The violence that Serbia was perpetrating against Kosovo Albanians in early 1999 was causing great concern in the United States.
The situation was unacceptable to the US president at the time, Bill Clinton, who considered the violence a serious threat not only to Kosovo, but also to the stability of the region.
In this context, Clinton began discussing with NATO allies the possibility of intervention in Kosovo. Initially, he was in favor of the idea of the US sending troops to the region, but only if the violence stopped and a strong peace agreement was reached, which was expected to be discussed in Rambouillet, two days after the violent events in which Clinton was participating.
“The time to stop this conflict in Kosovo is now, before it spreads and while it can be contained at an acceptable cost. We have agreed with our allies on a strategy that we believe can bring peace and support that strategy with the strength of NATO,” Clinton said, emphasizing that despite extensive discussions, a final decision had not yet been made.
The US president also added that if a deal were reached – and this was a big “if” – a NATO presence on the ground in Kosovo could be essential to give both sides the confidence they need to withdraw from the fighting. “If that happens, we are seriously considering the possibility of our participation in such a force. We are discussing this now with Congress and with our allies. No decision has been made yet,” he stressed.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright also underlined America's clear national interest in achieving peace in Kosovo. According to her, any American mission would depend on a strong agreement and a withdrawal of Serbian forces.
“America has clear national interests in a peaceful resolution of this conflict, which create compelling reasons for us to seriously consider American participation. However, our willingness to participate will depend on the achievement of a strong and effective agreement to which the parties demonstrate that they are truly committed. The force must be able to operate in a permissive environment, including the withdrawal of sufficient numbers of Serbian security forces and an agreement that limits weapons and the activity of paramilitary forces,” Albright stated.
The Secretary of State expressed concern that if the violence was not stopped, the conflict in Kosovo could spread and destabilize other parts of the region.
“Spread of conflict could reignite fighting in neighboring Albania and destabilize fragile Macedonia. It could affect our NATO allies, Greece and Turkey, and could flood the region with refugees and create a haven for international terrorists, drug traffickers, and criminals. A regional conflict would undermine NATO’s credibility as a guarantor of peace and stability in Europe. This would pose a threat that America could not ignore,” she warned.
However, on the other hand, the Yugoslav authorities rejected the idea of international peacekeeping troops and declared that Kosovo would remain under Serbian control, thus creating a major obstacle to any possible peace agreement.
