
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 10, 1995                   TAG: 9501100088
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: HELEN DEWAR THE WASHINGTON POST
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

DOLE WOULD LIMIT U.S. PEACE-KEEPING

Twenty-two years after a Democratic-led Congress approved ``war powers'' constraints to prevent another Vietnam, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., is pushing a ``peace powers act'' to curb commitment of U.S. troops and dollars to post-Cold War trouble spots.

Just as Democrats in 1973 were trying to put limits on the war-making powers of a Republican president, Richard Nixon, Republicans now are trying to rein in what they regard as misguided, if not dangerous, peacekeeping efforts of a Democratic president.

They also are doing what the Democrats once did by asserting a stronger foreign policy role for Congress now that it is in GOP hands for the first time in 40 years.

Dole's proposal, introduced last week as one of his five top early priorities for the congressional session, would repeal the most controversial provision of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which calls for withdrawal of U.S. forces from potentially hostile situations if their deployment is not approved by Congress within 60 days. Less contentious notification and reporting requirements would be retained without change.

While lifting one curb on presidential powers, Dole's proposal would impose others, such as financial restraints on U.S. support for United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Dole's proposal would make it difficult if not impossible for the president to commit U.S. troops to new or expanded U.N. operations or even continue support for ongoing activities.

``It would shut down peacekeeping as it's done now'' and return the United Nations to a more limited scale of operations exemplified by its noncombat role in separating warring Greek and Turkish populations in Cyprus, said one Republican familiar with the proposal.

The idea is to ``restrict use of our military forces to situations where there is a clear nexus with national security interests,'' said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and co-sponsor of Dole's proposal.

``The United States has been like `Dial 911 and we'll come''' for the rest of the world, Warner said, adding that passage would ``send a clear signal'' that other nations must bear more responsibility for peacekeeping efforts.

by CNB