[11/22/1994] — Page 2023

FOIA RELEASE

AI Summary

F:\Cable\Data Source\Cables\CD010\NOV94\MSGS\M1375774.html Page 1 of 6 Cable PRIORITY PREC: UNCLASSIFIED CLASS: PTTUZYUW RUEKJCS7895 3262243-UUUU--RHEHAAA RHEHWSR. LINE1: LINE2: ZNR UUUUU RHDLPOA T NTCC CAPODICHINO NAPLES IT LINES: RUCOCGA T USNS COMFORT LINE4: RUEKJCS OSRI: 222138Z NOV 94 DTG: SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//ATSD/PA DDI// ORIG: TO: INFO: DOD NEWS BRIEFING - CONDUCTED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, SUB J: TEXT: 0: TROOPS? A: A: Q: I ALSO A: AIG 8775 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE HA//USIA// RC

Key Findings

NARA NAID 297910672

OCR Text

F:\Cable\Data Source\Cables\CD010\NOV94\MSGS\M1375774.html Page 1 of 6 Cable PRIORITY PREC: UNCLASSIFIED CLASS: PTTUZYUW RUEKJCS7895 3262243-UUUU--RHEHAAA RHEHWSR. LINE1: LINE2: ZNR UUUUU RHDLPOA T NTCC CAPODICHINO NAPLES IT LINES: RUCOCGA T USNS COMFORT LINE4: RUEKJCS OSRI: 222138Z NOV 94 DTG: SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//ATSD/PA DDI// ORIG: TO: INFO: DOD NEWS BRIEFING - CONDUCTED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, SUB J: TEXT: 0: TROOPS? A: A: Q: I ALSO A: AIG 8775 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE HA//USIA// RCCPDMA/NDHQ INT OTTAWA//DGINT// //// UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SUBJ: DOD NEWS BRIEFING - CONDUCTED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1994 AT 1:00 P.M. BY MR. KENNETH H. BACON, ATSD (PA) AT THE PENTAGON MR. BACON: GOOD AFTERNOON. ON THANKSGIVING DAY SECRETARY PERRY WILL GO TO HAITI TO SPEND THE DAY WITH TROOPS. THERE HE'LL TRAVEL TO A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS. IT'S ONE OF HIS WAYS OF SAYING THANK YOU TO THE TROOPS WHO HAVE DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB DOWN THERE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I'M PREPARED TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. DID YOU SAY HE'LL HAVE A MEAL DOWN THERE WITH THE WHERE WOULD THAT BE, OR... HE'S GOING TO BE TRAVELING AROUND TO SEVERAL LOCATIONS. I THINK PROBABLY THE BEST THING TO DO IS EITHER TALK TO US LATER IN DDI OR CONTACT THE JIB DOWN THERE. HE'S REALLY DOING THIS TO SPEND TIME CHATTING WITH THE TROOPS AND NOT TO GET A LOT OF MEDIA COVERAGE. Q: ARE TURKEYS AND STUFF BEING SENT DOWN? A: I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TURKEYS AND ALL THE FIXINGS. Q: ON BOSNIA, HAS THERE BEEN ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE BOSNIAN- SERBS HAVE GOTTEN THE MESSAGE THAT NATO INTENDED TO SEND YESTERDAY WITH THIS AIR STRIKE? WE'RE WATCHING THE SITUATION THERE. IT IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL GET THE MESSAGE. IF THERE IS FIGHTING CONTINUING, WE STAND READY TO SEND THE MESSAGE AGAIN IF NECESSARY. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RESPONSE TO THE FIRING OF GROUND-TO-AIR MISSILES AGAINST NATO AIRCRAFT? WHY IS THAT GOING UNANSWERED? THE MISSILES MISSED WIDELY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT. UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WERE FIRED FROM MOBILE SITES WHICH ARE HARD TO FIND SOMETIMES. BEYOND THAT, I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN ANSWER. F:\Cable\Data Source\Cables\CD010\NOV94\MSGS\M1375774.html Page 2 of 6 WHEN YOU SAY WE ARE PREPARED TO SEND THE MESSAGE AGAIN, Q: A: SO I'M Q: A: Q: I'VE SEEN THE SAME REPORTS. A: Q: ZONES DEALING WITH AIR STRIKES, ETC. THESE ARE DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES THAT WILL LEAD TO CHANGES ON THE GROUND THAT CAN BE TAKEN. THESE ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION. THAT CONSIDERATION IS ONGOING AND THERE SHOULD BE DECISIONS ON THAT. AS I SAID, WE RETAIN THE RIGHT, BOTH NATO AND UNPROFOR, TO CARRY ON ADDITIONAL AIR STRIKES IF NECESSARY. HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT IS NOW BEING REPORTED IN THE SUBURBS AROUND BIHAC. