Clinton: NATO campaign escalating to 'next level'

Clinton says NATO is taking its allied airstrikes to the next level ( 235 K/22 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
ALSO NATO: Train attack 'unfortunate' but unavoidable U.S., Russia can't bridge Kosovo gap Congressional leaders urge Clinton to use 'anything necessary' in Kosovo

'Emergency' funding to be requested

In this story: More U.S. warplanes Ground troops? The cost? RELATED STORIES, SITES

April 13, 1999
Web posted at: 3:48 p.m. EDT (1948 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As NATO escalates its air war to "the next level," President Clinton said Tuesday the allies already have destroyed half of Yugoslavia's advanced MiG-29 fighter jets.

The president also said he will ask Congress for "emergency" spending to keep the pressure on while also assisting the international humanitarian effort for Kosovo refugees driven from the Serb province.

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Clinton noted it was Holocaust Remembrance Day. "Let us resolve not to let this ethnic cleansing and killing by (Yugoslav) President Milosevic go unanswered," he said.

"Our campaign is diminishing and grinding down Mr. Milosevic's military capabilities," Clinton said. "We have weakened Serbia's air defenses and command and control. We have reduced his ability to move, sustain and supply the war machine in Kosovo."

The president made his comments just after meeting with congressional leaders, urging them to have patience with the NATO air campaign, now at the end of its third week.

More U.S. warplanes

The Pentagon, meantime, was expected to approve NATO's request for more than 300 additional U.S. warplanes to use against Yugoslavia. In such an event, Defense Secretary William Cohen might ask Clinton to give him authority to call up members of the National Guard and Reserve.

USS Roosevelt

The reinforcement warplanes would be in addition to the 500 U.S. aircraft already part of the 700-plane NATO force.

So far, said Clinton, NATO strikes against Milosevic "have damaged his refineries and diminished his capacity to produce ammunition. We are striking now at his tanks and at his artillery and have destroyed half of his advanced MiG-29 aircraft."

"Now we are taking our allied campaign to the next level, with more aircraft in the region, with a British carrier joining our USS Roosevelt and a French carrier in the area," the president said.

Ground troops?

After his public remarks, Clinton ignored a question shouted from reporters about ground troops. But in his private meeting with the congressional group he did not rule it out.

"I heard him say nothing essentially is off the table," Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) said afterward.

Many of the House and Senate members said they urged the president to step up preparations for a ground assault through planning or prepositioning troops.

But Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said he doubted Congress would take up a resolution authorizing Clinton to use any means necessary to win in Yugoslavia.

The cost?

Without naming a price tag, Clinton said he would ask Congress soon for an emergency supplemental appropriation to pay for the war costs and refugee relief efforts.

Although administration and congressional officials have estimated the cost at $2.5 billion to $3 billion, other congressional estimates say it could rise to $8 billion.

Because the funding would be on an "emergency" basis, it would not require cutbacks, or offsets, in government spending.

Correspondents Wolf Blitzer, John King and David Ensor contributed to this report.

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