NATO's 'humanitarian war' over Kosovo

ISSN： 0039-6338

Source： Survival, Vol.41, Iss.3, 1999-01, pp. : 102-123

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Abstract

NATO's Operation Allied Force against Yugoslavia in March-June 1999 marked a significant stage in the developing practice of using force in defence of international norms. It was also influenced by concerns about the Alliance's credibility. The first major bombing campaign aimed at reversing a state's oppression of part of its own population led to speculation about whether a new norm of humanitarian intervention was emerging. However, the Kosovo war illustrated the difficulty of securing international agreement on the legitimacy of such intervention. It raised questions about the quality of NATO decision-making, the degree of reliance on air power, the impact of the war on civilians, and the role played by the threat of land operations in reaching an eventual settlement.