 in about two weeks.
Senators complained that top administration officials weren't consulting with Congress, but instead were, as one senator put it, allowing Congress to "vent its curiosity." "Tell me, Mr. Secretaries, both of you, what is the role of Congress? It seems to me we've been co-opted all over; you're here to describe what we're going to do," said Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyoming. (128K AIFF sound or 128K WAV sound)
Defense Secretary William Perry countered the complaint. "What I am asking from the Congress is support for the mission, so I can convey, to the people conducting it, that support."
While conceding the debate over sending troops is finished, Republicans continued to express grave doubts about the wisdom of the mission. "I cannot and do not, will not, support sending American soldiers to fight and die for the sake of an agreement which may offer no more than the promise of a brief pause while all sides prepare for the next round of Balkan wars," said Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jesse Helms.
Secretary of State Warren Christopher continued to tow the administration line. "This has been a troubled world, but it's been at peace more than it's been at war, if you look at history. These people have shown the ability to live in peace," he said.
While Army troops from Germany make up the bulk of the U.S. force, Pentagon sources confirmed that at least 2,000 Army troops from 12 units based in the United States are also packing for Bosnia. Among them: 750 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
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