Yugoslav President Milosevic Maintains Control, Despite War Losses

Strategic Insights -

Gen. Wesley Clark, the supreme NATO commander, testified yesterday that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic continues to exert firm control over his armed forces and security police, despite losses in the war for Kosovo. Milosevic has been able to consolidate power in Belgrade by inviting opposition groups to join his postwar government. Clark stated that there is little hope for dissidents to topple the hard-line socialist leader, citing the opposition's fragmentation and Milosevic's decade-long campaign of covert terror against them.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gen. Clark assessed that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic maintains control over his armed forces and security police, with over 100,000 military troops and up to 19,000 special police within the Ministry of Interior.
  • Milosevic controls the media, economy, and finances, as well as a loyal secret police network.
  • Clark believes that U.S. peacekeeping soldiers will be in Kosovo for less than 10 years, but resisted efforts to pin down a specific timeline for the operation, expected to cost American taxpayers over $2 billion yearly.
  • The general predicts that Milosevic will eventually face war crimes charges in The Hague and hinted that NATO may play a role in getting him there.
  • Clark defended NATO's decision to focus on air defense targets in the first weeks of the campaign, which some critics argue allowed Serbian forces to commit atrocities and drive out ethnic Albanians.
  • Gen. Clark stated that NATO estimates destroyed approximately 700 of 1,500 Serbian tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery pieces, a claim disputed by some observers on the ground.
  • The general also defended the deployment of 24 Army Apache helicopters in Albania, which were ultimately not used in combat, but which he believes put pressure on Serbian ground forces and helped to mitigate their effectiveness.

Sources:

  • Gen. Wesley Clark, testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee
  • Associated Press, "Yugoslav leader invites opposition to join government"
  • Kommersant, "Russia's ambassador to Yugoslavia hints at possible arms supply"
  • Sen. Carl Levin, statement praising Gen. Clark's leadership
  • Armed Services Chairman John W. Warner, Virginia Republican, questioning Gen. Clark's decision-making.