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Kosovo, the Forgotten “Conflict”
Mar 9th, 2010 | 8 responses
Almost eleven years ago, U.S. and other allied troops entered Kosovo following a nearly three-month-long air campaign—Operation Allied Force—by the U.S. and the Air Forces of its NATO allies and which included the first participation in combat by the German Air Force since World War II.
The bombing campaign—which also included the use of Tomahawk cruise missiles—and the subsequent invasion followed extensive but fruitless diplomatic-military condemnations, initiatives and ultimatums by the United Nations, the North Atlantic Alliance, NATO and other international entities railing against massive ethnic cleansing, massacres, war crimes and other crimes allegedly committed by Serbia, its leader Slobodan Milosevic, and his military and security forces in the Balkans.
The NATO-led international Kosovo Force (KFOR) entered Kosovo on June 12, 1999, under a United Nations Security Council Mandate and was well established in Kosovo by June 20.
Its mission was to establish and maintain a secure environment in Kosovo, including public safety and order; to monitor, verify and when necessary, enforce compliance with the conditions of the Military Technical Agreement and to provide assistance to the UN Mission in Kosovo.
At its full strength, according to KFOR documentation, KFOR would “comprise some 50,000 personnel as a multinational force under unified command and control with substantial NATO participation.”
As of September, 2009, according to the KFOR website, the multinational force consisted of more than 13,500 soldiers from 25 NATO and 8 non-NATO nations.
The “military” newspaper Stars and Stripes reports today that the U.S. and other countries are gradually reducing their military presence in Kosovo and that the U.S. will be pulling and additional 570 of its troops out of Kosovo in the next two months, as part of a NATO restructuring.
By the end of May, only 830 U.S. troops will remain in Kosovo. At the peak of U.S. troop strength in Kosovo, there were about 7,000 troops in-country.
Still, “troops from 40 [U.S.] states are currently serving in Kosovo.”
Apparently, an incident during a parade last Friday, involving a member of the Kosovo Security Forces—which NATO trains and supports—has prompted NATO to call off its support “until it received an explanation of the incident, remedial action and guarantees that such incidents would be avoided in the future.”
So, things are still interesting in Kosovo.
Thought you might like to know about another country where our military are still serving, and serving well.
To learn more about KFOR and what our troops are doing there, please click here.
8 Responses to “Kosovo, the Forgotten “Conflict””
I remember kosovo conflict being on the news all those years ago Kind of strange isn't it.
One reason might be that, fortunately, there have not been many U.S. casualties (deaths and injuries) resulting from either the air war or the inititial invasion of Kosovo.
If I remember correctly, we did not lose any of our airmen during the air war. I believe one pilot bailed out and was heroically rescued.
While there may have been casualties resulting from accidents, I believe that only one or two American troops have been killed in Kosovo as a result of hostile action.
As is sometimes the case, no news is good news.
Good point.
Thank you
One reason there weren't any US casualties is due to high-altitude bombing endorsed by Clinton, which decreased risk to the planes but increased risk of collateral damage. There were 3 US POWs, who were released after Jesse Jackson went over on his own and negotiated with Milosevic. I am no Jackson fan but I had to give him credit that day.
Kosovo is an example of how so many of our politicians make decisions purely on partisan lines. Though there was no direct threat to the US and no UN support, the Democrats were generally happy to bomb Kosovo and many GOP played the role of opposition. Of course the roles were reversed in the next decade when Bush invaded Iraq. I've always felt there was a lot of similarity in the decision-making leading up the attacks on Kosovo and Iraq, the main difference of course being the WMD aspect.
Yes, I remember well, Mr. Limbaugh mocking our fighter-bomber pilots for such “cowardly tactics.”
I also remember well the high altitude bombing and cruise missiles launched by B-52 bombers and other aircraft and “safe” ship/submarine launched Tomahawk missiles attacks endorsed by the Bush administration during the opening days of the Iraq war, which caused tremendous collateral damage.
Are you defending the high-altitude bombing by bringing up Bush and Rush Limbaugh, DdW?
I am simply commenting on your comment…
I should have added that the “cowardly” comments by Limbaugh were total BS. I'm sure the pilots would have flown at a lower altitude without hesitation.
Fully agree. Knowing our U.S. Air Force pilots, I know that they would have flown 50 ft. above the deck, through heavy anti-aircraft fire, if that's what their mission profile had called for.
Thank you