San Antonio Express-News Apr 5th, pg 9A.
U.S. generals questioned the plan for bombing
By Bradley Graham, Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- In the weeks before NATO launched its air campaign against Yugoslavia, U.S. military chiefs expressed deep reservations about the Clinton administration's approach to Kosovo and whether bombing alone would achieve its political aims, according to sources familiar with these events.
The most senior generals, meeting in closed-door session in Pentagon's secure "tank" room, argued the administration should use more economic sanctions and other non-military levers to compel Belgrade to make peace in the rebellious Serbian province before resorting to air strikes.
They complained about what they see as the lack of a longterm vision for the Balkans and questioned whether U.S. national interests there are strong enough to merit a military confrontation. ...
Led by Gen. Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ..., the four-star service commanders ... challenged in particular the "domino theory" being pressed in interagency discussions by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright."
"Losing" Kosovo, she and her allies in the discussions maintained, would lead to wider destabilization in the Balkans that sooner or later would damage U.S. interests in Europe -- so better to act before it was too late.
Ultimately, the chiefs agreed unanimously last month to go along with airstrikes, embracing the administration's view that U.S. leadership in NATO has to be preserved and the looming humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo has to be addressed, the sources said.....
The chiefs are understood to be wary of recommending ground forces, worried this will evolve into yet another open-ended commitment of U.S. troops in a foreign trouble spot.
At the same time, if a political decision were made to send ground units to combat Yugoslav troops, the service leaders have stressed they would need a large force from the beginning.
"... if you're going to go with the ground option, let's not screw around, let's go with what needs to be done to get the job done," one general said.
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There you have it, folks. To some degree, this renews my faith in the military. They caved in only under the Constitutional concept of civilian control.
Madeline Aldumb has tried to entangle our military forces before in dumb adventures with no goal and no end (according to Colin Powell).
President Clinton apparently wants to prove he is the "Big Man" so he sends "the little people" off to die.
It's a political war only! No goals, no strategy, no way of determining victory, no exit plan, no end in sight.
I wish one of his mistresses would pull a Bobbit on him....
Isn't it interesting that these scheisskopfs are the Vietnam War protesters of the past. And we veterans are the current war protesters. (Realizing we are not alone....)
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited April 06, 1999).]