“Nothing can justify them”: why NATO declared the “necessity and legality” of bombing Yugoslavia

The North Atlantic Alliance insists that the operation “Allied Force” against Yugoslavia was legal. The corresponding statement was distributed by the press service of NATO. The military bloc notes that the bombing without the sanction of the UN Security Council was necessary because it helped to stop the "humanitarian catastrophe."

“NATO launched Operation Allied Force in March 1999 to stop the humanitarian catastrophe that was unfolding in Kosovo at that time. This decision was made after more than a year of fighting in Kosovo and several unsuccessful attempts by the UN and the contact group, of which Russia was a member, to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to this crisis. The use of NATO power was necessary and legitimate, ”the NATO press service told RIA Novosti.

Representatives of the alliance stated that the purpose of the military operation was to “put an end to all hostilities and repression against the civilian population of Kosovo”, as well as to ensure the return of refugees and access to the region for humanitarian organizations.

“Operation Allied Force has achieved what it sought to achieve. This campaign has demonstrated the ability of NATO countries to act and remain united at the time of the crisis. To this day, our unity remains our greatest strength, ”the press service added.

• B-52 strategic bomber attacks Yugoslav military base
• AFP
• © US Air Force

In a conversation with RT, the military columnist for the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Dmitry Drozdenko, stated that the key goal of NATO and the United States in 1999 was to overthrow President Slobodan Milosevic. According to the expert, the West was "running around" in Yugoslavia a new method of warfare, known as the concept of the five strategic rings - the defeat of the armed forces, the destruction of production facilities, infrastructure, population and government.

“The concept of five rings implies first of all the destruction of the country's life support system. Therefore, in Yugoslavia, alliance strikes were inflicted primarily on the objects of the socio-economic infrastructure - industrial enterprises, bridges, roads, power stations, hospitals. The calculation was to make life unbearable. In such circumstances, it is easiest to discredit the legitimate government, ”Drozdenko explained.

"The Spot of Shame"

The Russian permanent mission at the North Atlantic Alliance stated that the day the bombardment of Yugoslavia began was a tragic date in the modern history of Europe.

“On this day, exactly 20 years ago, the temptation to solve the most complicated, extremely sensitive inter-ethnic and inter-religious problems in Yugoslavia, not by painstaking diplomatic efforts, but by simple and fast methods of“ force surgery ”- bypassing international law and without the sanction of the UN Security Council” prevailed, ”stated in the post.

Diplomats recalled that as a result of the 78-day bombing and rocket attacks on the territory of Yugoslavia, critical civilian infrastructure was destroyed, and the death of civilians became “collateral damage” for NATO.

Moreover, 20 years after the operation, the conflict potential in the region still remains, as well as the problem of international recognition of Kosovo, and Western countries continue to use a force strategy to solve their problems.

“Unfortunately, as the actions in Iraq and Libya showed, the lessons of those dramatic events in the Balkans were not taken into account,” the Permanent Representative added.

On the eve of the Russian Foreign Ministry in a dedicated to the anniversary of the start of the operation "Allied Force" statement laid the full responsibility for the consequences of the conflict on the leadership of NATO and its member states who took part in the aggression against Yugoslavia.

“This spot of shame will forever remain on the reputation of NATO. He will not be swept away by the intensified involvement of the countries of the region in the alliance, which deepens the dividing lines in the Balkans and social contradictions, ”the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the attack on Yugoslavia exacerbated the Kosovo crisis, and also undermined the mechanisms that for decades had provided peace and security in Europe.

In addition, as indicated by the Foreign Ministry, as a result of the NATO operation, former leaders of Muslim militants came to power in Pristina. For example, one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Hashim Thaci, in 1999 occupied the post of Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. Since 2016, he is the president of the country.

The associate of Thaci Ramush Haradinai is now heading the government of Kosovo. In the mid-1990s, he was trained in a military camp in Albania. After the formation of the KLA, Haradinai took the post of chief of staff of this militarized organization.

The Kosovo Liberation Army has repeatedly been accused of abducting Serbs, Gypsies and even Albanians for the subsequent trade in human organs on the black market.

