Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 4.djvu/255

 PUBLIC LAW 103-337—OCT. 5, 1994 108 STAT. 2889 (4) The threat of instabiHty in Eastern and Central Europe, as well as in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, continues to pose a fundamental challenge to the interests of the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (5) North Atlantic Treaty Organization assets have been deployed in recent years for more than the territorial defense of alliance members, and the Rome Summit of October 1991 adopted a new strategic concept for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that entertained the possibility of operations beyond the gJliance's self-defense area. (6) In Oslo in July 1992, and in Brussels in December 1992, the alliance embraced the deployment of North Atleintic Treaty Organization forces to peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations or the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. (7) The North Atlantic TYeaty Organization should attempt to cooperate with and seek a mandate from international organizations such as the United Nations when considering responses to crises outside the alliances's self-defense area. (8) Not all members of the international community share a commonality of interests that would ensure timely action by the United Nations Security Council. (9) It is critical that the security interests of the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization not be held hostage to indecision at the United Nations or a veto by a permanent member of the Security Council. (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS. —It is the sense of Congress that— (1) it should be the policy of the United States that, in accordance with article 53 of the United Nations Charter, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization retains the right of autonomy of action regarding missions in addition to collective defense should the United Nations Security Council or the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe fail to act; (2) while it is desirable to work with other international organizations and arrangements where feasible in dealing with threats to the peace, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is not an auxiliary to the United Nations or any other organization; and (3) the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization reserve the right to act collectively in defense of their vital interests. SEC. 1303. AUTHORIZED END STRENGTH FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL IN EUROPE. (a) END STRENGTH. — Paragraph (1) of section 1002(c) of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1985 (22 U.S.C. 1928 note), is amended to read as follows: "(1) The end strength level of members of the Armed Forces of the United States assigned to permanent duty ashore in European member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization may not exceed a permanent ceiling of approximately 100,000 in any fiscal year.". (b) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN ISLAND-BASED TROOPS IN CALCULA- TION OF AUTHORIZED END STRENGTH.— Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: "(3) For purposes of this subsection, members of the Armed Forces of the United States assigned to permanent duty ashore

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