April 7, 1999

CRISIS IN KOSOVO: MILOSEVIC'S LATEST 'PLOY'

Editorial ink once again flowed heavily as observers around the world continued to react to developments in Kosovo. With NATO's air strike mission against Serbian military targets entering its third week of operation, a number of analysts--mostly hailing from Europe--focused on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's Easter cease-fire offer. An overwhelming majority of analysts--with the exception of some in Russia and one each in Germany and Poland--firmly held that the Alliance was right to reject the Serb's latest "ploy." There was no available comment yet on Mr. Milosevic's most recent offer to release three abducted U.S. servicemen to Cyprus. Commentators in all regions once again expressed widely divergent views on the U.S.-led Alliance's intervention. The greatest support for the NATO mission was still to be found in the European and some Muslim and Arab press--although even among these yaysayers, many believed NATO committed "strategic mistakes" in carrying out its operation. For the first time, however, a handful of supporters espoused the view that "the air war is beginning to work" and that "NATO pressure has produced a serious reduction of Milosevic's defense potential." The most strident rejection of the NATO operation emanated from dailies in Russia, China, Cuba, India, Ethiopia and Mexico. Opinionmakers everywhere expressed concern about the refugee situation, but sharply differed on where to place responsibility. Editorialists also raised questions about the Alliance's long-term objectives, with most contending that the Allies face a difficult decision on the final status of Kosovo. Views follow:

EUROPE: Support for the Alliance's intervention in Kosovo continued to run strong in many NATO capitals, with defenders of the operation quickly dismissing Mr. Milosevic's offer of a unilateral cease-fire. Many analysts agreed with the liberal Guardian of London's judgment that the offer was "designed to divide and confuse [the Allies], and to lay a basis for hanging on to ethnically cleansed territory in Kosovo." Meanwhile, calling the offer a "great move," Moscow's reformist Segodnya asserted that "by sending the ball into NATO's court, Milosevic has won a diplomatic victory, no matter what happens in the next 24 hours."

MUSLIM/ARAB VIEW: Opinion remained mixed. Some Egyptian and Pakistani writers praised U.S. policy, with Cairo's pro-government Al Ahram asserting, "History will record President Clinton's courageous and humanitarian position on the refugee crisis caused by the Serb criminals." A writer in Manama's leading, semi-independent Al-Ayam, on the other hand, condemned the U.S., adding: "I believe that whoever sends fighters and missiles against civilians in Yugoslavia cannot be any less evil and barbaric than Milosevic."

ELSEWHERE: Comment in Asia, Latin America and Africa continued to run the gamut. Echoing the sentiment of other critics in Beijing, New Delhi, Sao Paulo and Havana, a weekly in Addis Ababa held: "[NATO's] aggression has proved to us that the world is under the firm control of one superpower--the U.S.... A country's sovereign right and territorial integrity should not be violated just for the sake of safeguarding NATO's interests." Likewise, a conservative Kenya daily's assessment reflected similar views expressed by other supporters in Durban, Jakarta, Manila, Seoul and Quebec: "NATO and the UN should send in ground troops and provide all the support they require to wage what can only be described as a just war."

This survey is based on 69 reports from 46 countries, April 2-7.

EDITORS: Diana McCaffrey and Katherine Starr

To Go Directly To Quotes By Region, Click Below

|  MIDDLE EAST  |     |  EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC  |     |  SOUTH ASIA  |    |  AFRICA  |

 |  WESTERN HEMISPHERE   |

FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: "The Beast And The Hague"

Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje (4/7) carried this front-page commentary by Rasim Cerimagic: "The news about Milosevic being on the secret list of indicted war criminals is without political importance and its only purpose is moral redemption of the West. NATO and Milosevic are playing a game of life and death. When Milosevic, due to NATO air strikes, loses his military power, he will immediately lose his political power too. And when he loses that, he is a dead man regardless of whether the Serbs kill him, or he commits suicide. I do not believe that he will appear before The Hague Tribunal. However, both his death and The Hague are still far away."

CROATIA: "NATO Needs To Send In Ground Troops"

In mass-circulation, pro-government Vecernji List, Dario Barbalic wrote (4/6): "It is obvious that, if the United States and NATO want to do something, they had better do it quickly, and make an unpopular decision about sending in ground troops--the sooner the better. At this moment, time is on Milosevic's side, regardless of the extent of destruction in Serbia."

BRITAIN: "Inviting The Answer No"

The liberal Guardian said in its lead editorial (4/7): "It is right to treat Slobodan Milosevic's Easter cease-fire offer with the deepest skepticism. It is designed to divide and confuse, and to lay a basis for hanging on to ethnically cleansed territory in Kosovo... The minimum conditions for negotiations have to include a complete cessation of violence, readiness for a withdrawal from Kosovo, and readiness to accept an outside force.... Mr. Milosevic sees Europe and America as weak, and imagines they want a quick way out. But a regime which thinks that offers to invite back the people who have been so viciously driven out could find favor has sadly missed the mark. No NATO country could possibly accept that Kosovars be simply tipped back into a Serbian prison state. Milosevic may soon learn that there is another side to the European and American democracies than the one he has been accustomed to exploit."

"Serbs Bearing Gifts"

The conservative Daily Telegraph ran this lead editorial (4/7): "Milosevic's goal is to persuade NATO to halt the air strikes, in the hope that once stopped they will be difficult to resume. His seemingly ironic message is aimed at splitting the Alliance... The ploy is cunning, but it should not fool anybody who has had dealings with the Yugoslav president over the past few years.... The Alliance should keep in mind the infamy of what is happening and hold true to the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law which its founding treaty proclaims. As the air campaign gathers pace, NATO leaders will need a clear eye and steady hand."

