There can be no open-ended commitment, and the primary responsibility for bringing peace to Bosnia will continue to be with the parties themselves. IFOR's success and peaceful, national elections have created a hopeful, new environment in Bosnia, Perry said. While IFOR has been successful in implementing the Dayton peace agreement, some NATO ministers believe there is still a role in stabilizing those gains. Others believe it was only necessary for NATO to deter war from breaking out again. Military authorities will assess prospects for stability in Bosnia over the next year and develop contingency plans.
Options range from withdrawing on schedule to providing a war deterrence force.
Ensuring freedom of movement is an example of a stabilization task, Perry said. A war deterrence mission involves providing enough military power to deter any faction restarting the war, he said. Perry said the United States will wait for the NATO study results before deciding on its follow-on role. Many allies have said they will not join a follow-on force unless the United States participates. Rodionov said Russia will commit troops to a follow-on force if NATO deems one necessary.