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFE HAVEN. HOW CAN YOU CLEANSE THAT AREA WITHOUT ENDANGERING THE PEOPLE IN THE SAFE AREA? WHAT SORT OF MESSAGE WOULD IT BE? WOULD IT BE A MORE AGGRESSIVE OR STRONGER MESSAGE THAN THE PIN-PRICK STRIKE OF YESTERDAY? WELL, THAT'S YOUR CHARACTERIZATION. THE STRIKE YESTERDAY SUCCEEDED IN DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. IT HAD A LIMITED PURPOSE, AND THAT PURPOSE WAS ACHIEVED. NOT BUYING YOUR CHARACTERIZATION OF IT. IT DID WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. Q: IF BY SENDING A MESSAGE THE SERBS DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AND CONTINUE, THEN IT DIDN'T DO WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. THEREFORE WOULD A STRONGER ATTACK OR STRIKE BE IN ORDER? A: THAT'S FOR THE UN AND NATO TO DECIDE. AS YOU KNOW, THE TWO-KEY CONCEPT REMAINS IN EFFECT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING. ONE, CLEARLY, BOTH THE UN AND NATO ARE WATCHING THE SITUATION AND REACTION TO THE STRIKE YESTERDAY TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGE IN SERB BEHAVIOR. THAT'S THE FIRST THING. SECONDLY, IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT WE AND OUR ALLIES ARE DISCUSSING IN NATO AND AT THE UN A NUMBER OF STEPS THAT WE MIGHT TAKE. MANY OF YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THESE STEPS AND THEY INVOLVE THINGS LIKE EXCLUSION ZONES ON BIHAC, ASSISTED OPERATING THAT'S ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE FACE. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS ISN'T AN EASY PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH. NOTHING IN THIS AREA IS EASY TO DEAL WITH. IF THERE WERE EASY SOLUTIONS, WE WOULD HAVE FOUND THEM A LONG WHILE AGO. IT'S VERY COMPLEX, THERE ARE LIVES AT STAKE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SORT OUR WAY THROUGH THIS AS BEST WE CAN. THERE ARE REPORTS THAT QUOTE UN SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE SERBS HAVE USED A HELICOPTER GUNSHIP IN TODAY'S FIGHTING. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT AT ALL? I CAN'T ELABORATE ON IT. HELICOPTERS ARE ALSO VERY HARD TO FIND. THEY CAN POP UP AND SEE SOMETHING AND THEN GO BACK ONTO THE GROUND. THEY CAN MOVE VERY QUICKLY. SO BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT GET THERE, THEY'RE NO LONGER THERE. YOU SAID YOU ACHIEVED THE GOAL, I GUESS MAYBE I MISSED THIS YESTERDAY. WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT? WAS IT SENDING THIS MESSAGE, OR WERE YOU OUT TO DISABLE THE AIRPORT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? WHAT EXACTLY... F:\Cable\Data Source\Cables\CD010\NOV94\MSGS\M1375774.html Page 3 of 6 Q: IS THAT THE A: Q: A: Q: A: I SENATOR A: HE WAS Q: THEY WERE TO SUPPRESS THE ANTI-AIRCRAFT …

Metadata

Agency
National Archives and Records Administration
Classification
UNCLASSIFIED
Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Confidence60
Credibility70

NARA Source

NAID
297910672
File
24194018-20060527F-001-003-2023.pdf
Type
application/pdf
Retrieval
DOWNLOADED
OCR status
SUCCEEDED

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