"Serbs Bearing Gifts"

The conservative Times editorialized (4/7) under the same heading as the Daily Telegraph piece: "This is such an utterly shameless diplomatic 'offer' that Saddam Hussein must have felt a sense of envy.... This was a cynical cease-fire offer that NATO has rightly dismissed. Milosevic's main aim over the next few days will be to spread division among the NATO nations, not to reconcile Kosovo with Serbia."

"The Wisest Plan"

The mass-circulation conservative tabloid Sun held (4/7): "The fact is that the air war is beginning to work. The Serbs are clearly running scared. It shows that this war can be won without a ground war."

FRANCE: "Milosevic The Trickster"

Dominique Bromberger commented on government-funded France Inter radio (4/7): "It would be madness for the West to change its attitude.... Milosevic's strength lies in our own capacity to be taken in by him, in our tendency to believe that he acts according to democratic criteria. Milosevic will make other offers to convince public opinion it is time to stop.... With his unilateral offer for a cease-fire, Milosevic was in reality addressing his own people. With the next offer, he will be talking to us all. He has more than one trick up his sleeve to shake Western public opinion."

"A Test For NATO's Unity"

Jacques Rupnik opined on privately run Europe One radio (4/7): "The cease-fire offer made by Milosevic will hardly put an end to the NATO bombings. It is inconceivable that NATO would stop its strikes simply because Milosevic is offering a temporary truce. Interesting to observe is how the Allied coalition stands together in the face of Milosevic's proposal. This may be the first test of NATO's unity."

GERMANY: "Why Can't We Suspend Air Strikes?"

Luc Jochimsen commented on ARD-TV's (national channel one) late evening newscast Tagesthemen (4/7): "Why can't we suspend the air strikes for one, two, or three days now that there is the unilateral cease-fire? What would we lose?... What would we risk? Not even a woman (like me) who has no background in military affairs will believe that Milosevic would be able to restore his air-defense systems within three days. Where is the danger for us, for the refugees, and for those who have been expelled? We should probably concentrate during these three days on assisting them instead of continuing...as before. This would be no peace, not even the end to the war, but it could be beginning of the end to the conflict."

"NATO Militarily Succesful, But Suffering A Political Defeat"

H. Jepsen-Foege commented on national radio station DeutschlandRadio of Berlin (4/6): "Serbia's dictator, Milosevic, is exploiting the open discussion in the Western democracies to carry out his inhumane policy. He knows that every air strike by NATO destroys not only his country, but paradoxically also weakens NATO. He is demonstrating that NATO cannot prevent atrocities and crimes but is even intensifying the misery with every attack. Two weeks after the beginning of this war, it is becoming increasingly clear that NATO is militarily successful but is suffering a political defeat. In the 50th year of its existence, the Western Alliance is confronted with its most serious crisis."

"Milosevic Has Forfeited Any Claim For Trust"

Centrist Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung held (4/7): "This kind of cease-fire, which has no legal basis, has one decisive flaw: It cannot be enforced. Milosevic, however, who has fooled the world so often before has forfeited any claim for trust. Only clearly verifiable agreements can help in dealing with Milosevic. The risk is too great of falling victim to another ruse. If NATO reduced its pressure, the warmonger in Belgrade could use the break to supply his forces in Kosovo with all the materials they need. He would gain time to get his military infrastructure in order...and prepare the next attacks.... All this must be prevented."

ITALY: "An Expected Move"

Sergio Romano commented on the front page of centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera (4/7): "Milosevic...used the first stage of the NATO operation...to begin...ethnic cleansing in a large part of northern Kosovo. And he announced the interruption of operations at the moment when...he had achieved a great part of his goal.... Milosevic knows that the Americans and the Alliance's military command will not consider his 'present' as a ray of hope for peace. But he is also aware that a large part of European public opinion will take this opportunity to ask for interruption of the bombing.... It is easy to imagine that the Italian government will be the first one to be embarrassed in this tug of war between politics and weapons.... America is right when it maintains that a truce...would mean giving in to violence and cynicism. But those who have hope in the negotiations are not wrong when they ask what is...the aim of the bombings. Is it to destroy Milosevic and bring down his regime?... In order not to have these contradictions, unity is necessary."

"Double Cross"

Paolo Garimberti commented on the front page of left-leaning, influential La Repubblica (4/7): "Slobodan Milosevic's proposal...might be a first signal he is yielding, or yet another of his shrewd moves or both.... At its best, the European response had more nuances and it was more political. It is not pure chance that D'Alema, Chirac and Schroeder have taken...an absolutely homogeneous position in both the tone and substance of their responses. The Serbian offer is not enough' all three said.... Indeed, the European response is firm, but leaves room for possibilities.... It is good to see that Europe, with only the British a not new exception, speaks one language only..... Now NATO and Europe must rapidly find a common strategy to double Milosevic's game and see if it is a bluff or not.... Occasions are there: from the G-8, which brings Russia back into diplomatic circles...to the European summit of April 14 to the NATO Council meeting."

"Indeed, Something Is Moving"

Foreign Under Secretary Umberto Ranieri held on the front page of leading government party daily L'Unita (4/7): "Belgrade's initiative is not enough to begin a solution of the dramatic crisis of these weeks. However, perhaps something is moving. On the military level, NATO pressure has produced a serious reduction of Milosevic's defense potential.... Indeed, Milosevic's move does not respond to two decisive issues. If the refugees are to go back, none can think that they can have their security granted by those same special troops that expelled them. A guaranteed force is necessary, set up on the basis of a UNSC mandate. This is a compulsory road. Belgrade is wrong when it tries to avoid it. The other issue concerns Kosovo's future status. Notwithstanding the tragedies of these weeks, the international community continues not to support the choice of independence. Indeed, it is well known that this perspective has gained support among the Albanians because of the brutality of Serbian conduct in the `90s.... It is necessary to define an institutional status which allows for real and effective self-government in the Kosovo province. Self-government based on the support of the Albanian community.... These are the issues on which Milosevic has to take his decisions.... And in all cases, democracies in the Atlantic Alliance have the ethical and political duty not to be cheated. The Italian Prime Minister is right. If Belgrade wants to be serious, it must take significant and binding decisions on basic issues. Italy will work so that Belgrade moves toward this direction."

