U.S. mulls using tropps

The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- There is no consensus in the United States, the Congress or NATO for introduction of ground troops into the fight against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, Defense Secretary William Cohen said yesterday. "And there is no need, according to our commanding officers," Cohen told reporters. "So until such time as that changes? we would not even consider it." However, calls increased in Congress for just such an option as members began returning to town after a two-week spring recess. "You don't want to preclude a legitimate option," said Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), back from a weekend tour of a refugee camp in Macedonia. He said he would support a resolution in the Senate, which appeared to be gaining backing of key lawmakers, that would authorize "whatever force is necessary" to resolve the conflict. Dodd said he was not necessarily calling for ground troops but, "Everything should be left on the table." Ground forces "should be a permissible option," Dodd said. He said it was important for Congress to speak with one voice, if possible. "If we send divided messages in the next 48 to 72 hours, I think we extend this conflict," he told a news conference. Cohen made his assessment at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where he accompanied President Clinton on a trip to thank the service personnel who have been responsible for some of the B-52 and A-10 bombing attacks against Serb forces. Cohen and Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the bombing campaign is showing results. "We are systematically choking off the Yugoslav army and security forces in Kosovo by cutting their supply lines," Cohen said. "As we isolate and weaken the Serb forces in Kosovo, we are launching aggressive attacks against troops on the ground by hitting staging areas, headquarters and forces in the field." "NATO's campaign is showing results," Cohen continued. "We're seeing decreasing military mobility and eroding morale" among the Serbs. Administration and military officials say Milosevic has backed himself into a corner where loss of power and trial as a war criminal may be inevitable. That grim depiction of Milosevic's future came as an increasingly assertive Congress returns from two weeks off to debate whether to sanction the use of ground troops to drive Serbian forces out of Kosovo. The Clinton administration was expected to ask Congress this week for money to pay for the conflict with Yugoslavia and other costs, said congressional and administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The sources said that while final decisions were not yet made, the administration was considering making a request in the $2.5 billion to $3 billion range. It would also pay for last December's Operation Desert Fox air strikes against Iraq, officials said.