Bombs are falling in Yugoslavia. Now what?
How that question is answered will determine not only the fate of Kosovo, a province of Yugoslavia, but likely the entire region. It will also dictate the level of U.S. commitment.NATO had little choice but to take action to halt Yugoslav President Slobadan Milosevic's bloody march to purge Kosovo of its ethnic Albanians. He had rejected all diplomatic measures, including the recent peace proposal in Paris that the Albanians signed. The fact that Serbian forces were shelling and burning villages in Kosovo, even with the threat of bombing, shows Milosevic is a ruthless despot.
Reluctantly, but with no other option, NATO launched airstrikes from land and sea Wednesday to deliver Milosevic a message in the only language he understands -- military force. The strikes must be of sufficient magnitude for Milosevic to realize that talking makes a lot more sense than fighting, and that peace is less costly than war.
However, with Americans and other NATO nations putting their lives at risk, the allies must enunciate a coherent plan, which must include an exit strategy. Otherwise, NATO may turn into a reactive force that, rather than resolving the crisis, might actually exacerbate it.
President Clinton, addressing the nation following the initial strike, said the objectives are to:
Demonstrate the seriousness of NATO's opposition to aggression and its support for peace.
Deter Milosevic from continuing and escalating attacks on helpless civilians by making him pay a price for those attacks.
Derail Serbia's future war-making capacity against Kosovo.
Those are fine, but does the administration have clear and concise parameters for achieving those goals? If bombing doesn't bring about the desired results, then what? Ground troops?
As Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a Republican presidential candidate, noted following Clinton's remarks, there is no clear notion about what the next step will be for the United States. "Everybody wants to know what Plan B is."
Clinton needs to be much more forthcoming with Congress and the American people regarding the role of the United States in Kosovo. And he also needs to do a much better job getting support from other countries for NATO's actions. It would have been of considerable help if he had done more to soothe Russian feelings before launching airstrikes.
Clinton ought to recall the candor President George Bush used prior to the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War. With so much at stake both here and abroad, that same level of planning and vision is imperative.