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Statement by GroenLinks (Dutch Green Left)
March 24, 1999
In view of the fact that the state of affairs in Kosovo is deteriorating dramatically, and of the deadlock of the negotiations, GroenLinks is of the opinion that an intervention by the international community can no longer be avoided.
The development of the whole scenario, which was the cause for the negotiations with the KLA and Serbia, is of essential importance for us. This means that after reaching an armistice and a peace agreement, a peace force must be stationed in Kosovo by the international community, to supervise adherence to it. GroenLinks is ready to carry its share of responsibility for a military intervention from the air under this absolute precondition. These air strikes must be targeted exclusively at Serbian positions, command posts and anti-aircraft artillery. Milosevic must by these means be brought to an armistice and to the signing of the peace accords. The essential factor is therefore the actual stationing of an international peace force in Kosovo.
Only by the stationing of such a peace force can the 250,000 refugees return in safety and can reconstruction start. In order to ensure the presence of the peace troops immediately after reaching of the agreement, it would be desirable to enlarge the troop presence in Macedonia (the "Extraction Force").
In sum, this means that GroenLinks only considers air-raids to be permissible if the international community only directs these attacks at Serbian Military targets: in order to force an armistice and a peace agreement; in order to ensure the retreat of Serbian troops from Kosovo; so that a peace force can be stationed in Kosovo to check compliance with the agreement; and to support the reconstruction of Kosovo .
Translation by Phil Hill.