RUSSIA: "Belgrade The Peace Champion"

Fyodor Lukin said on page one of reformist Vremya-MN (4/7): "The Serbs have announced a cease-fire, which means that they are through with the KLA, its infrastructure all but destroyed and its leaders hiding in neighboring Albania. What the Yugoslav authorities failed to do in a year after February, 1998, they have done in the two weeks of NATO bombing.

"With the enemy routed, Belgrade poses as an ardent champion of peace."

"Milosevic's Great Move"

Aleksandr Koretsky contended in reformist Segodnya (4/7): "This is a great move made a few hours after NATO generals warned about an especially destructive air strike. It is very subtle, too, considering that the political elite in Russia, in an apparent change of its mood, no longer insists on modern arms supplies to Belgrade. By sending the ball into NATO's court, Milosevic has won a diplomatic victory, no matter what happens in the next 24 hours."

"Russia Owes Serbia Nothing"

Maksim Yusin argued on page one of reformist Izvestiya (4/7): "Russia is a sovereign country with geopolitical interests of its own. On that basis, it decides whom to support and where. In the case of Kosovo, Moscow thinks it wrong to support the Albanian separatists. Hence its protest against NATO action. This is strictly pragmatic. It has nothing to do with the mythical 'Orthodox fraternity' or 'Slavic solidarity'. The West has made a mistake. Moscow has expressed itself on that. Nobody can demand that it should do more. Russia will not fight against America so that Milosevic can see ethnic cleansing through."

"What U.S. Has Accomplished"

Centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (4/7) front-paged this comment by Dmitry Gornostayev: "If one ethnic group asks NATO to punish another, the latter is sure to vent its anger on the former, once NATO complies. Do you call that genocide? Compared to the Russian army in the Chechnya campaign, the Yugoslavs are more humane by far.... All the United States and its Allies have accomplished is general instability in the Balkans, a real humanitarian catastrophe much worse than expected, streams of refugees, and a crime wave in many European countries. NATO is pushing the Balkans to the edge of an abyss, instead of bringing it peace."

AUSTRIA: "The Fatal Machinery Of The Balkans"

Alfred Payrleitner writes in a commentary in mass-circulation Kurier (4/6): "It seems impossible to tolerate the deportations. But the support of the people on the spot requires ground troops and, if the expulsion is to be fought retroactively, ground operations in Kosovo.... Rambouillet designates an obsolete concept. Even a skeptic like Henry Kissinger does not foresee any future for Kosovo unless it is 'some form of independence.' Once set in motion, the machinery cannot be stopped any more. If NATO halted its air strikes now, without achieving at least its second goal, to disarm Milosevic (after being unable to prevent the massacres), this would be tantamount to the end of the alliance. Without a guaranteed Serbian counter-performance, a truce would not only be a mistake, but a stupidity: the triumph of the killers and the persistence of the problems in the neighboring countries which take in the refugees. Thus, air warfare will go on, presumably over several long weeks. They will continue fighting on the ground, at least the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army)."

"A Protectorate For The Albanians In Kosovo"

In liberal Der Standard (4/6), Erhard Stackl held that the violence and refugee crisis "throws a bad light upon the political and military strategists of NATO. Did U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who knew Milosevic well, really believe that the cornered nationalist in Belgrade would hoist the white flag after a little bombing? Have the NATO generals, after the first serious incident in 50 years since the foundation of the Alliance, not thought of any other tactics but bombs and even more bombs?...

"Last weekend, the NATO headquarters in Brussels discussed the idea of a 'protectorate' for the Kosovar-Albanians: a zone in Kosovo liberated by NATO, where expelled Albanians could return and be militarily protected from Serbian attacks. U.S. President Bill Clinton also mentioned that the refugees from Kosovo should be 'allowed to return' and their lives 'protected by Allied security forces.'... Furthermore, this initiative ('Provide Comfort') is also backed by the UN. One should also get its approval for a humanitarian operation in Kosovo, although Russia and China are not very likely to give their µokay' (because of their own minority problems). The creation of an Allied Protectorate in Kosovo would be riskier than the deployment of peace troops consisting of 28,000 men to secure the treaty, which has probably become obsolete anyway. If the expulsion of the Albanians from Kosovo can be stopped and (at least partly) reversed, it will be necessary to push for negotiations once again, also with economic pressure. Because a solution that is durable can only be reached by political and not exclusively by military means."

BELGIUM: "Serbian Cease-Fire? Too Little, Too Late"

Pierre Lefevre commented in independent Le Soir (4/7): "If the Yugoslav president's offer is not taken seriously by the NATO members, it is because, for ten years, Mr. Milosevic has repeatedly made concessions which he then immediately withdrew when negotiations started, and because, in Kosovo, he went too far, beyond the limits of what is tolerable. Faced with the humanitarian disaster which he provoked, the Western leaders raised their voices to such an extent that any compromise solution now seems unlikely. To stop NATO's strikes, Belgrade will have to accept the conditions which Western governments have fixed."

