Dec. 7 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2005

bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist founder of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and organization; Gov. Asaad Abu Gelal of Najaf senior Al Qaida associate. The Office of the Province, Iraq; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Press Secretary also released a Spanish lan- Musab Al Zarqawi; and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, guage transcript of these remarks.

Statement on the Death of Carroll Campbell December 7, 2005

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the was a tireless advocate for the State he loss of Governor Carroll Campbell. Carroll loved and was known for his integrity and Campbell was a strong leader, a committed character. We join South Carolinians and public servant, and a good friend. For more Americans around the Nation in mourning than two decades, he represented the peo- the passing of Carroll Campbell, and we ple of South Carolina as a State legislator, send our thoughts and prayers to Iris and Member of Congress, and Governor. He the entire Campbell family.

Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Consolidated Report on the Deployment of Combat-Equipped Armed Forces December 7, 2005

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) in support of those operations and of other I am providing this supplemental consoli- operations in our war on terror. dated report, prepared by my Administra- I will direct additional measures as nec- tion and consistent with the War Powers essary in the exercise of the right of the Resolution (Public Law 93–148), as part of United States to self-defense and to protect my efforts to keep the Congress informed U.S. citizens and interests. Such measures about deployments of U.S. combat- may include short-notice deployments of equipped armed forces around the world. special operations and other forces for sen- This supplemental report covers operations sitive operations in various locations in support of the war on terror, Kosovo, throughout the world. It is not possible to and Bosnia and Herzegovina. know at this time either the precise scope or duration of the deployment of U.S. The War on Terror Armed Forces necessary to counter the ter- Since September 24, 2001, I have re- rorist threat to the United States. ported, consistent with Public Law 107– United States Armed Forces, with the 40 and the War Powers Resolution, on the assistance of numerous coalition partners, combat operations in Afghanistan against al- continue to conduct the U.S. campaign to Qaida terrorists and their Taliban sup- pursue al-Qaida terrorists and to eliminate porters, which began on October 7, 2001, support to al-Qaida. These operations have and the deployment of various combat- been successful in seriously degrading al- equipped and combat-support forces to a Qaida’s training capabilities. United States number of locations in the Central, Pacific, Armed Forces, with the assistance of nu- and Southern Command areas of operation merous coalition partners, ended the

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Taliban regime and are actively pursuing transformation. These contributions have and engaging remnant al-Qaida and Taliban included assisting in building the capability fighters in Afghanistan. Approximately 280 of the Iraqi security forces and institutions, U.S. personnel are also assigned to the as the Iraqi people, represented by the International Security Assistance Force Transitional National Assembly, drafted and (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The U.N. Security approved a constitution and progressed to- Council authorized the ISAF in U.N. Secu- ward the establishment of a constitutionally rity Council Resolution 1386 of December elected government. The U.S. contribution 20, 2001, and has reaffirmed its authoriza- to the MNF is approximately 160,000 mili- tion since that time, most recently, for a tary personnel. 12-month period from October 13, 2005, In furtherance of our efforts against ter- in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1623 rorists who pose a continuing and imminent of September 13, 2005. The mission of the threat to the United States, our friends and ISAF under NATO command is to assist allies, and our forces abroad, the United the Government of Afghanistan in creating States continues to work with friends and a safe and secure environment that allows allies in areas around the globe. United reconstruction and the reestablishment of States combat-equipped and combat-sup- Afghan authorities. Currently, all 26 NATO port forces are located in the Horn of Afri- nations contribute to the ISAF. Ten non- ca region, and the U.S. forces headquarters NATO contributing countries also partici- element in Djibouti provides command and pate by providing military and other sup- control support as necessary for military op- port personnel to the ISAF. erations against al-Qaida and other inter- The United States continues to detain national terrorists in the Horn of Africa several hundred al-Qaida and Taliban fight- region, including Yemen. These forces also ers who are believed to pose a continuing assist in enhancing counter terrorism capa- threat to the United States and its interests. bilities in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, and The combat-equipped and combat-support Djibouti. In addition, the United States forces deployed to Naval Base, Guanta- continues to conduct maritime interception namo Bay, Cuba, in the U.S. Southern operations on the high seas in the areas Command area of operations since January of responsibility of all of the geographic 2002 continue to conduct secure detention combatant commanders. These maritime operations for the approximately 500 enemy operations have the responsibility to stop combatants at Guantanamo Bay. the movement, arming, or financing of The U.N. Security Council authorized a international terrorists. Multinational Force (MNF) in Iraq under unified command in U.N. Security Council Nato-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) Resolution 1511 of October 16, 2003, and As noted in previous reports regarding reaffirmed its authorization in U.N. Secu- U.S. contributions in support of peace- rity Council Resolution 1546 of June 8, keeping efforts in Kosovo, the U.N. Secu- 2004. In U.N. Security Council Resolution rity Council authorized Member States to 1637 of November 8, 2005, the Security establish KFOR in U.N. Security Council Council, noting the Iraqi Government’s re- Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999. The mis- quest to retain the presence of the MNF, sion of KFOR is to provide an international extended the MNF mandate for a period security presence in order to deter renewed ending on December 31, 2006. Under Res- hostilities; verify and, if necessary, enforce olutions 1546 and 1637, the mission of the the terms of the Military Technical Agree- MNF is to contribute to security and sta- ment between NATO and the Federal Re- bility in Iraq, as reconstruction continues, public of Yugoslavia (which is now Serbia until the completion of Iraq’s political and Montenegro); enforce the terms of the

