The Nato bombing of Yugoslavia March 24th 1999.

[Rexz >:)]

Exactly 15 years ago, on March 24, NATO began its 78-day bombing of Yugoslavia. The alliance bypassed the UN under a "humanitarian" pretext, launching aggression that claimed hundreds of civilian lives and caused a much larger catastrophe than it averted.

From what i have read and looked up, most people in Europe and the US didn't really care what happens at the present day Serbia. I was wondering if that's true or what was the american/european public told during this period, of bombing not just strategic military targets but schools/hospitals even the Chinese embassy. And should have NATO said a simple word.... Sorry?

 

[MikeK]

The alliance bypassed the UN under a "humanitarian" pretext, launching aggression that claimed hundreds of civilian lives and caused a much larger catastrophe than it averted.

... and annexed Kosovo.

I've been to Albania. What I saw was houses ruined by missiles, minefields and bullets stuck in the walls of every second house.
Btw, here are some pictures (I just googled them)
Map of minefields

And this is modern Serbia 15 years after the bombing.

Hey NATO, how about imposing sanctions on NATO?

 

[jasmine]

the "strenght is power" but when it's not going in their direction (eu eu) they crave international legalitee
thank you in russia not to submit to the wishes of those countries that bathe in hypocrisy
a thought to those who have died and also those who die every day under fire from NATO ...
NATO has become (since the fall of the wall) a criminal organization, since it is no longer necessary to be being given the disappearance of the "Warsaw Pact" if it has what is if not to serve arms army in U.S. and EU, often under the guise of another turkey (and largest) UN.
sorry if I upset anyone, but know that I have hatred towards anyone on the contrary, but being manipulated in this way it makes me mad

 

[BuckRogers]

Did you check out Slobodan Milosevic, ethnic cleansing and Serbian atrocities while you were at it Rexz?

 

[MikeK]

Did you check out Slobodan Milosevic, ethnic cleansing and Serbian atrocities while you were at it Rexz?

He's the national hero in Serbia and most countries nearby. And so is Mladich (who's been imprisoned for decades without even a sentence, has had a number of insults and is barely taken any medicare after).

 

[Rexz >:)]

Yup. And it was terrible but for NATO to bomb Belgrade and other Serbian cities like that, with such brutality is pathetic.
I am not saying what Milosevic did was right, and it wasn't but what i really wanted to know from this topic is what was the public or West Europe and US told during the bombing. I read about a particular incident that NATO plane bombed a bridge just in front of a passenger train in city of Nis at April 12 1999 in result 15 people died and 44 were injured. NATO responded to it as "despite the civilian casualties there won't be any stop to the bombings" or "the train was not suppose to be targeted" then again there is footage that clearly shows the operator of the aircraft targeting the bridge and blowing it to pieces. Meh just saying.

 

[BuckRogers]

@MikeK Bet he's not quite such a hero in Croatia and Slovenia eh?

Do you mean Mladic, of Srebrenica fame? The 8000 that died there probably wouldn't have him on their speed dial either!

 

[TheDude]

It's all a fucked up mess.

People oversimplify things.

Makes the bad guy easier to label.


How bout we just disarm everyone?

 

[theGenius]

lol rexz, the u.s and nato never gave a fuck about bombing civilians, u think belgrade was bad? try hanoi, nixon personally made sure that some 250MILLION tons of bombs were dropped all over hanoi. and on top of that it was when it already was clear that the us would lose the war, pure revenge on the civilian population of hanoi...

btw, i saw those bombed buildings mike posted when i was in belgrade some years ago, there are even more close by.

 

[HIBred]

If you are asking what we were told in the US (which is what I gather from OP) We were told of the "ethnic cleansing" of the Serbian regime..which was pretty well documented and condemned by the international community..I can't however say how far back the ethnic tensions went back..hundreds if not more years from what i was told by a friend from there (a serbian), he told me the racial tension was deeply rooted in their culture..As for how it was carried out is not for me to comment on,the motives and actions of international powers is played out on such levels as we can never imagine,who knows what the true motives of those in power are.I can say that we were told of racially motivated killing of an entire "race" or ethnicity to be more exact...

*let's not devolve into attacking each others countries or policies....this is why threads like these almost never go well...blame can be traced back in any culture..keep it civil please

 

[TheDude]

Calling americans stupid because of nixon is ludicrous.

Ask any american what they think of Nixon

 

[Rexz >:)]

If you are asking what we were told in the US (which is what I gather from OP) We were told of the "ethnic cleansing" of the Serbian regime..which was pretty well documented and condemned by the international community..I can't however say how far back the ethnic tensions went back..hundreds if not more years from what i was told by a friend from there (a serbian), he told me the racial tension was deeply rooted in their culture..As for how it was carried out is not for me to comment on,the motives and actions of international powers is played out on such levels as we can never imagine,who knows what the true motives of those in power are.I can say that we were told of racially motivated killing of an entire "race" or ethnicity to be more exact...

*let's not devolve into attacking each others countries or policies....this is why threads like these almost never go well...blame can be traced back in any culture..keep it civil please

Thanks for that bred, really what i was looking for. I always thought that NATO would try keeping it to the "peace talks" or you know dialog. But seems like back in 1999 there was none of that, just go in drop a few bombs and yoloslavian regime is done. gg