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BALKAN TINDERBOX
Should NATO intervene in the war-torn province of Kosovo? June 22, 1998 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:
What is NATO trying to achieve in Kosovo? As Kosovo is a part of Yugoslavia, does Russia not see an analogy with its own problems in Chechnya? What is the difference between Kosovo and Bosnia? What are the possibilities of fighting in Kosovo leading to a greater war in the region? Do you think the NATO plan is the right plan for resolving the crisis?
NewsHour Coverage
Timeline of the Kosovo conflict.
June 12, 1998
A discussion on NATO's decision to conduct air excercises in Albania and Macedonia.
June 5, 1998
Albanian Kosovar leaders call off talks with the Serbian government.
March 9, 1998
Fighting between Serbian security forces and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo leaves scores dead.
April 1, 1997
Civil war spreads over Albania
Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Bosnia, and Europe.
Outside Links
NATO.
The U.S. Department of State.
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Web site.
I n the wake of the Bosnian conflict, which cost over 200,00 people their lives, the international community has watched warily as violence has escalated in the southern Yugoslav province of Kosovo. Fearing the current crisis in Kosovo may spark a greater Balkan conflict, NATO has decided to conduct air exercises in the region to demonstrate its military readiness to intervene if necessary.
Located in southern Serbia, Kosovo, a former autonomous province of Yugoslavia, has been a contentious region for centuries [Timeline]. Serbs regard Kosovo as a part of their historic homeland, crucial to their national identity, even though ethnic Albanians currently comprise 90 percent of its population.
In 1974, Kosovo was granted political and cultural autonomy under a revised Yugoslav constitution. Tensions began to escalate in 1989, when Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic revoked its privileged status.
But it was not until this year that it reached a crisis level. Since January, fighting between Serbian security forces and ethnic Albanian separatists has left hundreds dead and forced tens of thousands to flee the southern Yugoslavian province.
NATO's decision to stage mock air attacks in neighboring Albania and Macedonia are only part of the plan to stabilize the region. The Western Alliance is also studying other options, including possible air strikes in Yugoslavia and the deployment of troops if necessary.
Although NATO does not support Kosovo's bid for independence, it hopes these measures will halt the current fighting in Kosovo and force Yugolsav President Slobodan Milosevic back to the negotiating table.
But critics of the proposal, including former U.S. ambassador to Yugoslavia Warren Zimmerman, believe the proposal does not do enough. In a recent NewsHour interview, Ambassador Zimmerman stated a "show of force is not a use of force."
Will the NATO plan halt the current fighting? Should the West step in? Will fighting in Kosovo lead to a greater Balkan conflict?
Answering your questions are Stephen Walker and Susan Woodward.
Mr. Walker, director of the Balkan Institute, was the State Department's Croatia Desk Officer and a member of the Balkan Conflict Group in the Office of East European Affairs prior to resigning in 1993 over the U.S.' policy toward Bosnia.
Dr. Woodward, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, is also a professional lecturer at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Her expertise is in the politics and political economy of Central and Eastern Europe
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