NATO bombs Yugoslav province:
Strikes pound Kosovo
Campus Times
March 19, 1999
by Araceli Esparza
Managing Editor
and Jennifer Parsons
Special to the Times
NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces, led by the United
States, attacked several military installations in the Yugoslav-province
of Kosovo early Wednesday afternoon, leading to the largest military air
strike in Europe since World War II.
The attack came after repeated incidents in which peace compromises
between NATO officials and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic failed.
Attempts for peace were initiated by NATO diplomats near Kosovo in an effort
to protect ethnic Albanians against genocide from Serbs.
For the past 13 months or so, Serbian officials have claimed their place
in several areas of Kosovo, forcing ethnic Albanians in those territories
to live according to their demands, speak the same language as other Serbs
and practice the Orthodox faith.
University of La Verne freshman Sanela Hadzihasanovic, a broadcasting
major, said part of the issue concerns a setting much like that of Nazi
Germany, in which Adolf Hitler and his troops eventually slaughtered Jews
because of their cultural background.
Recently, Milosevic enforced the killing of those ethnic Albanians who
refused to be submissive to Serbian demands.
"The genocide that Serbs are doing [is] the same as they did in
Bosnia and Croatia," said Hadzihasanovic, a native of Bosnia. She also
said she was in her homeland when Serbian forces attempted to overpower
Bosnians in 1992.
Hadzihasanovic said that 80 percent of present-day Kosovo is comprised
of Albanian refugees, who primarily practice religions other than Orthodox,
the predominant religion of the Serbs.
These Kosovo Albanians, said Hadzihasanovic, were taken over by the
Serbs. Eventually, the Serbs moved in to take over ethnic Albanians, and
one of their primary freedoms-their language-was done away with.
Dorina Tila, an Albanian native currently studying math at the ULV Athens
campus, said she disagrees with the manner in which the Serbs are treating
ethnic Albanians.
"I think Kosovo having their own government is their right,"
said Tila. "I think it's their own right to have their independence,
culture and language.
"It's amazing how much these people love their country."
Junior Justin Jones, a political science major who has been researching
the situation for the debate team, also gave his own opinions on the matter.
"One of the strongest ways to oppress people is to take away their
language," he said.
"Serbians always dreamt about 'Great Serbia'-since the 15th century,"
said Hadzihasanovic. "They took over the Yugoslav national army and
used it against civilians since 1990."
Members of NATO recently claimed that Milosevic failed to follow through
on his promise to cease Serbian military actions in Kosovo. Negotiations
for the matter continued in Rambouillet, France, last month, but tensions
erupted in Paris when Serbs refused to allow NATO officials to enter Kosovo
for a peace negotiation.
As a result of such conflicts, the international forces warned officials
Wednesday that they would begin air strikes against the Serbs. Thus far,
they have fulfilled the promise, as satellite-guided Tomahawk missiles have
been targeted at radar stations and ground-to-air missile batteries, as
well as other air defenses, since that day.
NATO forces eventually plan to attack other guards, including ammunition
and fuel dumps of Yugoslav security forces.
"I'm not sure that they are going to hit all the targets,"
said Hadzihasanovic, "It will be ongoing."
Information disclosed yesterday afternoon reported that Yugoslav officials
said the Serbs have endured about 11 fatalities thus far, with at least
60 casualties against civilians as well. American ground troops have not
been sent to territory.
U.S. President Bill Clinton addressed the nation late Wednesday afternoon
to share his objectives on the matter. He said that, if Americans act wisely
early enough, many more people could be saved.
"I have concluded that the dangers of acting now are clearly outweighed
by the risks of failing to act," the President said. "The risks
that many more innocent people will die or be driven from their homes by
the tens of thousands.
"The risks that the conflict will involve and destabilize neighboring
nations."
In regards to NATO acting against Serbia at the time that it did, junior
Kim Madeira, also a student studying at the ULV Athens campus, said she
supports NATO's actions.
Madeira is a secondary education and history double major at Elizabethtown
College in Elizabethtown, Pa., who does not see the need for violence.
"Since there's been no decisiveness or action, I support NATO going
in and using military force, but I think, in the long run, bombing just
kills more.
"It doesn't solve the dispute; it just puts it on hold."
Jones was somewhat skeptical about Clinton's view and stance on the
the situation in Kosovo. "It's all genocide, and it's a little harder
for him to solve," said Jones. "Something he hasn't had to deal
with."
Regarding the actions taken by U.S. and NATO officials, Jones said he
supports the United States, but hesitantly.
"I don't think the diplomacy has been exhausted yet," said
Jones. "With the strength that we have, it is our obligation to uphold
humanitarianism."
Clinton also said that part of the reasoning behind sending troops against
Serbia is to hinder Milosevic's capabilities to further harm other ethnic
Albanians. Other explanations, including "to deter Milosevic from continuing
attacks on civilians and, if necessary, to damage Serbia's capacity to wage
war against Kosovo in the future," were also given.
"We have a long history of intervening where ethnic conflict is
involved," said Jones, "and we have a long history of not succeeding."
Jones said he believes that NATO became involved with the situation
abroad at a reasonable time, and Hadzihasanovic agrees.
"I can say at least this time they didn't wait three years as they
did in Bosnia," said Hadzihasanovic. "This has been happening
for a while, but it wasn't public until now; it was quiet torturing.
"But I can sympathize with them [ethnic Albanians] because I've
been through the same thing."
