THE WHITE HOUSE
  
                    Office of the Press Secretary
  
  _______________________________________________________________
  
  For Immediate Release	   	     	           April 14, 1993
  
  
                 TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
                        TO THE SPEAKER OF THE
                    HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND
               THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE
  
  
                           April 13, 1993
  
  
  Dear Mr. Speaker:      (Dear Mr. President:)
  
  As part of my continuing effort to keep the Congress fully 
  informed, I am providing this report, consistent with section 4 
  of the War Powers Resolution, to advise you of actions that I 
  have ordered in support of the United Nations efforts in 
  Bosnia-Herzegovina.
  
  Beginning with U.N. Security Council Resolution 713 of 
  September 25, 1991, the United Nations has been actively 
  addressing the crisis in the former Yugoslavia.  The Security 
  Council acted in Resolution 781 to establish a ban on all 
  unauthorized military flights over Bosnia-Herzegovina.  There 
  have, however, been blatant violations of the ban, and villages 
  in Bosnia have been bombed.
  
  In response to these violations, the Security Council decided, 
  in Resolution 816 of March 31, 1993, to extend the ban to all 
  unauthorized flights over Bosnia-Herzegovina and to authorize 
  Member States, acting nationally or through regional organi-
  zations, to take all necessary measures to ensure compliance.  
  NATO's North Atlantic Council (NAC) agreed to provide NATO air 
  enforcement for the no-fly zone.  The U.N. Secretary General 
  was notified of NATO's decision to proceed with Operation DENY 
  FLIGHT, and an activation order was delivered to participating 
  allies.
  
  The United States actively supported these decisions.  At my 
  direction, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sent an execute order to 
  all U.S. forces participating in the NATO force, for the conduct 
  of phased air operations to prevent flights not authorized by 
  the United Nations over Bosnia-Herzegovina.  The U.S. forces 
  initially assigned to this operation consist of 13 F-15 and 
  12 F-18A fighter aircraft and supporting tanker aircraft.  
  These aircraft commenced enforcement operations at 8:00 a.m. 
  e.d.t. on April 12, 1993.  The fighter aircraft are equipped for 
  combat to accomplish their mission and for self-defense.
  
  NATO has positioned forces and has established combat air 
  patrol (CAP) stations within the control of Airborne Early 
  Warning (AEW) aircraft.  The U.S. CAP aircraft will normally 
  operate from bases in Italy and from an aircraft carrier in the 
  Adriatic Sea.  Unauthorized aircraft entering or approaching 
  the no-fly zone will be identified, interrogated, intercepted, 
  escorted/monitored, and turned away (in that order).  If these 
  steps do not result in compliance with the no-fly zone, such 
  aircraft may be engaged on the basis of proper authorization by 
  NATO military authorities and in accordance with the approved 
  
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  rules of engagement, although we do not expect such action will 
  be necessary.  The Commander of UNPROFOR (the United Nations 
  Protection Force currently operating in Bosnia-Herzegovina) was 
  consulted to ensure that his concerns for his force were fully 
  considered before the rules of engagement were approved.
  
  It is not possible to predict at this time how long such 
  operations will be necessary.  I have directed U.S. armed forces 
  to participate in these operations pursuant to my constitutional 
  authority as Commander in Chief.  I am grateful for the con-
  tinuing support that the Congress has given to this effort, and 
  I look forward to continued cooperation as we move forward 
  toward attainment of our goals in this region.
  
       	    	      	   	Sincerely,
  
  
  
  
       	    	      	   	WILLIAM J. CLINTON
  
  
  