Word: nato
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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However, the U.N. proposal was officially turned down on April 16. Yugoslav diplomats said that the nation would not withdraw its troops until the bombing had ceased, in essence asking NATO to make the first move. In addition, Yugoslavia would allow only civilian observers, not military forces, into Kosovo. These conditions are unacceptable. The expulsion of the Albanians demonstrates that Milosevic cannot be relied on to obey international human rights conventions, so his compliance with international agreements may be unsteady. If the bombing stopped first, Yugoslavia could easily delay the withdrawal of troops long enough to continue its ethnic cleansing...
...question now is how NATO can bring its vision of the world after the war to fruition. Circumstances on the ground do not look promising. Over the last week, the exodus of Kosovar Albanians has resumed on an intermittent basis, despite what NATO describes as the increasing effectiveness of the bombing campaign. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees now estimates that 670,000 of the 1.8 million Kosovar Albanians have been forced from their homes since March 1998, and it seems likely that the aim of the Yugoslav Army is to expel the entire civilian population...
...achieve its ends of protecting the Albanian population, NATO must be able to weaken Yugoslavia's will faster than the Yugoslav Army can expel civilians. Those far outside of the military cannot possibly estimate the true effectiveness of the bombing or by how much the expulsions have been slowed. However, if bombardment from the air can no longer work faster than the ethnic-cleansers on the ground, the strategy needs reexamination...
...Even if NATO erred in beginning its bombing campaign, as some allege, recognition of that fact cannot give Albanians back their homes. NATO must concentrate on finding the right means to achieve its ends; if air strikes are insufficient for this purpose, we would support the use of NATO ground troops in Kosovo to protect the Kosovar Albanians, to return the refugees to their homes, and to and secure their safety...
Republican congressional leaders, critical of what they say is President Clinton?s neglect of the armed forces, plan to use the President?s $6 billion emergency request for Kosovo to fight their own war over the defense budget. Their emerging strategy: Use the President?s requisition for the NATO action to tack on supplemental funding, perhaps $10 billion or more, to bolster the nation?s defenses. The move has the advantage of both backing the troops in Kosovo while also maintaining the GOP?s distance from Clinton?s general military policy...