Cohen

May 29, 1999
Web posted at: 5:28 a.m. EDT (0928 GMT)

From CNN Correspondent Patty Davis at the Pentagon

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen flew to Bonn, Germany, Wednesday for a secret meeting with NATO defense ministers on Thursday, CNN has learned.

A Pentagon spokesman says Cohen and the ministers discussed a full range of Kosovo issues.

Cohen was invited to consult with the NATO defense ministers on Kosovo, in preparation for their Western European Union defense meeting.

The ministers agreed that the NATO air campaign is working and that NATO should continue to intensify airstrikes, using the increasing number of aircraft provided by NATO countries.

The strikes are to be aimed at a broadened list of targets. Earlier in the week, NATO's political arm, the North Atlantic Council, agreed to expand the target list.

The ministers agreed the Kosovo Force, known as KFOR, should be deployed as soon as possible so it is in a position to implement a peace agreement once one is reached.

The North Atlantic Council also agreed during the week to expand the KFOR to 45,000 to 50,000 troops, with U.S. troops making up approximately 15 percent of total.

The Bonn meeting took place at a time of heightened tensions within NATO over the proposed use of ground troops.

The ministers reaffirmed that NATO's Supreme Commander Gen. Wesley Clark does not have the authority to conduct formal planning for a possible ground invasion force.

Clark does, however, have the authority to plan for the pre-positioning of the KFOR. Clark's staff also continues to update an "assessment" of requirements for a ground force invasion of Kosovo and Yugoslavia.

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