Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 23, 1994 TAG: 9407250057
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Clinton directed the Pentagon to mount a round-the-clock airlift of supplies to the refugees, to take over management of African airports needed to distribute the supplies, and to establish a safe water system for the refugees, estimated to number up to 4 million and growing by 2,000 every hour.
``The flow of refugees across Rwanda's borders has now created what could be the world's worst humanitarian crisis in a generation,'' Clinton said at a White House news conference. ``... [It] is now claiming one life a minute.''
The U.S. military mission will cost at least another $100 million in addition to the $150 million in humanitarian aid already committed, according to Anthony Lake, national security adviser to the president.
The initial $150 million was about 40 percent of total global aid to Rwanda's refugees so far, making America's share by far the largest, Lake said.
Up to 1,500 U.S. soldiers will be working on the mission within a week or so, and ultimately ``several thousand'' could be needed, according to Deputy Secretary of Defense John Deutch.
Although Lake stressed that the U.S. military will be used solely in service to the humanitarian relief mission being organized through the United Nations - and not part of a related U.N. peace-keeping mission in Rwanda - they nevertheless potentially will be in danger.
``... Whenever you have such tragic conditions ongoing, there's always tension, there's always the possibility of violence breaking out, intentional or unintentional, so I think it would be wrong to assume that it is without any danger,'' said Gen. John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Lake, Deutch, Shalikashvili and Brian Atwood, director of the Agency for International Development, briefed reporters at the White House after Clinton's remarks.
Clinton's new orders - delivered in response to an appeal from the U.N. high commissioner for refugees - specifically require the U.S. military to:
Establish and manage an airlift hub at Entebbe, Uganda, which will be used as a staging area for round-the-clock relief shipments to refugee camps. Consultations with Uganda's government are under way.
Expand airlift operations at smaller airfields closer to refugee camps in Goma and Bukavu in Zaire.
Increase the capacity at those three airfields, and potentially others, to receive, transfer and distribute food, medicine and other supplies.
Establish a safe water supply and distribute water.
by CNB