Tadic Describes NATO 1999 Air Strikes on Serbia as a "Crime"
NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999 for its crackdown on Kosovo was a "crime", Serbian President Boris Tadic said Saturday as Belgrade mourned its victims.
"That war was a crime against our country and our people ...," state news agency Tanjug quoted Tadic as saying on the 13th anniversary of the start of the 78-day air campaign launched without U.N. Security Council backing on March 24, 1999.
The bombings began after late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic refused to sign a peace deal to end his forces' violent crackdown on the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and independence-seeking ethnic Albanian majority in Kosovo.
The attacks included air- and sea-launched cruise missiles and bombing runs by NATO aircraft. At the time, it was the biggest military operation in NATO history.
It was also the first time after World War II that an European capital -- Belgrade -- was bombed.
Traces of the NATO bombings can still be seen throughout Serbia, with Belgrade putting the civilian death toll at 2,500 -- including 89 children -- and 12,500 injured.
After the bombings, Milosevic's troops were ousted from Kosovo, and the United Nations took over administration of the territory while NATO-led peacekeepers (KFOR) took charge of security.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by some 90 nations, including the United States and all but five European Union members, but not by Belgrade.
25 March 2012, 05:18
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Milosevic was not allowed to crush the Islamic Threat coming from the Illegal and militant KLA in Kosovo but NATO/Amercia is allowed to invade, occupy and bomb Afghanistan & Iraq. Go figure!
Milosevic was the first leader to quash the Islamic threat of rebels risking the security of his nation. However the support Clinton had to give th Sunni Muslim rebels was part of the plan of support Saudi Arabias conditions within OPEC as required by the US. Clinton basically told Suaid Arabia we will create 2 new and independent Muslim Sunni countries in the heart of Europe - Bosnia & Kosovo, ontop of Albania & Turkey to say the least.
28 August 2012, 21:54
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Kosovo had no choice, did you not see what the Serbs did in Croatia, Bosnia and finally in Kosovo? The crimes committed by the Serbs were real - rape, torturer and murder of many Muslim innocent children. The international community saw what occurred in other places and did not want that to continue in Kosovo. The Serbs are upset with Kosovo because Kosovo fought back with NATO, they took the pains of war right to the front steps of Belgrade- they gave them a taste of the real pain that they caused in previous years to others. Kosovo had no choice but to brake free, you can't expect someone to stay in an abusive relationship. The international court ruled 10-4 in favor of the Kosovo independence.
08 September 2013, 11:23
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Well and what abaut crimes over Serbs does thay have' nt right to defence himself ... this war was a addon from the ww2 if you dont belife get infos abaut whou was on what side in this war ... maybe you'LL understand !
