After SFOR Planning a European-Led Force
Abstract
The decision by the President to commit over 35,000 U.S. troops to backstop the Dayton peace agreement in autumn 1995 was remarkable given the domestic controversy over the mission and the sad history of intervention in the Balkans in the past. Nonetheless, American leadership of the NATO Implementation Force (IFOR) was key to both the deployment during 1996 and keeping a tight lid on further military action by the various factions in Bosnia. However, eighteen months on, NATO is still firmly mired in Bosnia with no end in sight. Moreover, despite numerous pronouncements from Secretary of Defense William Cohen about an imminent U.S. exit in 1998, there are no plans, political or military, for making the transition from the U.S.-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) to a European-led peacekeeping force (EFOR). Although a conversion to a predominantly European force is broadly supported by both parties in Congress, American allies in Europe have clearly communicated their reluctance to take the lead.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA405212
Entities
People
- John Hillen
Organizations
- National Defense University