• Destroyed by the NATO bombings, the Red Cross building in Pristina, March 29, 1999
• Reuters

In particular, such charges were filed by the former prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal, Carl del Ponte, and PACE member Dick Marty. However, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) did not open an investigation into this matter, and the Special Court established in 2017 under the auspices of the EU has not yet filed a single accusation against persons involved in trafficking in human organs.

As noted by the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, "under the umbrella of the NATO bombardments, Kosovo Albanians committed monstrous crimes, including the kidnapping of Serbs for the purpose of trafficking in human organs."

“They realized the defenselessness of Yugoslavia”

The bombing of Yugoslavia began on March 24, 1999 without the authorization of the Security Council. The formal reason for the intervention was the stalled negotiations in Rambouillet (a castle near Paris) to resolve the Kosovo crisis. The Western coalition accused the Serbs of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim population of the region and demanded permission to send troops. The Serbian delegation rejected this ultimatum.

NATO operation continued until June 12. Alliance aircraft destroyed both military and civilian objects. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, about 2 thousand civilians became victims of aggression. According to various estimates, the material damage from the bombings was $ 30–100 billion.

As a result of the NATO operation, Belgrade lost the ability to control the situation in Kosovo and provide support to the local Serb population. In February 2008, Pristina declared its independence. This step was supported practically by all Western states.

“In fact, it was NATO that became the catalyst for a real human tragedy, the screen behind which anti-Serb ethnic cleansing was carried out, forcing over 200,000 non-Albanians to leave their places of residence. Tens of thousands of objects of their property are still usurped by Pristina and Kosovo Albanians. The return of refugees and displaced persons is in fact not progressing, ”the message of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, the head of the commission for the protection of state sovereignty, Andrei Klimov, told RT that NATO’s statement about the “necessity” of bombing Yugoslavia was dictated by the desire to justify itself for an act of aggression. According to him, the bombing led to the death of mostly civilians and the destruction of many civilian objects.

“Most importantly, this bombardment was illegal. Because without the sanction of the UN Security Council, they had no right to do so. Nothing can justify them. They undermined the fundamental principles not only of the UN Charter, but of the entire structure that emerged after the 1975 Helsinki Accords, ”Klimov added.

• Consequences of NATO air strikes on Belgrade
• Reuters

In a conversation with RT, a professor at the Academy of Military Sciences, Vadim Kozyulin, suggested that over the course of 20 years, the leadership of the alliance has been looking for a way to “wash off” the reputation of an aggressive military alliance. According to him, in the West, under no circumstances do they admit guilt for the destruction of Yugoslavia.

“In my opinion, the whole world understands that the operation of 1999 was the beating of a state with an independent foreign policy, the destruction of the disloyal US center of power. From the point of view of the Serbs, this is undoubtedly a national humiliation and catastrophe. 20 years later, when the generation changed, the West is looking for an opportunity to somehow live with it and prove that no tragedy allegedly happened, ”Kozyulin said.

According to Drozdenko, the alliance’s strategy with respect to Yugoslavia was to play the role of “the savior of the Serbian people from the dictatorial regime” after the bombing. For this reason, the West is trying to justify its own aggression and force the Serbs to repent for “Milosevic’s crimes”.

“As far as I can tell, the United States and its European allies have thought out quite well not only the air operation. The focus was on changing the national identity of the Serbs, replacing the historical memory in their heads with the sauce of promoting democratic values. A similar scenario is now used by the States in the Venezuelan crisis, ”said Drozdenko.

The analyst stated that in 1999 the West took advantage of the weakness of Yugoslavia. In his opinion, Belgrade did not have the capacity to oppose the coalition forces of NATO. According to Drozdenko, the superiority of the Western states was “stunning”. The Bosnian war, which resulted in major economic and military losses, had a negative impact on the republic’s defense capability.

“NATO realized the defenselessness of Yugoslavia. It was an ideal training ground for the development of new methods of combat operations, including for conducting information and psychological operations. Thanks to the intervention in Yugoslavia, the West gained experience inciting ethnic hatred in unwanted states and overthrowing legitimate governments, both military and non-military, ”Drozdenko concluded.