Illegal War In Kosovo Essay, Research Paper

President Clinton addressed the people of the United States on June 10, 1999 over the United States’ mission in Kosovo. Kosovo is a province of Serbia, which makes this war a civil war. Highlights of his speech outline the goals that he wanted to obtain in this Humanitarian intervention, as he called it. The mission had flaws innate to it from the beginning. The three-tiered goal of the President was clearly stated. The first is to allow the Kosovar people back into their homes. The second is to require Serbian forces to leave Kosovo. The last thing was to deploy an international security force, with NATO at its core, to protect all the people that troubled the land, Serbians and Albanians alike. The message was clear, but was not followed in regards to international law, and NATO’s Charter, and even the three clearly stated missions. The involvement in Kosovo’s war is illegal, and the President of the United States has pushed NATO into committing wartime crimes and has used the Powers-of-Office in an unconstitutional manner, which resulted in the illegal intervention of a sovereign state.

On March 24, 1999, the united countries of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, under pressure from the United States, launched an illegal assault upon a sovereign nation. The evidence is overwhelming that leaders within the United State government sponsored this decision with the extreme perseverance from President of the United States. NATO should have dismissed the request for assault and involvement for it was clearly illegal. It’s perpetrators showed total disregard for Article One of the NATO Charter, which incorporates by reference the United Nations Charter, Chapter One, Article Two, Sections Three, Four and Seven. These sections make it clear that NATO’s role is to be purely defensive. The aggression that NATO has undertaken did not come from or with approval of the UN Security Council, which NATO’s Charter clearly states numerous times that the UN Security Council will convene and approve of any such matter or action. It is a brutal violation of NATO’s Charter and of all principles of international law.

NATO used military weapons and tactics that run counter to the demands of decency and the nature of a moral people. Cluster bombs are outright illegal. Geneva Convention has concluded the use of cluster bombs and anti-tank and anti-personnel mines as illegal munitions. Cluster bombs and mines have a five percent failure to diffuse, which leads to civilian casualties. In addition, the sheer massiveness of the attacks that has resulted in over 2000 civilian casualties and many more injured, coupled with the use of depleted uranium weapons and the bombing of chemical plants has raised legitimate environmental concerns in addition to the horror that it spelled for its victims. Toxic clouds drifted into other countries causing further violations on human rights and clear disregard for the purpose of NATO’s intervention. This disregard for the human rights and NATO’s aggression comes in direct violation of several Treaties, and Charters. To name a few that this war has violated is the Geneva Convention, Nuremberg Decisions, NATO Charter, United Nations Charter, and United States Constitution.

Atrocities against Serbs continue, often at the hands of Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army who has taken charge in Kosovo. NATO camps were to be established for refugees Kosovo, but have been turned into KLA’s military depots and safeguard camps. This is in direct opposition to the mission that was to protect every troubled person Serbians and Albanians alike. Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops now occupy their land due to a coerced treaty. KFOR troops have looked on or offered only token assistance to Serbian citizens. NATO’s brutal aggression against Yugoslavia is murdering hundreds of people, amongst them children, elderly and women. It is destroying cities and villages, populated quarters, factories, houses, hospitals, schools, cultural and historical monuments, installations for the provision of water, railroads, bridges, and communication centers. This does not sound as if NATO is trying to stop a war or even intervene based on humanitarian rights. The facts point towards a gross execution of a one sided agenda, which screams save the Albanians.

The United States President not only pushed for an illegal attack on a sovereign state, but also used the Powers-of-Office in an unconstitutional manner by declaring war on Serbia. Any conflict that introduces United States forces into hostilities for more than 60 days is considered an act of aggression or war. Article One; Section Eight of the United States Constitution gives Congress the sole power to declare war. The execution of an Executive Order allows the President to deploy troops in a war for only 60 days. Any further delays and the Congress have to vote on whether to go to war or pull out United States troops. Congress has voted on declaring war on Yugoslavia and has been rejected a wide margin. President Clinton has not pulled out United States troops, but rather is sending 2000 more troops to Kosovo. This act is in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States and War Power Act of 1973.

The war against Yugoslavia serves to strengthen imperialism militarily and economically, not only in Europe but also in relation to the strategic areas of the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. It is the first open NATO war of aggression in its 50 years of history, and it includes the first combat role of German troops on foreign soil since the defeat of Hitler’s totalitarianism. The United States NATO war has resulted in the military occupation of the former People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, has turned Albania into the main military base of imperialism in its aggression against Yugoslavia, and has brought new life to a Hitler concept of a Greater Albania.

NATO and the United States have clearly proven to commit illegal international acts that resemble agendas of terrorist organizations. NATO’s leaders should be brought before an International Court as war criminals, responsible for aggression against the sovereign state of Yugoslavia. The United States President should be tried before Congress for enacting illegal Powers-of-Office. NATO also should pull its forces out of Kosovo immediately until just punishment and appropriate measures can be resolved. If NATO is allowed to continue its reign and fight for Albanian refugees, then all countries that enter into a civil war conflict will be at risk of NATO’s wrath.