German Chancellor in 99: Terrorism of Serbs in Kosovo leaves way for violence

Yes, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) addresses the Germans in a televised speech. Yugoslav security forces have intensified <x1-> the terrorist approach to action” against Albanians, the Belgrade leadership has violated all agreements. “Therefore as the last tool remained the use of violence”, Schroeder says, broadcasts the DW DPA's script.

He further says that with this action, the Western alliance protects basic values of freedom, democracy and human rights. Schroeder draws attention that with the participation of German combat aviation for the first time since World War II in war, German soldiers are again. This country calls on all citizens and citizens to support our soldiers right now. ”

As part of the Western alliance, Germany was involved in a war, which was not covered by a UN Security Council mandate. It was a war the Western states argued with the conclusion that non-violent efforts had failed to cause the Serb wartime leader Slobodan Milosevic to change his stance in Kosovo.

In the predominantly Albanian province, which was then a southern part of Serbia, an armed KLA uprising had spread since 1998. Nine years ago, Milosevic had eliminated Kosovo's autonomy. Serbian security forces fought the uprising with brutal severity. There were repeatedly massacres against civilians and expulsions of entire villages.

Following the cruel acts of Serbs in the Bosnian war (1992-1995), the West wanted to end Milosevic's power policy with ethnic motives once and for all. One kind of obligation, to protect human rights, was placed on the right to sovereignty of a state. The waves of refugees caused in neighbouring states by Milosevic's approach also threatened to jeopardise regional stability. Negotiations were held in Ramboulet, France, for a way out of the spirit of violence without success.

With intentional bombings of barracks, military bases and radar equipment, but also civil institutions such as television stations, power stations, refinerys and bridges were targeted for Milosevic to be forced to change his stance. But the development of the war was not the clinically clean “ ”, as they were trying to present NATO press offices: air strikes that did not strike targets targeted at times even killed Serb civilians, and in a case even Kosovo Albanians, who within Kosovo moved into a refugee column.

The war ended after 78 days with Milosevic's surrender. Kosovo first moved to UN administration, in 2008 declared independence. More than 100 countries, among them Germany, recognised the new Albanian state, others -- Russia, China and five EU member states -- have not done so. In 2000, Milosevic was overthrown by his people, and the new Serbian government handed over to The Hague's War Crimes Tribunal. He died in 2006, before ending with a court decision against him because of war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.