World Reacts to U.S.-Led NATO Strikes -- 03/25/1999

World Reacts to U.S.-Led NATO Strikes

25 March, 1999

By Lawrence Morahan
CNS Staff Writer

(CNS) – With domestic support for U.S.-led air attacks on Serbian forces in Kosovo lukewarm at best, international reaction largely favors putting a check on the aggression of Slobodan Milosevic, with condemnation of the U.S. action coming from longtime adversaries of the NATO alliance.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin branded the NATO action a "gross mistake" and said the U.S. would be held to account for the air strikes. Russia considered using "extreme options" in response to the NATO action, but resisted the temptation, Yeltsin said. He did not specify what the measures were.

"NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia is a gross mistake by American diplomacy and [President] Clinton, and in the end they will be held to account for it," the Russian Interfax News Agency quotes Yeltsin as saying.

The Russian government, parliament and people are angry at NATO's use of force against Serb forces, and the Russian press reported the action will undoubtedly affect Russia's relations with the West.

The Itar-Tass agency reported Yeltsin also warned that U.S.-Russian nuclear disarmament programs had been put in jeopardy because of the strikes.

Clinton did not mince words in making a case for the attacks to the American people Wednesday.

"We've seen innocent people taken from their homes, forced to kneel in the dirt and sprayed by bullets. By acting now, we are upholding our values, protecting our interests and advancing the cause of peace," Clinton said.

Allies of the U.S. responded immediately and favorably, echoing the sentiment expressed by Clinton.

"We are taking this action for one very simple reason: to damage Serb forces sufficiently to prevent Milosevic from continuing to perpetuate his vile oppression against innocent Albanian civilians," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said the strikes were "not aimed at the Serbian people" and promised NATO would do all it could to avoid loss of civilian lives.

"This is about preventing a human catastrophe," said German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. "One phone call from Milosevic would be enough" to stop the air strikes, he said.

Four German aircraft joined the sorties over Serbia. This was the first time since World War II that any of its military have been involved in foreign combat, an issue that previously has split German public opinion.

Russia and China have vehemently opposed unilateral action by NATO without explicit prior approval by the 15-member Security Council.

The U.S. contention that NATO has the right to act under existing council resolutions was backed by Britain, France, The Netherlands, Canada, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Germany, speaking on behalf of the European Union.

Yugoslavia's U.N. representative urged the council to swiftly condemn NATO's "most brutal and unprovoked aggression" which he said had "already resulted in heavy destruction and great loss of human life."

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