Gibbons headed to Kosovo to visit troops, survey situation

Gibbons, R-Nev., is scheduled to leave Andrews Air Force Base Friday and return to Washington late Sunday, his spokesman Jay Cranford said.

The congressman said he wants to get a firsthand look at the military and refugee situations and report back to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who picked him for the trip expected to include about a dozen lawmakers.

Gibbons said he expects President Clinton to ask Congress for a significant amount of emergency funding for the Kosovo mission and relief for displaced Albanians.

"Congress has an important role to play in this decision-making process," Gibbons said Thursday.

"We're headed to Kosovo to bring back the latest news on the situation so Congress can make the best and most informed decisions possible," he said.

The delegation plans to visit with NATO leaders and U.S. troops as well as survey refugee camps in Macedonia and Albania.

Gibbons served as a combat fighter pilot in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. He serves on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees.

He said he wants to personally thank the troops in the region for their sacrifices.

"As a veteran of two wars, I am personally and gravely aware of the enormous challenges that the brave young men and women of our U.S. military forces face on a daily basis," he said.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., chairmen of the Senate and House appropriations committees, are leading the delegation. It will fly to Brussels to meet with NATO Supreme Commander Gen. Wesley Clark and civilian NATO officials before heading to Aviano Air Base in Italy.

Gibbons believes the conflict in Kosovo is "a European ally problem" that should be met primarily with European troops.

"It is their backyard. They have the biggest responsibility to make sure peace is maintained in the area," he said earlier this month.

"Before we send troops in, we have to identify a vital U.S. interest."

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