AID MUST be rushed to the fragile little countries of Albania and Macedonia, to feed and house the desperate Albanian refugees fleeing extermination in Kosovo. Italy and the European Union have both begun emergency aid programs.
Debate is pointless about whether the NATO bombing, responding to genocidal atrocities, provoked more. Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic's spin machine wants us to believe it has. But the atrocities reported, the methodical murders of Albanian men and execution of moderate leaders, follows the model Mr. Milosevic's subordinates used against Bosnian Muslims five years ago. It is inspired by -- in some mad fantasy is a payback for -- genocide conducted against Serbs in the 1940s by Croatia's Ustashe government, Hitler's puppets.
The White House denies that the bombing provoked escalation of ethnic cleansing. The National Security Agency probably deciphered the communications and intentions of the buildup of Serbian forces near Kosovo that touched off the bombing. In the tradition of intelligence agencies, it is not sharing what it knows, and might not be believed if it did.
The NATO bombing campaign must be increasingly diverted to dangerous, low-flying missions against the tanks and artillery attacking civilians. While it cannot protect every Albanian, this bombing should prevent Mr. Milosevic from launching a foreign war. The old, mighty Yugoslavian war machine became his toy. This is what NATO bombing seeks to "degrade." Mr. Milosevic can still send a man with an assault rifle to murder an Albanian child; he is losing his ability to send tanks against Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary or Romania.
Given the wars he launched against Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and now his own citizens in Kosovo, he likely would go on doing it if not stopped.
Russia's role as mediator can be useful. In limited war, channels of communication must be kept open and possibilities of settlement considered. In that light, well-intended suggestions that Mr. Milosevic be indicted as a war criminal are premature. That would contradict hope that he might desist ethnic slaughter and accept NATO peacekeepers. NATO can try to bring him to the table or to the prisoner's dock, but not both.
President Clinton's challenge is to maintain unity and understanding. If it cannot undo the slaughter under way, NATO must ensure that it is the last such atrocity Mr. Milosevic undertakes.
Pub Date: 3/30/99