On March 24, 1999, the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began airstrikes against Yugoslavia, targeting Serbian military positions in Kosovo.
Exactly 24 years ago, NATO intervened to stop the ongoing genocide being perpetrated against the people of Kosovo.
After 78 days of airstrikes, the bombing was halted on June 10, 1999, with the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
Before the strikes began, President Bill Clinton delivered a speech to the American people, explaining why this campaign was necessary.
“Today, our forces joined NATO against the Serbian forces responsible for the brutality in Kosovo. We are acting to protect thousands of innocent people in Kosovo from a military offensive, we are acting to prevent a broader war,” Clinton stated.
“For years, the Kosovars had struggled peacefully to regain their rights, but Milosevic sent in his troops to crush them, and that peaceful effort turned violent. We proposed a peace agreement that the Kosovo leaders signed, though it did not give them everything they wanted, while the Serbs refused even to discuss it. This was not a war in the traditional sense, it was an assault with tanks and artillery against people who were largely defenseless, led by leaders who had agreed to peace.”
