Jamie Shea Forces Quotations

I don't believe there are any differences in what people are saying. We all agree that ground troops should not be introduced until Yugoslav forces are retreating. We also all agree that ground troops will not be used for fighting.

Nobody is talking about putting in ground troops into a combat situation. Everybody agrees that the air campaign has to run its course until such time as those Serb forces are degraded, diminished, demoralized and on their way out.

What we are seeing is a safari operation ongoing by Serb security forces against Kosovo Albanians. First, there is a pattern of shelling into the hills, beating them out of the bush if you like. Then they are on the roads ... being moved hither and thither, particularly being mixed up with military vehicles of course on those roads. Then they are put into trains and sent to borders but sometimes when they arrive they are sent back again.

Clearly there have been atrocities going on. Once we have achieved a situation where Yugoslav forces have withdrawn we cannot leave a humanitarian vacuum in Kosovo.

At this rate, the Serb security forces would have more or less emptied Kosovo (of ethnic Albanians) in 10 to 20 days from now.

Last night, NATO had a night of relative restraint. We were mindful of the Orthodox Easter celebration. At the same time, the Yugoslav armed forces continued to demonstrate signs of wear and tear.