BULGARIA: "Washington Has No Confidence In Milosevic's Cease-Fire"

Center-left Novinar observed (4/7): "Washington has no confidence in Milosevic's cease-fire in Kosovo because if Milosevic were a true Christian, he would have thought of it during the Muslims' Bayram as well. Shedding blood at Easter is tantamount to a crime; the important thing, however, is that this meaningless war would have ended if both parties had agreed to stop fighting."

"Cease-Fire Only Means That Kosovo Has Been Completely Cleansed"

Ruling party Demokratsia held (4/7): "Milosevic has called for a cease-fire. NATO is continuing to bomb the Serbs. Guess who's the bad guy! Yet we know that those who are committing the atrocities in Kosovo fear neither God nor Milosevic. On the other hand, Milosevic has shown many times that he lacks morality. The cease-fire could only mean that Kosovo has been completely cleansed."

CZECH REPUBLIC: "Choice Between Genocide And War"

Senior political analyst Jan Urban wrote in centrist, intellectual Lidove Noviny (4/7): "Irrespective of the causes (of the Kosovo crisis), we have found ourselves in a war that nobody wanted but which democracy has to win.... The choice is between genocide and war...a flawless, cheap and safe solution does not exist. There are only more or less wrong solutions. We (the Czech Republic) will either leave this unwanted, unfortunate war and lose the right to ask for solidarity in any future problem which will have an immediate impact on us, or we'll stay and help defeat the dictatorship and enable the Kosovo Albanians to return to Kosovo. This (option) will most likely mean the independence of Kosovo from Serbia. If this is the price for a halt to genocide and for peace in the Balkans, it is necessary to pay it unhesitatingly and fast."

"Narrow-Mindedness Or One's Own Sense?"

Josef Pravec stated in economic Hospodarske Noviny (4/7): "Certain politicians received hard criticism for their lukewarm attitude toward the military solution of the Kosovo crisis. The tragic development in this region proves them right. Preliminary euphoria passed away, and it is clear even to the advisors of Mr. Clinton and NATO strategists that the strange, undeclared air war didn't solve anything.... A humanitarian catastrophe became reality, and it is the opposite of what the Brussels rhetoric promised two weeks ago."

DENMARK: "NATO Must Occupy Kosovo"

Center-left Politiken noted (4/7): "What is needed is massive humanitarian efforts in Albania and Macedonia. Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk--even after they have escaped from the Serb terror in Kosovo. In the long term, NATO must occupy Kosovo so that the people can return home in safety."

"Little Chance Cease-Fire Will Stop Ethnic Cleansing"

Center-right Berlingske Tidende concluded (4/6): "There is little chance that the Serb proclamation about a cease-fire during the Russian Orthodox Easter will put a stop to the ethnic cleansing. The refugees who want to escape from the region must be given the option to start a new life in another country or to return to Kosovo [later]."

FINLAND: "NATO's Erroneous Policy Revealed"

Leading, independent Helsingin Sanomat observed (4/6): "Kosovo's horrible Easter showed how erroneous NATO's policy, based on super cautious military action, i.e., restricted air strikes, has been.... Western representatives have been forced to admit their helplessness with regard to an adversary who is ready to expel an entire nation to fulfill his nationalistic aspirations.... Western representatives have repeatedly stated that the refugees will be safely returned home. Due to the organized expulsions and destruction of property, this task will be very difficult, if not impossible, unless NATO changes its strategy.... Kosovo reveals in a tragic way the thoughtlessness of Western policy.... Milosevic is a strong tyrant, but it would be wrong to blame him alone for the entire catastrophe. His policies receive wide support in Serbia...and a considerable number of expatriot Serbs, too, refuse to admit that ethnic cleansing or genocide are underway and that Slobodan Milosevic is a war criminal of the worst order."

HUNGARY: "The First Sign?"

Jozsef Makai maintained in influential Magyar Hirlap (4/7): "As much as I can judge it now, nobody takes the [cease-fire offer] from Belgrade that seriously. NATO officials claim that they have not been unprepared for the initiative. They see it as a first sign of Milosevic's pulling back. And they have reason to be dubious. As a consequence of the permanent air attacks the Yugoslavian politicians can't avoid facing some facts: Instead of winning they can't even survive the war; the ongoing bombing is doing a lot of harm not only to the country's military, but to its infrastructure as well. They have not managed to divide NATO, have waited for the Russian assistance in vain, and have not managed to expand the conflict beyond borders. Milosevic is not believed, and the air attacks do not halt. It seems that peace can be achieved through fully meeting the NATO requirements, which would be the same as admitting defeat. Yugoslavia has been left alone."

LATVIA: "NATO Cannot Afford To Lose"

Aivars Ozolins commented in largest morning daily Diena (4/6) "The result of this war will be very significant, not only for Europe [but also for the rest of the world].

"NATO cannot afford to lose in this argument with last European dictatorship that is based on an aggressive nationalistic idea.... We cannot afford stay neutral in this war. It is simply impossible and even dangerous for Latvia. First of all, the FRY is close to us geographically. Secondly, our neighbors, the Russian imperialists, are trying to unite their country with the idea of Serbs being against NATO and the West. The current Russian entrenchment against the Americans--that is, the process of isolation that is supported by and encouraged by state leaders, xenophobia, aggressive intolerance against the West and potentially against foreigners in general, will definitely influence the foreign policy [of Russia], including relations with Latvia."

NORWAY: "Now We Need More Politics"

Independent tabloid Dagbladet told its readers (4/7): "Right now a political solution to the war seems remote and unrealistic. But we see that the political tools that are available are not being used with the same energy and intensity that we are placing in the war campaign. Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek is on a tour as the OSCE's leader in order to investigate diplomatic and political possibilities. But we lack political ideas and initiative from the great powers' political leaders and hope for that, rather than tough threats which commit us to even more war."

