THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                   TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
                 TO THE CHAIRMEN OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEES
                  ON NATIONAL SECURITY, APPROPRIATIONS,
                  AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AND THE
                 SENATE COMMITTEES ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,
                   ARMED SERVICES, AND APPROPRIATIONS

June 24, 1998

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I am pleased to transmit herewith the 1997 Annual Report to the Congress on Peacekeeping. The report is required by section 407(d) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236).

The report provides an account of how the United States used peacekeeping last year to promote regional stability and to advance U.S. interests. Our support for United Nations and other peacekeeping operations allowed us to protect our interests before they were directly threatened and ensured that other nations shared with us the risks and costs of maintaining stability in the post-Cold War world.

Working together, we brought greater discipline to decision-making in national capitals and at the United Nations regarding multilateral peace operations. Tough questions about mandate, size, cost, duration, and exit strategy for proposed missions were answered before operations were approved. Careful attention was also given to ensuring that those responsible for leading peacekeeping missions -- the United Nations, NATO, or a coalition of concerned states -- were capable of successfully achieving the intended objective.

I look forward to working with you to ensure that peacekeeping remains a viable option for dealing with international conflicts of interest to the United States.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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