ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 14, 1996 TAG: 9611140058
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
The United States is willing to send about 1,000 troops to war-torn Zaire to participate in ``a limited fashion'' with a Canadian-led international operation trying to avert a human catastrophe, the White House said Wednesday.
With thousands dying of starvation and disease, press secretary Mike McCurry said, ``Our interests here are largely humanitarian, to save lives.''
Although a decision is pending, President Clinton agreed ``in principle'' to a mission lasting at least four months and involving fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops - about 1,000 of whom would be deployed in Zaire, McCurry said. The remainder would be based elsewhere in the region in support roles.
American troops would make up ``significantly less than the bulk'' of the international force, he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has said that Canada has agreed to lead a multinational contingent of up to 20,000 troops in Zaire. He said more than a dozen nations, including South Africa, have pledged support.
U.S. participation was approved on condition that several standards are met, including cooperation from neighboring countries and assurances that the operation was limited and clearly defined in advance.
He said American soldiers would be under U.S. command, although the operation will be run by a Canadian officer.
``This is not a risk-free environment by any means,'' McCurry said. ``We would not commit to an open-ended, ill-defined mission.''
National Security Adviser Anthony Lake met with a high-ranking Canadian delegation Tuesday. McCurry said the parties agreed on a series of conditions for U.S. support, including:
* The mission would last about four months. But then the United States would decide whether more time or troops were needed to keep the situation from exploding again.
* The international force will have ``very robust rules of engagement.''
* The U.S. mission will not include disarming militants or forcing entry in Zaire.
* The cost of the mission would be borne by participating countries.
Defense Secretary William Perry said U.S. troops will provide security at the Goma airport and along a three-mile corridor from the airport. Perry said the force would be anchored by infantry troops, who would also have assault helicopters assigned to the units.
Troops outside Zaire could be used in supporting roles, including ferrying supplies, officials said.
Pentagon officials have been attempting to work out some form of assistance in the tragedy while avoiding the pitfalls that afflicted the U.S. humanitarian mission in Somalia.
In a long White House briefing, McCurry said, ``A lot of the questions - Why not now? Why not now? Why don't you go do something right away? - reflects a desire to have a very carefully constructed mission, to avoid some of the pitfalls we've seen in the past,'' McCurry said.
The Pentagon dispatched a 37-member team that arrived in Uganda Wednesday to assess the situation in Zaire.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. A woman struggles to be pulled from the middle ofby CNBa crowd of hundreds of Zairians who stampeded Goma's main food aid
depot Wednesday. 2. Canadian U.N. special envoy Raymond Chretien,
right, shakes hands with Zairian Prime Minister
Leon Kengo wa Dondo in Kinshasa Zaire. color.