"West Underestimated Milosevic's Opportunism"

Chief editor Steinar Hansson opined in Social Democratic Dagsavisen Arbeiderbladet (4/6): "The question is not whether the (Rambouillet) agreement has already become a victim of the war. Is there even one refugee who dares return to a Kosovo that continues to be a part of Milosevic's Serbia?... Either Kosovo must be taken from Serbia or the province must become wholly Serbian. The NATO countries will not allow the latter. It would be an intolerable moral and political defeat.... The Western democracies must have underestimated his [Milosevic's] political nature and extreme opportunism.... How NATO could believe that this man...would give up after a few pinpricks, is incomprehensible."

"Accept The Refugees"

Social Democratic Dagsavisen Arbeiderbladet held (4/6): "At the moment it is impossible to see an end and solution to the worst humanitarian catastrophe in Europe since World War II. One thing is certain: NATO's bombing of Serbia has so far only made it extremely worse.... Regardless, the world must act against the madness, and do all that is humanly possible to alleviate the pain for the...endless stream of refugees from Kosovo."

POLAND: "Words And Actions"

Ryszard Malik concluded in centrist Rzeczpospolita (4/7): "Serbian politicians...who unilaterally declared a cease-fire, gave a signal that they are ready to talk about a compromise on Kosovo.... The new proposal, even though it raises many reservations, may prove a good step in the right direction. NATO...which expected Yugoslavia to surrender fast, now admits it has made a mistake.... [NATO] generals say that land operations will be needed--and this would mean a tough war which could continue for months, if not for years, and which could extend...to the whole of the Balkans. But the news from Belgrade gives way to many doubts. In the past, the Yugoslav president broke the promises he had made. Can we believe Slobodan Milosevic this time?"

PORTUGAL: "To The End?"

Veteran media commentator Miguel Sousa Tavares contributed this comment to center-left Publico (4/6): "'Now is not the time to stop. It is necessary to carry on until the end'--so say the defenders of this crazy NATO military adventure in the Balkans....

"When it was negligently foreseen that air attacks would bring Milosevic back 'to reason,' it was possible to stop. But now that it is not--it is necessary to carry on until the end. Seeing as how the 'ends'--and the goals of NATO intervention--have long been lost, overtaken by facts not foreseen, what now is NATO's 'humanitarian mission' in Kosovo? Between 'losing face'--which seems now to be the principal argument of defenders of NATO intervention--and losing one's judgment, there is a margin that could and should be used to retake the road to diplomatic negotiations."

"NATO's Mistakes"

Regular columnist Luis Delgado asserted in centrist Diario de Noticias (4/6): "In 12 days, NATO committed twelve capital mistakes: (1) it unleashed an air offensive to last 24 hours and at the maximum one week; (2) it thought that a human rights crisis would never become a humanitarian catastrophe; (3) it believed a few air attacks would subdue Serbian anger; (4) it thought public opinion would come to see Belgrade as another Baghdad; (5) it sold the idea of a limited objective--degrading Serbian military power--without remembering earlier lessons in this regard; (6) it advanced from one military phase to another without meeting a single objective; (7) it envisioned an internal opposition to Milosevic that came apart with the first cruise missile; (8) it believed it could do everything for the Albanians and now doesn't know what to do with the Albanians; (9) it announced it would not involve ground troops and is now on the brink of doing so; (10) it spent enough resources on missiles to maintain three Kosovos, two Albanias and one Macedonia; (11) it dreamed of a telephone call from Belgrade that never came; (12) it contemplated victory without foreseeing an exit."

SLOVAKIA: "Embarrassing Proposals"

Centrist, popular tabloid Novy Cas ran this piece by Ales Kratky (4/5): "Proposals by some Slovak parliamentarians to put 'the criminal Clinton' on trial and references to NATO as a criminal organization are not only embarrassing, but they harm Slovakia's interests at home and abroad."

"One Can Hardly Stay Netural"

Centist Sme's Milan Simecka held (4/6): "Fortunately the Slovak government understands the path Milosevic represents for the whole of Europe, which means for us, too. On the contrary, the Slovak opposition agrees with the principle of group (collective) guilt.... That is why it supports Milosevic. Slovak citizens can choose between the two positions but they hardly may stay neutral. Maybe yesterday neutrality might have been an expression of naivete, but today it looks like alibism.... However, tomorrow it will be impossible."

SPAIN: "Milosevic's Gambit"

Conservative La Razon noted (4/7): "The question that immediately comes to mind is: Cease-fire against whom? A few hundred exhausted Kosovar guerrillas penned up in the mountains or a civilian population that has been forced from house and home, if they were lucky, or mutilated and killed, if not so lucky? Where is the enemy that will respond to the truce call? Milosevic's gambit, as warped as his own personality, appears to be nothing more than a desperate attempt to gain time under the rain of Allied missiles, and to burnish his image in the eyes of the Yugoslav populace who were not prepared to face such a bombing campaign."

TURKEY: "Welcoming The Refugees"

Sedat Sertoglu wrote in mass-appeal Sabah (4/7): "Kosovar Albanians who managed to flee from Milosevic's ethnic cleansing are coming to Turkey.

"We welcome them and share their pain and agony.... As we are about to enter into a new millennium, the civilized world should get rid of this Hitler-clone who sits right in the heart of Europe."