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Undertaking on Demilitarization and Trans- force structure, force reductions, and the formation of the former Kosovo Liberation eventual withdrawal of KFOR. NATO has Army; provide day-to-day operational direc- adopted the Joint Operations Area plan to tion to the Kosovo Protection Corps; and regionalize and rationalize its force struc- maintain a safe and secure environment to ture in the Balkans. The UNMIK inter- facilitate the work of the U.N. Interim Ad- national police and the Kosovo Police Serv- ministration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). ice (KPS) have full responsibility for public Currently, there are 25 NATO nations safety and policing throughout Kosovo ex- contributing to KFOR. Eleven non-NATO cept in the area of South Mitrovica, where contributing countries also participate by KFOR and UNMIK share this responsi- providing military personnel and other sup- bility due to security concerns. The port personnel to KFOR. The U.S. con- UNMIK international police and KPS also tribution to KFOR in Kosovo is about 1,700 have begun to assume responsibility for U.S. military personnel, or approximately guarding patrimonial sites and established 10 percent of KFOR’s total strength of ap- border-crossing checkpoints. The KFOR proximately 17,000 personnel. Additionally, augments security in particularly sensitive U.S. military personnel occasionally operate areas or in response to particular threats from Macedonia, Albania, and Greece in as needed. support of KFOR operations. The U.S. forces have been assigned to NATO Headquarters in Bosnia and a sector principally centered around Herzegovina Gnjilane in the eastern region of Kosovo. Pursuant to the June 2004 decision made For U.S. KFOR forces, as for KFOR gen- by NATO Heads of State and Government, erally, maintaining a safe and secure envi- and in accordance with U.N. Security ronment remains the primary military task. Council Resolution 1575 of November 22, The KFOR operates under NATO com- 2004, NATO concluded its Stabilization mand and control and rules of engagement. Force operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina The KFOR coordinates with and supports and established NATO Headquarters-Sara- the UNMIK at most levels; provides a se- jevo to continue to assist in implementing curity presence in towns, villages, and the the Peace Agreement in conjunction with countryside; and organizes checkpoints and a newly established European Force. The patrols in key areas to provide security, pro- NATO Headquarters-Sarajevo, to which ap- tect minorities, resolve disputes, and help proximately 220 U.S. personnel are as- instill in the community a feeling of con- signed, is, with the European Force, the fidence. legal successor to SFOR. The principal In accordance with U.N. Security Coun- tasks of NATO Headquarters-Sarajevo are cil Resolution 1244, UNMIK continues to providing advice on defense reform and transfer additional competencies to the performing operational supporting tasks, Kosovar Provisional Institutions of Self- such as counterterrorism and supporting Government, which includes the President, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prime Minister, multiple ministries, and the Former Yugoslavia. Kosovo Assembly. The UNMIK retains ulti- I have directed the participation of U.S. mate authority in some sensitive areas such Armed Forces in all of these operations as police, justice, and ethnic minority af- pursuant to my constitutional authority to fairs. conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Com- NATO continues formally to review mander in Chief and Chief Executive. Offi- KFOR’s mission at 6-month intervals. cials of my Administration and I commu- These reviews provide a basis for assessing nicate regularly with the leadership and current force levels, future requirements, other Members of Congress with regard to

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these deployments, and we will continue NOTE: Identical letters were sent to J. Den- to do so. nis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Rep- Sincerely, resentatives, and Ted Stevens, President pro tempore of the Senate. This letter was re- leased by the Office of the Press Secretary GEORGE W. BUSH on December 9.

Remarks at a Reception for Senatorial Candidate Mark Kennedy in Minneapolis, December 9, 2005

Thanks for coming. Thank you all. I ap- He’s a fine man and doing a great job preciate the warm reception. [Laughter] as Governor. I want to thank the Lieuten- This is a Senator Kennedy I can work with. ant Governor who is here. I want to thank [Laughter] I have come because I know all the State and local officials. Mark, and I know he is going to make I want to thank my friend Norm Cole- a great United States Senator for the peo- man. Congressman is with us ple of Minnesota. today. Jim, I appreciate you coming—new- He’s a down-to-earth fellow. After all, lywed, I might add. Mark and I flew over he was raised in rural Minnesota. He brings with Congressman John Kline—you talk commonsense values to Washington, DC. about a patriot and a good man who needs He’s not one of these kind of fancy guys; to be reelected to the United States Con- he’s a guy that gets the job done. He fo- gress. cuses on results. He works on behalf of I want to thank a longtime family friend the people. He’ll make a great United of ours, Rudy Boschwitz, for his great lead- States Senator from Minnesota. ership. I appreciate the Boschwitz family Laura sends her love. Mark and I both for being here—all the Boschwitz boys. married above ourselves. [Laughter] I’m [Laughter] And they didn’t ask for any ad- proud to be up here with Debbie Kennedy vice, but I gave it, and I said, ‘‘Listen to as well. I met the—Sarah—the Kennedy your mother.’’ [Laughter] Mark, you need family, if you don’t know it, is quite large. to be listening to yours too. [Laughter] [Laughter] If they all vote—[laughter]—it’s I want to thank all the grassroots activ- a landslide. [Laughter] But Laura sends her ists. Thank you all for coming. Here’s the very best. deal. It’s important to contribute like you One of the important things about run- have. But your contributions are going to ning for office is to have a family that be needed to win this campaign, and these stands with you. It can be a little lonely are contributions of talking to your neigh- out there at times. But there’s nothing bet- bors, going to your community centers and ter than coming home to a great wife, and houses of worship and places you work, in Mark’s case, and a family that dearly and telling people that when you’ve got loves him. One reason to send Mark Ken- somebody who’s honest and decent like nedy to the United States Senate is, he Mark Kennedy, they need to send him to understands the importance of family in our the United States Senate for the good of society today. all people of Minnesota. I want to thank the Governor of your So I want to thank you for what you great State, Tim Pawlenty, for being here. have done for this good man and what

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