Milosevic's Fight Against NATO

Human Rights Watch urges the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to cease its bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Though HRW agrees fully that the genocide must be stopped, we do not believe in the employment of human rights abuses as a means to end it. Ouster­ bombing violates fundamental freedoms and endangers the lives of innocent civilians. By using weapons prone to inaccuracy and which, when un-exploded, endanger civilians years after the war 's end, NATO is not minimizing civilian casualties; it is violating international humanitarian law. NATO should instead seek to transform Russia 's passive support for the Serbs into active opposition. The convergence of Russian and Western views on Kosovo could pave the way to an internationally authorized peace formula by the United Nations Security Council and significantly increase international pressure on Milosevic.

Serbia is still holding out for active Russian support. Were NATO members and Russia to jointly impose an international protectorate on Kosovo, they would greatly weaken Milosevic. The union of Russian and Western views on Kosovo could lay the foundation for a

UN Security Council resolution and stronger international pressure on Serbia. Milosevic is aware of this, which is why a resolution with Russia would be a greater threat to his genocide campaign than NATO 's current bombardment.

However, NATO 's current actions are gravely offending Russia. Russia 's political class interprets the air campaign as the US reneging on the bargain it struck with Russia at the cold war 's end. Russia would be increasingly threatened by the deployment of ground troops, should that come to pass. NATO must prevent a nationalist backlash by reassuring Russia that it doesn 't intend to threaten Russia 's security.

They must work toward repairing NATO-Moscow relations and transform Russia 's passive support into active opposition to Serbian