MIDDLE EAST

BAHRAIN: "U.S. Smear Campaign"

Leading, semi-independent Al-Ayam featured this comment (4/7) by Omran Salman: "When the United States' military and political means fail to contain a crisis, it resorts to the distortion of the reputation and character of enemy (the leader of the enemy country). It gives him descriptions such as 'dictator, extremist, murderer of innocents.' This [tactic] aims at generating hatred toward that enemy so that whatever happens to him is acceptable. I believe that whoever sends fighters and missiles against civilians in Yugoslavia cannot be any less evil and barbaric than Milosevic."

EGYPT: "President Clinton's Courageous Stance"

Ahmed Bahgat argued in pro-government Al Ahram (4/7): "History will record President Clinton's courageous and humanitarian position on the refugees crisis caused by Serb criminals in Kosovo. This position did not receive the deserved appreciation. The Islamic world should have been first to express this appreciation. Clinton saved people threatened with killing and homelessness. Was the United States supposed to stand as a spectator in this Serbian human slaughter against Albanians in Kosovo?"

JORDAN: "From Standoff To Solution"

The centrist, influential among the elite, English-language Jordan Times opined (4/7): "After two weeks of intense warfare over Kosovo, the standoff between NATO and Belgrade continues with no end in sight.... The international community is thus faced with only one alternative to the deadlock, encouraging the warring sides to accept international intervention, possibly by the UNSC. UN intervention could be two-phased. First the insistence on an immediate cease-fire, the swift withdrawal for Serb forces from Kosovo, the immediate return of the refugees and, finally, the deployment of an effective peacekeeping force to maintain law and order. The second phase would address the political solution to the conflict, whereby the UNSC would draw its parameters based on the Rambouillet formula."

SYRIA: "Lesson From The Past"

Fouad Mardoud told readers of the government-owned Syria Times (4/6): "The scene of Kosovars fleeing their country in large numbers brings back the memories of those Palestinians who were forced from their country by the Israeli army and Zionist gangs. History repeats itself.... The Kosovo people will face the same fate if NATO members--mainly the United States and the UK--do not articulate a clear vision and put forward a definite strategy to force the Kosovars to return to their own country."

EAST ASIA

CHINA: "How Much Further Can The U.S. Go?"

Ye Zicheng said in Beijing Youth Daily (Beijing Qingnianbao, 4/7): "If the Serbs refuse to yield even after the United States intensifies its attacks, the United States will likely change its objectives. First, it may change its goal from an autonomous Kosovo to an independent Kosovo. Second, it may change from preserving the Milosevic regime to overthrowing it.

"Third, it may reduce the intensity of the air raids but prolong them, and impose even more severe economic sanctions and blockades on Yugoslavia. Fourth, it may provide large amounts of military aid to ethnic Albanian armed forces. American foreign policies are known to be bull-headed and disorganized showing the arrogance of the world's only superpower. There exists the possibility that the United States may resort to the foolish decision of sending ground troops to the region."

AUSTRALIA: "Kosovar Refugees Welcome After All"

The liberal Canberra Times (4/7) commented on the Australian government's announcement that it would grant temporary refuge to 4,000 ethnic Albanians: "Australia usually accepted people for permanent resettlement, whereas the hope with the Kosovo crisis was that people would be able to return to their homes. That is a naive hope. Most of the homes have been destroyed. Moreover, many refugees have lost family members, mostly fathers, and would have great difficulty picking up their old lives. Besides, the NATO military operation shows little sign of even stopping the exodus, let alone reversing it. The most likely result is that many, if not most, of those Kosovars who have been forced out will remain out."

INDONESIA: "Without A Firm NATO, Kosovo Could Become Disaster"

Leading, independent Kompas noted (4/7): "Indeed, Milosevic is devising another dilemma. If NATO agrees to talk, it must be ready to bear the social burden, i.e., the refugees.... Conversely, if NATO sticks to Rambouillet, which...guarantees the return of Albanian-Kosovar refugees to Kosovo, a more extensive war will take place in Serbia. The last resort to force Serbia to the negotiating table is increasing military operations. That means deploying ground troops. It seems that Milosevic has considered this possibility.... No one wants another protracted war at the end of the century.... [But] violence may be a very limited alternative to ensure the survival of a weak, oppressed third party--the Albanian-Kosovar refugees."

NEW ZEALAND: "Room For Them Here"

The top-circulation, moderate New Zealand Herald asserted (4/7): "The people driven out of Kosovo want only to go home and that has to be the first aim of all countries concerned for their welfare. All countries must temper their humanitarian impulses with the realization that to resettle refugees from Serbian atrocities suits the Serbian objective perfectly. NATO has already done enough for the Serbian cause by ineffectual air strikes that simply stung the Serbs to greater ferocity in their efforts to clear ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo.... Too late we are reminded how military intervention can backfire when it is half-hearted and poorly planned. If the refugees are to return to the only place that most of them want to be, NATO will have to march ahead of them. It may not be possible to mobilize a sufficient ground force before Serbia has driven the last ethnic Albanian from the province but 'ethnic cleansing' must not prevail."

PHILIPPINES: "Serb Massacres On Tape May Alter Views"

Jesus Sison wrote in his column in independent Malaya (4/7): "Many people who criticized the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia will change their minds if they see the tapes of massacres and assassinations in Kosovo. The massacres were committed by Serbs on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo."

SOUTH KOREA: "U.S. Trapped In The Balkans"

Former Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Kyoung-won observed in conservative Chosun Ilbo (4/7): "The protection of the most basic human rights rather than a state's sovereignty should assume the utmost priority, and that is the U.S. position now....

"Heavy burdens are likely to fall on U.S. shoulders regardless of the outcome of the current fighting.... Even if the United States succeeds, it may find itself in a position of having to protect the Kosovars, meaning that it will have to assume the role of the region's policeman. Is that what the United States wants?... America is paying a dear price in Kosovo just to learn that political matters should be resolved through political means."

