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Strikes
in Yugoslavia Coverage
April 2, 1999:
Kissinger,
Brzezinski and Scowcroft
April 1, 1999:
Defense
Secretary Cohen and General Shelton
April 1, 1999:
Yugoslavia's
UN Ambassador
March 31, 1999:
Should NATO send in ground
troops?
March 30, 1999:
Could diplomacy
end the conflict in Yugoslavia?
March 29, 1999:
NATO's top commander, General
Wesley Clark
March 28, 1999:
U.S.
F-117 Stealth fighter downed in Yugoslavia
March
26, 1999:
National
Security Adviser Samuel Berger
March
25, 1999:
Defense
Secretary Cohen
March 24, 1999:
Secretary
Albright discusses the air strikes.
Complete NewsHour coverage of Europe |
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PRESIDENT CLINTON: Good morning. Before we depart, I'd like to say
a few words about the situation in Kosovo. Over the last several days,
we have struck hard at Serbia's machinery of repression and at the infrastructure
that supports it. Our humanitarian relief operation is bringing life-saving
supplies to refugees in Macedonia and Albania. Our military is doing
its part to help there, too.
I'm gratified by the efforts of all involved and confident that, after
two weeks, NATO is determined to persist and prevail. If anything, Mr.
Milosevic's actions have strengthened the unity and resolve of our allies.
As our strikes have intensified, Mr. Milosevic has tried to rearrange
the facts on the ground -- by declaring a cease-fire while holding his
borders, closing his borders to fleeing refugees. But the fundamental
reality is unchanged. Attacks on innocent people continue. Refugees
who were pushed from their homes by force now see their escape routes
blocked by force.
Mr. Milosevic still thinks he can manipulate the situation by cynically
using innocent people. He hopes that we will accept as permanent the
results of his ethnic cleansing. We will not. Not when a quarter of
Kosovo's people are living in refugee camps beyond Kosovo's borders.
Not when hundreds of thousands more are trapped inside, afraid to go
home, but unable to leave.
If we settle for half-measures from Mr. Milosevic, we will get nothing
more. And what we have from Mr. Milosevic today is not even partial
compliance, but the illusion of partial compliance. We and our allies
have properly rejected it.
President Milosevic must withdraw from Kosovo his military police and
paramilitary forces. They are responsible for the violence. He must
permit deployment of an international security force, for we have seen
in the past that this is the only way to ensure his promises are kept.
He must allow the unconditional return of our refugees because their
expulsion from their homes and their land cannot be tolerated.
He must take these essential steps as we move toward self-government
and security for the people of Kosovo. In the meantime, we will continue
to do all we can to help the victims of the tragedy.
Today the First Lady is going to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the
main East Coast departure point for humanitarian supplies, where a C-5
aircraft, our largest transport plane, loaded with humanitarian daily
rations headed for Albania and Macedonia, will be stocked.
Thus far, we have seen 800,000 of the 1.1 million daily rations we've
pledged for the region. I am deeply gratified that the American people
have placed over 15,000 calls to the 1-800 number I announced Monday
to make donations. I also know that many churches and other religious
institutions have been taking up collections and sending them in; we
are grateful for that as well. I ask the American people to continue
their steadfast support. I believe that they will. I am confident we
will prevail. Thank you very much.
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