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Clinton Defends NATO Air Strikes, Calls for Release of Seized Peacekeepers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

President Clinton stood by NATO's recent air strikes on Serbian ammunition dumps in Bosnia, emphasizing that they were carried out in response to stepped-up shelling of Sarajevo. He condemned the Serbs for their actions, including the seizure of United Nations peacekeepers, and called on them to release the hostages. The United States and its allies are considering further air strikes, but officials acknowledged the difficulty of making decisions in the face of escalating violence and the risk of more hostages being taken.

Key Takeaways:

  • The United States positioned an aircraft carrier and three other warships in the Adriatic within 50 to 100 miles of the Bosnian coast to support further NATO air strikes.
  • The NATO air strikes on Serbian ammunition dumps in Bosnia were carried out in response to stepped-up shelling of Sarajevo, which defied United Nations resolutions.
  • President Clinton condemned the Serbs for their retaliatory shelling of five of the six Bosnian towns designated as "safe areas" by the United Nations.
  • The release of television footage of peacekeepers seized and chained to possible NATO targets escalated the stakes in the conflict.
  • Secretary of State Warren Christopher conferred with his counterparts from Britain, Germany, and France, and with the NATO Secretary General, Willy Claes, to discuss further actions.
  • The United States and its allies may consider broader air strikes against more strategic targets if the hostages are not released.

Statistics:

  • 50-100 miles: The distance between the Adriatic warships and the Bosnian coast.
  • 5: The number of Bosnian towns designated as "safe areas" by the United Nations that were shelled by the Serbs.
  • 6: The total number of Bosnian towns designated as "safe areas" by the United Nations.
  • 1: The aircraft carrier, with three squadrons of FA-18 attack fighters and a squadron of F-14 fighters, positioned in the central Adriatic.

Sources:

  • "Clinton Defends NATO Air Strikes, Calls for Release of Seized Peacekeepers" by unattributed author in _The New York Times_
  • "NATO expands air campaign against Bosnian Serbs" by Nicholas Burns, State Department spokesman
  • "Clinton administration officials give little indication of next step" by unattributed author in _The New York Times_

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