VIETNAM: "Violence Only Increases Violence"

Vietnamese Army's Party Committee and the Ministry of National Defense paper, Quan Doi Nhan Dan, insisted (4/7): "Patriotism has unexpectedly increased the fighting spirit and strength of Yugoslavia's national defense system enabling it to gain numerous victories in the confrontation with Western powers. This, then, gradually undermines the legendary invincibility of the U.S.' and NATO's military might. The more the fighting continues, the more weaknesses in the combatting and coordinating tactics of NATO's huge military machine are unveiled. Meanwhile, the world's public opinion in general is growingly supportive of the Yugoslav people. NATO should be reminded of this: The one with a sword who breaks into another's home can be killed by his own sword."

SOUTH ASIA

INDIA: "Will Bombing Achieve Anything?"

The pro-economic-reforms Business Standard averred (4/7): "Will the bombings achieve anything? Only if a miracle occurs; for not only does it not have any clearly defined military objectives, NATO is also unwilling to commit ground forces. Bombing by itself can achieve little.... Bombing didn't work in Vietnam or Iraq. Chances are that the ethnic Albanians will pay for NATO's actions, not Milosevic."

PAKISTAN: "Kosovo Signals More Even-Handed U.S. Policy"

Iqbal Jafar opined in the Karachi-based, independent national Dawn (4/7): "It is difficult for some of the Muslims to believe that there has been a change of heart, and the United States is now willing to pursue an even-handed policy.... The situation, as it has developed during the past few weeks, does indicate the possibility of constructive and creative cooperation between the West and the Muslims. We should seize the opportunity to evolve a new relationship with the West, even if the foundations of optimism are weak."

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA: "Beyond Air Power"

The Liberal, independent Natal Witness asserted (4/4): "What is increasingly clear is that overwhelming NATO airpower alone has had negligible effects on Milosevic's policy of ethnic cleansing/genocide. Indeed, it has probably served as a justification for it.... NATO can and probably will, escalate the serial campaign.... From the point of the Kosovars, however, first prize must surely be the commitment of NATO ground forces, something which the Western powers have shied away from.... In between...lie the possibilities of limited commando-style action to try to stop the worst of the Serbian atrocities, or the creation of safe havens on the borders.... Whatever is done, it must be done fast. Milosevic's Balkan version of a 'final solution' cannot be allowed to succeed."

ETHIOPIA: "NATO's Invasion Should Be Condemned"

Independent, Amharic-language weekly Arbegnaw held (4/3): "NATO's operations against Yugoslavia are acts of open aggression and intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. The aggression has proved to us that the world is under the firm control of one superpower--the United States. There is no country to stop the United States from doing whatever it wants to do. The invasion has also shown has that the UN, established to ensure world peace and security, has neither the power nor the will to abide by its principles. Washington's claim that the air strikes are intended to avert a bloodbath is nothing but a pretext.... It is also outrageous to see international apathy in the face of this naked aggression against Yugoslavia, in defiance of international rules. The arrogant invasion by NATO against Yugoslavia by interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign country should be categorically condemned. Yugoslavia has repeatedly stated its intention to resolve the Kosovo crisis peacefully and to allow Kosovo wide-ranging rights to self-rule. A country's sovereign right and territorial integrity should not be violated just for the sake of safeguarding NATO's interests."

KENYA: "Crisis In Kosovo Calls For Rethink"

The centrist Daily Nation opined (4/5): "Let Mr. Milosevic say that for the sake of the women and children of Kosovo, he will seek a peaceful end to this crisis. On the other hand, NATO also needs to swallow its pride and rest its hi-tech jets. The issue of who takes the first step may be relevant but unimportant.... When two elephants clash, it's the grass that suffers."

"Radical Surgery For A Cancer Called Milosevic"

An editorial in conservative East African Standard held (4/2): "It is becoming increasingly clear that the cancer of Slobodan Milosevic and Serbian so-called nationalism requires radical surgery. Only the swift and uncompromising removal of this malignant excrescence in the heart of Europe from the community of nations will give the region of the former Yugoslavia a chance at lasting peace and co-existence. To this end, NATO and the UN should send in ground troops and provide all the support they require in order to wage what can only be described as a just war."

NIGER: "U.S. Playing World Cop"

I. S. Gaoh wrote in independent weekly Tribune Du Peuple (4/6): "The United States of America...playing the world's cop, found that Kosovo's Albanians were excessively suppressed and that this must be stopped by a task force.... The argument by which they justify interference to secure Albanians are not convincing. In Turkey, Kurds are repressed daily by the army; the conflict between Israel and Palestine and its ramifications for Lebanon is a drama for all humanity. These countries don't run any risk yet of being bombed by NATO.... As everywhere in the world, the new world order has a plan for the Balkans."

NIGERIA: "Return To The Negotiation Table"

The Lagos-based, independent National Concord held (4/7): "Given Serbia's resolve to put the Albanian people in perpetual thralldown, it is difficult not to sympathize with NATO's effort to stop this despicable act.... While NATO's action is therefore understandable, we caution that both parties must return to the negotiation table for the negotiated settlement of the crisis. A prolonged air raid is not only ill-advised, it is in fact counter-productive.... [It] may in fact harden Mr. Milosevic's resolve to ethnically cleanse the Albanians from Serbia. This is why NATO must return to the negotiation table immediately."

WESTERN HEMISPHERE

CANADA: "NATO's Half-Hearted Air War Can't Win"

John Bierman wrote in the conservative National Post (4/6): "NATO's half-hearted air war has demonstrably not stopped, but merely accelerated, the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo and it will surely require a large ground force to drive the Yugoslav Army and the Serbian 'police' out of the province.... The tragedy of the Kosovars apart, if NATO is not to commit suicide on the eve of its 50th anniversary, it must face up to the reality of the situation, remembering that, as one of its progenitors, the feisty little haberdasher Harry Truman, used to point out, if you can't stand the heat you shouldn't be in the kitchen."

