NATO bombing campaign Notes

The NATO Bombing Campaign: Operation Allied Force

1. Duration and controversy
   1. The NATO air campaign, Operation Allied Force, lasted 78 days, ending on 10 June 1999.
   2. It marked a controversial use of military force by NATO, which traditionally focused on defending against external threats rather than intervening in a sovereign state’s internal conflict.
2. Bypassing the UN Security Council
   1. NATO acted without UN approval due to anticipated Russian and Chinese opposition.
   2. This raised questions about the legality and legitimacy of the intervention.
   3. Before the bombing, the conflict in Kosovo had resulted in fewer than 2,000 deaths and displaced fewer than 250,000 people. These numbers are far smaller than genocides elsewhere.

1. Scale of operations
   1. Fourteen NATO countries contributed aircraft, with the United States providing over 700 planes.
   2. The campaign involved around 38,000 sorties, one-third being strike missions targeting over 1,000 sites including military, police, and infrastructure facilities.
   3. NATO lost only two aircraft and suffered no combat fatalities, highlighting a highly precise and technologically advanced operation.
2. Resistance from Serbia
   1. Initial expectations of a swift campaign proved mistaken as Milosevic and Serbian forces resisted despite heavy bombardment.
   2. President Clinton publicly ruled out a ground invasion, a decision later seen by some military officials as a strategic error that emboldened Serbian resistance.
3. Political constraints
   1. NATO’s campaign was prolonged partly due to political considerations.
   2. General Michael C. Short criticized how national parliaments vetoed specific targets, hindering operations and extending the campaign.
   3. NATO sought to balance overwhelming air power with minimizing civilian casualties and avoiding direct ground conflict with Yugoslav forces.
4. Kofi Annan’s position
   1. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan supported the intervention in principle but criticized NATO’s unilateral action without Security Council authorization.
   2. He emphasized the Security Council’s primary role in maintaining international peace.
   3. Annan argued that regional organizations like NATO should operate under UN mandates whenever possible (Annan, 1999).

1. Civilian casualties
   1. During the Kosovo air campaign, NATO sometimes caused unintended civilian casualties, referred to as collateral damage.
   2. This term describes harm to civilians or non-military structures during military operations.
2. Bjakovica incident (April 14, 1999)
   1. NATO mistakenly bombed a convoy of Kosovar Albanian refugees near Bjakovica.
   2. The attack killed 82 civilians and injured 50.
3. The incident
   1. On 7 May 1999, NATO aircraft mistakenly bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three journalists.
   2. The attack involved five bombs, intended for a nearby Yugoslav supply facility 400 meters away.
   3. The CIA’s reliance on outdated maps was cited as the cause of the targeting error.
4. China’s reaction
   1. China accused NATO of deliberately targeting the embassy, while the U.S. insisted it was unintentional.
   2. Investigations by The Observer and Politiken alleged the embassy had been used for Yugoslav military communications, though this was never officially confirmed.
5. International fallout
   1. China condemned the bombing as a “gross violation of sovereignty.”
   2. Massive protests erupted across Chinese cities, targeting U.S. embassies and businesses.
   3. The incident severely strained Sino-Western relations during the conflict.
6. U.S. response