51. Once Clinton said no U.S. troops for Bosnia, no sir. 52. Others suggest the delay is because of an institutional flap over US troops for the first time being under the direct command of a European general. 53. Others note that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld remains extremely resistant to committing troops for any type of peacekeeping mission. 54. Pentagon aides had strongly criticized the Clinton administration for offering troops for that role in the Balkans and elsewhere, especially in Africa. 55. Privately some foreign soldiers confided they were pesimistic about cooperation with Indonesian troops for however long they remain in East Timor. 56. Regrettably, no outside military power was willing to provide troops for such a mission. 57. Reports that the U.S. military will deploy helicopters carrying elite troops for ground search- and-destroy missions against suspected terrorist havens have made local residents apprehensive. 58. Republicans, by contrast, have been organizing their troops for some time. 59. Russia has agreed to contribute troops for Kosovo, but insists they will not be under NATO command. 60. Robb said he would prefer the United States to provide air support from bases outside Bosnia, with European countries supplying ground troops for such a force. |