"No Choice But To Help"

The Quebec's English-language Gazette observed (4/6): "The NATO Alliance should not need desperate refugees gathered in emergency camps to harden its determination to stop Mr. Milosevic. The facts should be persuasive enough.... The NATO campaign will take longer than its planners originally thought. The refugees must be taken care of in the meantime. No one should worry about whether most will want to go home once the way is clear. They will. They never wanted to leave."

MEXICO: "Suspend The NATO Aggression"

Agustin Gutierrez from prestigious Ibero-American University judged in nationalist El Universal (4/6): "The United States and its Allies tried to solve the conflict in Kosovo but ended up creating a worse one. It seems that the Americans do not learn from their mistakes--such as those made in Iraq where Hussein maintains power after years of attacks by the Bush and by the Clinton administrations. The way Hussein exploits the nationalism of the Iraqi people has kept him alive and in power. The same thing seems to be happening in Belgrade.... The (NATO) Allies and the Serbs are responsible for this human tragedy.... What the U.S. president should do is to suspend the aggression that is causing far more harm than what it is accomplishing. The human suffering we have...seen in the dailies is enough to assess as clumsy NATO's strategy under the aegis of the United States."

ARGENTINA: "NATO, Facing International Order"

Leading Clarin opined (4/7): "With its military intervention against Yugoslavia, NATO has become the first multinational army with global access, having punitive power over sovereign states.... (Nevertheless), far from being a world military power at the service of a new judicial order with the ability to implement the compliance of basic rules protecting human dignity, NATO intervened in Yugoslavia unilaterally without a UN mandate, while violating its own founding charter.... The transgression of [NATO's] principles has been promoted, aggravating the human catastrophe it was looking to stop."

BOLIVIA: "NATO, Europe Prisoners Of U.S."

Centrist La Razon carried a commentary by Ramiro Velasco (4/6): "The Yugoslav issue shows that the virtual nonexistence of the UN to solve matters of peace and war is the greatest diplomatic and political failure of the end of the century. Without the UN and through NATO, Europe becomes a prisoner of the United States. And nobody in their right mind could deny the fact that NATO's diplomacy of force has remained under the leadership of the American Pentagon.... Once the old balance has been broken, in effect, the UN cannot guarantee an international legal system based on the consensus of nations."

"Terrible Paradox!"

Catholic Church-owned Presencia (4/6) carried a commentary by Jose Gramunt: "When international television shows groups of so-called 'pacifists,' 'humanitarians,' or 'neutralists' who clamor for the end of NATO's bombings, I feel ashamed for them. Ashamed of their simpleness, not to call it stupidity. They think of themselves as the prophets of peace, when in reality, they tolerate the most brutal violence against innocents: They want the missiles to stop in order to avoid the death of 50 Serbs, but the massacre of two million Kosovars continues. This irrational humanitarianism only sees the bombs and is not able to see their objective which is to force Milosevic to end his criminal persecution. Massacre is the correct word. The sad reality is that when all the attempts at persuasion have failed, only force can succeed.... We are in front of a tragedy in which neutrality is inhumane, in which the military and the humanitarians have no other solution than marching together. Terrible paradox!"

BRAZIL: "Ignoring Annan"

Independent Jornal da Tarde's op-ed page held (4/6): "Without consulting the Security Council, ignoring poor Koffi Annan, aggressively intervening in a nation as a world gendarme, NATO has achieved what seemed impossible. If the Serbian persecution was causing a massive exodus, now there is pandemonium, chaos, the hell of killing bombs, famine, cold and epidemics in the region. The grief has been aggravated and Milosevic has become a hero. This is the magnificent celebration of NATO, a legitimate product of the Cold War on its 50th anniversary."

"Who Will Be The Next Kosovar?"

Liberal Folha de Sao Paulo's political columnist Clovis Rossi commented (4/6): "The owners of the world, headed by the United States, have succeeded in causing one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times.... Instead of trying to mount a humanitarian operation capable of at least minimizing the refugees' drama, they only think about going on attacking Serbia in the expectation that Milosevic will get tired of the 'ethnic cleansing.'... These people [the owners of the world] possess not only a virtual arms monopoly. They also have absolute hegemony on economic and social policies that we all have to follow submissively. The owners of the world have imposed a type of subtle dictatorship that some call 'singleminded' i.e., the idea that each nation must organize itself according to what they expect, otherwise it will be screwed. If they have made such a brutal mistake and are unable to change their posture in this case, what will prevent they from also being wrong in their idea of being `singleminded'? If they are wrong, you [reader] may be the next Kosovar."

CUBA: "The Other Costs Of The War"

Official Communist Party organ Granma (4/6) carried a column by hard-liner Elson Concepción Pérez: "Thousands of millions of dollars that are being used with the sole objective of dissolving a sovereign state that refuses to kneel before the demands of the empire."

URUGUAY: "Complex Situation For NATO"

Conservative, political-business El Observador held (4/5): "It's a complex situation for NATO, as abandoning the battlefield would imply a critical loss of its credibility.... The air and missile strikes will continue in order to accomplish the effect they've been seeking. It will then be convenient to let the Vatican or Russia mediate (always maintaining the pressure and controlling the expansion of the conflict) in order to give Milosevic a way out. On the other hand, the Allies will face a dangerous escalation which might turn into a ground conflict and into the terrible human problem of hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees expelled from their land."

For more information, please contact:

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4/7/99

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