To the thread for info : U.S. evacuating Belgrade embassy, Senator warns bombing will be soon
Associated Press
12.13 p.m. ET (1714 GMT) March 19, 1999 By Tom Raum,
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Clinton prepared congressional leaders today for what one senator called a "robust and serious'' bombing campaign against the Serbs that would soon put American military lives in danger. The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade was being evacuated.
"We will have them all out within 24 hours,'' a U.S. official said of employees of the embassy, noting that other governments also were pulling their staffers out of the Yugoslav capital.
"I think we'll be going to bombing pretty soon,'' Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., told reporters at the White House after the president's hastily called morning meeting with 31 top-ranking members of the House and Senate.
"He told us the danger to pilots is real.''
Clinton "laid out a precise and rational plan as to why we would have to participate with NATO and initiate bombing if (Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic does not sign on to the peace agreement,'' said Biden, the first to emerge from the private huddle.
"We must, we must do as we committed — move forward with a bombing campaign.'' After the president's briefing, Biden said, he expected that campaign to be "robust and serious.''
Earlier, nonessential U.S. personnel and their family members had departed the Serb capital of Yugoslavia. Their way out was paid by the State Department, which did not insist that they leave.
But overnight, the situation changed, and an order for evacuation was set in motion. Some two dozen essential U.S. Embassy people were involved.
Before meeting with Clinton, Senate leaders delayed until Monday legislation that could block money for any U.S. military involvement in the Serbian province without prior congressional approval.
"The American people need to have a better understanding what the United States' national security interests are, if any,'' said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.
Lott and other Senate leaders received a briefing Thursday from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and other members of Clinton's national security team on the fragile status of peace negotiations between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians in Paris and on the continued threat of U.S.-led NATO airstrikes against Serb targets.
The talks broke down today and French and British mediators said in a statement they won't resume if the Serbs continue to reject the accord.
"There is no purpose in extending the talks any further,'' the mediators said.
Albright, as she went into the closed-door briefing with lawmakers, said "NATO stands ready to take whatever measures are necessary.''
Afterwards, Lott said he wasn't satisfied — and requested a meeting with Clinton.
"I just don't think that the predicate has been laid, that the Senate, let alone the American people, know enough about what the reasons are for potential airstrikes at this time,'' Lott said.
"What are the risks? What do we hope to achieve? And what happens next? I'm just saying that we need to know a lot more than we presently have been advised,'' Lott added.
Earlier Thursday, the Pentagon's top military commanders told a Senate hearing that military action against Milosevic's forces could be difficult and could result in American casualties.
Lott spokesman John Czwartacki said sentiment in the GOP-led Congress had changed from "qualified support'' for administration policy "to real serious debate over whether we should be heading into a long drawn-out campaign.''
David Leavy, a White House spokesman on national security issues, said that at today's meeting, Clinton would emphasize "that the United States has a clear national interest in preventing a wider war from spreading in Kosovo.''
"The president believes it's important to have strong bipartisan consensus here at home as we deliver a strict message to President Milosevic that his actions are intolerable and there will be further consequences if he does not abide by his obligations and agree to a political settlement that guarantees Kosovo's autonomy.''
NATO has warned it will bombard Serbian targets if Milosevic continues to resist a proposed three-year settlement to give Kosovo autonomy. The latest round of settlement talks in Paris appeared to be at an end Thursday, and it was unclear whether any more would be held or whether the Serbs would be given a few days to consider their position. Yugoslav forces appeared to be mobilizing for all-out war.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in a year of fighting in Kosovo, a province of Serbia, the dominant of two remaining republics comprising Yugoslavia.
Clinton has said he's prepared to send up to 4,000 Americans there as part of a 28,000-member NATO force that would enforce the peace — if a settlement is signed by both sides.
Yugoslavia's air defenses are sophisticated and heavily defended, Gen. Michael Ryan, the Air Force chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
"These guys are very good. So taking on these defenses with air power will not be easy. There is a distinct possibility we will lose aircraft in trying to penetrate those defenses,'' Ryan said.
"It is going to be tremendously dangerous,'' Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Charles Krulak testified.
Ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs in Kosovo nine-to-one. But the Serbian province remains under Serb control and the military directed by Milosevic from Belgrade. |
