Global Cop Essay, Research Paper

What should the U.S. foreign policy be concerning military intervention in

Kosovo? NATO, comprised mostly of United States Forces, has determined

the moral and ethical solution is to intervene and prevent the annihilation of a race of innocent people. NATO decided to intervene after Serbian military

actions caused deaths of over 1,500 Kosovar Albanians and forced 400,000

people from their homes (NATO’s). The overwhelming consensus is that

Milosevic is a modern day Hitler that must be stopped before the conflict

spreads beyond the Balkans. The public debate over Kosovo is not about

whether the Serbs are doing ghastly things to the Kosovars; even isolationists

admit that (War Fair). The debate is about what action, if any, NATO and

America should take. The isolationists believe that America, and NATO

cannot impose a political solution because the problem is not, at base,

political. Their viewpoint is that this problem is has been the norm for the

people of this culture and in this region for centuries, and that outside

involvement is unwarranted. So, why now is it imperative that the NATO and

US intervene to stop the annihilation of a race? The answer is simple, to stop history from repeating itself and to prevent escalation of this regional unrest. Milosevic is on a campaign to rid the region of non-Serbian people, much like Hitler’s intolerance for Jews, Catholics, and anyone else not fitting to the description of the master race. Milosevic wishes to cleanse the Balkans of any non-Orthodox Serbian. The genocidal methods used by Milosevic, consisting of large-scale destruction and hatred, are chillingly similar to the methods used in Nazi Germany, under the leadership of Hitler. The result of: over one million people driven from their homes by brutal methods of killing, rape, burning and looting of their villages (Hehir). Therefore, the question of why NATO forces are involved in the Balkans is answered by looking at recent historical events. We paid an enormous price, in both dollars and lives, to stop Hitler’s war machine, grow for years, and systematically destroying millions of people. It is our responsibility as a world power to protect those that cannot protect themselves and to preserve basic human rights whenever possible. We want to be able to tell our children that we had not averted our eyes from a terrible atrocity – a matter of great importance to a continent haunted by the Holocaust (Perils). NATO and America, having been duped by Hitler’s rouge of reaching diplomatic solutions, has learned a valuable lesson, and is applying military pressure to force a real resolution. Milosivec, applying the strategies of Hitler, has strategically held NATO at bay by keeping diplomatic channels open, all the while, continuing to carrying out genocidal raids.

During World War II, Hitler proudly amassed a great army, had quietly

annihilated hundreds of thousands of Jews, all while other countries

attempted to reach a peaceful solution by diplomatic means. Milosevic has

proven that he prescribes to the same deceptive tactics. Rather than scale

back his military actions and genocide campaign, he increases the tempo

while sitting at peace talks. There have been numerous news commentaries

saying that the Balkans are “the New Berlin: the test of Western will” (Crisis). America, Britain and France provided an airlift and a protection force for decades to protect the residents of Berlin from persecution during the cold war. A common assumption is that there will be a NATO protection force

stationed in the Balkans for years to come. Politicians and journalists are

quick to criticize the role of world peacekeeper, and the incredible costs

associated with being the world’s policeman.

Who is going to bear the burden and cost associated with protecting the

basic human right of the world’s people? Who better than the world powers?

British Prime Minister, Tony Blair was quotes as saying; This generation, it is suggested, will fight as passionately for human rights and self-determination as previous generations fought for colonial territory or national honour. It will wage war with moral purpose. It shall not rest, nor shall its sword sleep in its hand, until it has banished tyranny and all its works from the Earth – or at least from the sight of CNN cameras. (Perils) Much like an older sibling is usually responsible for the safety and well being of the younger; the larger world powers should be responsible for the well being of other less advanced countries. Our history shows that we have given our most precious resources, our loved ones have given their lives throughout history to stave off injustice and tyranny. To do any less than confront Milosevic would diminish the sacrifices made by the hundreds of thousands of Americans.

The question left for the global society is, will these types of inhumane

and barbaric acts go unanswered and undefended. NATO is the by-product

of World War II and the Cold War. It was intended to defend and protect

the innocent, by carrying the Serbian attacks under the auspices of Albanian

population protectors, it is actively doing what it was established to do.

Works Cited

Beinart, Peter. “War Fair.” The New Republic 31 May 1999. 6

“Crisis in Kosovo.” Upfront Tonight Cable Television. CNBC. 3 Jun.

1999.

Hehir, J. Bryan. “Kosovo A War of Values and the Values of War.” America 180 (1999) i177 1″NATO’s role in relation to the conflict in Kosovo.” Online posting. Internet. 11 May 1999

“The Perils of a Moral Imperative.” The New Statesman 128 (1999) i4432 4

Works Consulted

Judah, Tim. The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia. New Haven and

London: Yale University Press, 1997

“Kosovo and Metohija.” Online posting. Internet. 4 Jun. 1999

“Operation Joint Endeavour (IFOR – 20 Dec. 1995 – 20 Dec. 1996).” Online. Internet. 3 Jun 1999 Available: http://www.nato.int/ifor/ifor.htm

“NATO’s Role in Bringing Peace to the Former Yugoslavia.” Online posting. NATO homepage. 4 Jun 1999

The New Republic, May 31, 1999 p6(1) TRB: War Fair. (Kosovo, intervention, and Africa)(Column) Peter Beinart.

But why the interest in a relatively small Slavic region? From April to July 1994 an estimated one million Rwandans (approximately one seventh of the population) were massacred in an unprecedented genocide. http://www.rwanda.net/genocide.html