NATO Attacks Serbia:
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7/4/99
NATO Rejects Latest Serb Peace Offer
- Ceasefire a 'Cynical Ploy' says West
- Kosovo Appeal for refugees - Full contact and web details
TONY BLAIR and other NATO leaders have rejected a Serb Easter
ceasefire as a 'cynical ploy'.
Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic made the announcement of
the ceasefire yesterday afternoon but was immediately rebuffed
across Europe and North America. Although he has ordered his
military and special police forces to return to barracks he has
not accepted that UN or NATO observers be allowed into Kosovo
to guarantee a safe return for Albanian refugees. This is a key
demand for a halt to the bombing from NATO according to their
spokesman 'Jamie' Shea.
Meanwhile as the refugee crisis continues, a charity initiative
launched across the broadcasting media media yesterday has already
broken fund raising records. By midnight over 2 million UKP had
been raised. The appeal combines together Britain's leading charities
in this field, including Oxfam, The British Red Cross and Christian
Aid.
The Disasters Emergency Committee Kosovo Appeal can be reached
online, by post or by phone:
URL: http://www.dec.org.uk/
Telephone: 0870 606 0900 or 0990 222 233
Donations by Post: Disasters Emergency Committee Kosovo Appeal,
PO Box 999, London, EC4A 9AA
Kosovo Refugees Appeal:
Special message from LondonNet's Publishers
6/4/99
NATO Digs In For Long Campaign
- Allies maintain bombing as Balkan arms build up continues
NATO LEADERS are committing an increasing number and variety
of weaponry and personnel to the Balkan theatre.
Following twelve days of airstrikes against targets in Yugoslavia
the brief has now widened to include 'economic' targets in Serbia
and ground troops in Kosovo. To maintain this wide ranging campaign
the US is sending Apache attack helicopters and other high-tech
airpower, while the UK and other European forces send Tornados
and Mirage fighter/bombers.
Many supporters of the military mission claim this is a precursor
to a limited ground based attack. But the necessary manpower
buildup could take 6-8 weeks according to military analysts.
In the UK opposition to the NATO bombing has increased over
the Easter break. As the pictures of hundreds of thousands of
refugees have been shown across the nation's living rooms, many
question whether the bombings have merely exasperated the humanitarian
problem.
1/4/99
NATO War 'Plan' Unravels
- Disquiet in Washington compounded by capture of three
US soldiers
THERE ARE reports of disquiet in Washington as doubts mount
over the effectiveness of NATO's bombing campaign against wayward
Yugoslavia.
Many analysts and Congressman are concerned that the air attacks
will achieve little beyond symbolism, except of course death
and destruction on the ground. They fear that this in turn could
steel the Serb's resolve in much the same way as Vietnamese people
bound together during their decade of enduring air strikes.
The general view seems to be an acceptance that the only way
to enforce a peace agreement which assures the security of Kosovars
is to call in ground troops. At this stage such an escalation
is politically unacceptable believe commentators.
To compound the already problematic NATO mission, Serbian
TV have shown pictures of what they claim are three captured
US soldiers. US officials claim that the troops were part of
a peacekeeping force that was in the process of withdrawing from
the Kosovo/Macedonia border region.
As if all this was not enough to prejudice public support
for the war, there are reports that the US Air force is running
out of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and that Russia is sending 7
warships to the region.
31/3/99
NATO Rejects Peace and Steps Up Attacks
- Refugee crisis as war paralyses Balkan region
NATO LEADERS have rejected as 'woefully inadequate' a peace
offer negotiated yesterday by Russian Premier Yevgeny  Primakov
from Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic (pictured right).
The offer would have seen a major withdrawal of Serb troops
from Kosovo and the return of ethnic Albanians to the troubled
province, in return for an immediate NATO ceasefire. NATO dismissed
the proposal as inadequate as they demand Serb forces withdraw
before any cessation is considered.
The refugee crisis, which has been exasperated by the conflict,
is threatening to paralyse the Balkan region. The following NATO/Unicef
figures published in today's Independent newspaper show the scale
of the problem:
Kosovo Refugee Crisis
Population one year ago: 2 million
Fled before 24 March: 250,000
Fled since NATO bombing: 250,000
- of which:
refugees within Kosovo: 160,000
refugees outside Kosovo: 90,000
30/3/99
Peace In Our Time?
- Primakov leaves Belgrade with Serb ceasefire proposal
RUSSIAN PREMIER Yevgeny Primakov has left Belgrade following
a six hour meeting with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Primakov will set out terms of a proposed deal which in return
for a Serb ceasefire in Kosovo could see NATO air attacks halted
forthwith. The Russian Prime Minister was under direct orders
from his President Boris Yeltsin to formulate a deal which while
halting the Serbian offensive in Kosovo would also stop NATO's
bombing of fellow Slavs.
Milosevic has now offered to withdraw his troops from Kosovo.
NATO partners will now examine the terms of the offer before
halting their attacks.
The Serb leader would be keen to see a ceasefire which would
allow him to prepare for a fresh period of brinkmanship which
could further test NATO's resolve. Already cracks have appeared
in the coalition with Italy and Greece voicing concern over the
duration and extent of bombing.
Meanwhile the refugee crisis deepens throughout the region.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Kosovars have fled to the
border of their troubled province.
29/3/99
Doubts Raised Over NATO Bombing
- Downed Stealth fighter shows vulnerability of West's mission
FOLLOWING the loss of a high-tech 'Stealth' fighter on the
weekend the NATO mission to bomb Serbia back to the negotiating
table is ever more perilous.
 Prior to the F-117A crashing to earth late
Saturday near Belgrade, the USAF had claimed that the fighter
was invisible to enemy radar. That invincibility is in tatters
with the news that a Serb SA-3 missile is believed to have downed
the UKP 30 million aircraft. NATO forces have taken comfort in
the claimed rescue of the as yet unnamed US pilot, within hours
of the crash.
Although, according to this weekend's polls, a clear majority
support the NATO action, an increasingly vocal opposition to
the campaign is gearing up. There are those who oppose the bombing
as being immoral and unwarranted. Others worry that there is
no clear mission, in particular that there is little prospect
of the bombing changing Serb policy in Kosovo. Many commentators
agree that only the use of ground troops can give NATO leaders
a realistic prospect of 'liberating' Kosovo.
Any ground campaign would be a step too far for many members
of the public who recall the humiliating wars fought by the two
great superpowers in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Tony Parsons writing in the Mirror said "We have started
a war that we are not prepared to finish. And far from bringing
peace to Europe, my bet is that it will bring screaming chaos."
What do you think?
Are NATO countries right to bomb Serbia over autonomy for
Kosovo?
- Have your say today on our News
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26/3/99
Palace Star Demonstrates Outside PM Blair's
London Home
- Sasa Curcic joins hundreds of Serbs and anti-war protesters
at Downing Street
HUNDREDS OF SERBS and anti-war protesters have been staging
a night time demonstration outside Downing Street.
They included exiles, London born Serbs and anti-war demonstrators.
The protest was there to welcome home Prime Minister Tony Blair
who arrived back form his EU conference in Berlin. Crystal Palace
footballer Sasa Curcic joined the protest which continued through
the night.
- MPs divided over NATO's blitzkrieg tactics
NATO showed there was no let up in their mass bombing campaign,
with a stepped up series of raids yesterday and more attacks
planned for the weekend. Blair is reported to have warned his
cabinet that he campaign may continue for weeks if Serb leader
Milosevic fails to cave in to NATO's demands.
But MPs were far from unanimous in their support for the blitzkrieg
style attacks. Veteran left-winger Tony Benn attempted unsuccessfully
to have a division (vote) on the issue.
"We are witnessing a war to control the Balkans"
said Benn, "I am bitterly opposed to Milosevic because faced
with a political problem he used force - which is exactly the
same reason that I am against the Government's action".
Former Defence Minister Alan Clark, now Tory MP for Kensington,
warned that backing the Kosovan Liberation Army was a poor choice.
"Many British servicemen regard the KLA as a bunch of
thugs deeply involved in the drugs trade who are also operating
various refugee operations into this country" said Clark.
Meanwhile London Mayor hopeful Ken Livingstone supported the
action claiming that he was surprised that Milosevic had not
already been indicted for war crimes.
What do you think?
Are NATO countries right to bomb Serbia?
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25/3/99
Blair's Bombs Seek to End 'Vile Oppression'
- British PM takes Britain to war against Serbs
THE NATO ASSAULT on Yugoslavia will continue through today
following a night of air attacks on targets in Serbia, Montenegro
and Kosovo.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed with US President
Bill Clinton and other NATO leaders that a series of bombing
raids were required. This resulted from perceived Serbian intransigence
at accepting a UN based peace plan for Kosovo.
'We have a duty to see justice is done' said Blair.
Yesterday eight B-52 USAF left bases in England aircraft to
take part in the raids. They launched airborne based cruise missiles
to target Yugoslav air defence and command and control points.
This is a mirror of the most recent episode of strikes on Iraq.
SERBIA TALKBACK SPECIAL:
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countries right to bomb Serbia over autonomy for Kosovo?
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