Wesley Clark- almost started NATO/Russian war?

[Vympel]

Over Pristina airpoirt, Kosovo

Details of Russia's surprise occupation of Pristina airport at the end of the Kosovo war are revealed in a new BBC documentary on the conflict.

For the first time, the key players in the tense confrontation between NATO and Russian troops talk about the stand-off which jeopardised the entire peacekeeping mission.

The Russians, who played a crucial role in persuading Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to end the war, had expected to police their own sector of Kosovo, independent of Nato.

When they did not get it, they felt double-crossed.

As NATO's KFOR peacekeepers prepared to enter the province on 12 June, they discovered the Russians had got there first.

A contingent of 200 troops, stationed in Bosnia, was already rolling towards Pristina airport.

'Third World War'

General Wesley Clark, Nato's supreme commander, immediately ordered 500 British and French paratroopers to be put on standby to occupy the airport.

''I called the Secretary General and told him what the circumstances were,'' General Clark tells the BBC programme Moral Combat: Nato at War.

''He talked about what the risks were and what might happen if the Russian's got there first, and he said: 'Of course you have to get to the airport'.

General Jackson: Backed by UK Government

''I said: 'Do you consider I have the authority to do so?' He said: 'Of course you do, you have transfer of authority'.''

But General Clark's plan was blocked by General Sir Mike Jackson, KFOR's British commander.

"I'm not going to start the Third World War for you," he reportedly told General Clark during one heated exchange.

General Jackson tells the BBC: ''We were [looking at] a possibility....of confrontation with the Russian contingent which seemed to me probably not the right way to start off a relationship with Russians who were going to become part of my command.''

Russian plans

The Russian advance party took the airport unopposed. The world watched nervously.

A senior Russian officer, General Leonid Ivashev, tells the BBC how the Russians had plans to fly in thousands of troops.

''Let's just say that we had several airbases ready. We had battalions of paratroopers ready to leave within two hours,'' he said.

Amid fears that Russian aircraft were heading for Pristina, General Clark planned to order British tanks and armoured cars to block the runways to prevent any transport planes from landing.

General Clark said he believed it was ''an appropriate course of action''. But the plan was again vetoed by Britain.

Partition fears

Instead, he asked neighbouring countries, including Hungary and Romania not to allow Russian aircraft to overfly their territory ...

Since this is a March 2000 article I skipped the rest (background info, what's happening in Kosovo etc)

[Howedar]

How disturbing.

[KhyronTheBackstabber]

How disturbing.

What's even more disturbing to me, is the fact WWIII almost started on my birthday.

[BoredShirtless]

General Clark planned to order British tanks and armoured cars to block the runways to prevent any transport planes from landing.

General Clark said he believed it was ''an appropriate course of action''. But the plan was again vetoed by Britain.

So what do you think would have happened if the British had gone along with Clark? The Russians would have flown back to their bases, and then what? Would it escalate behind the scenes, or become public? I personally don't think it would have started a war. The Russians aren't as hot headed as the Americans.

[Vympel]

So what do you think would have happened if the British had gone along with Clark? The Russians would have flown back to their bases, and then what? Would it escalate behind the scenes, or become public? I personally don't think it would have started a war. The Russians aren't as hot headed as the Americans.

You misunderstand- the airbases he's talking about are Russian ones with paratroopers. They were intending to reinforce their position and fly in more troops if things escalated. Probably would've resulted in some air combat if NATO went to challenge them (they wouldn't send paratrooper laden Il-76s to Kosovo without Su-27 escort).

[BoredShirtless]

So what do you think would have happened if the British had gone along with Clark? The Russians would have flown back to their bases, and then what? Would it escalate behind the scenes, or become public? I personally don't think it would have started a war. The Russians aren't as hot headed as the Americans.

You misunderstand- the airbases he's talking about are Russian ones with paratroopers. They were intending to reinforce their position and fly in more troops if things escalated. Probably would've resulted in some air combat if NATO went to challenge them (they wouldn't send paratrooper laden Il-76s to Kosovo without Su-27 escort).

You're right. I skimmed the article, and didn't pick out the Russians were already occupying. So Clark thought it was ''an appropriate course of action'' to put British tanks on a Russian runway. That's both moronic, and cowardly. What a shithead.

[Vympel]

You're right. I skimmed the article, and didn't pick out the Russians were already occupying. So Clark thought it was ''an appropriate course of action'' to put British tanks on a Russian runway. That's both moronic, and cowardly. What a shithead.

It would've come down to whether the force of 200 Russians from SFOR (in Bosnia) that had rolled into Pristina airfield decided to fight over the issue. Then you could've had the Serbs rolling back into Kosovo thinking "Russia is on our side after they just lost 200 men" (the force was wheeled Army BTRs and light airdroppable tracked BMDs, so they wouldn't have held out long) and hey presto, instant hot war.

[Stuart Mackey]

You're right. I skimmed the article, and didn't pick out the Russians were already occupying. So Clark thought it was ''an appropriate course of action'' to put British tanks on a Russian runway. That's both moronic, and cowardly. What a shithead.

It would've come down to whether the force of 200 Russians from SFOR (in Bosnia) that had rolled into Pristina airfield decided to fight over the issue. Then you could've had the Serbs rolling back into Kosovo thinking "Russia is on our side after they just lost 200 men" (the force was wheeled Army BTRs and light airdroppable tracked BMDs, so they wouldn't have held out long) and hey presto, instant hot war.

What I find disturbing is that it seems to be typical of American policy to do this sort of thing. The world is not America's to do with as it pleases, and sooner or later some nation/s will call them on it.

[CJvR]

Well, wars have started over Russian support to Serbia before. Nothing new under the sun.

[Stuart Mackey]

Well, wars have started over Russian support to Serbia before. Nothing new under the sun.

*snigger* um, yes, well.
Then again unlike erlier times, Russia now has nukes.

[BoredShirtless]

Well, wars have started over Russian support to Serbia before. Nothing new under the sun.

What's that got to do with Clark wanting to line tanks across a Russian runway?

[Stuart Mackey]

Well, wars have started over Russian support to Serbia before. Nothing new under the sun.

What's that got to do with Clark wanting to line tanks across a Russian runway?

Buggered if I know, but tanks on runways , as I said further up is illistrative of American attitudes these days.

[Sea Skimmer]

Buggered if I know, but tanks on runways , as I said further up is illistrative of American attitudes these days.

Except it never happened and Washington promptly told Clark to back off.

[Stuart Mackey]

Buggered if I know, but tanks on runways , as I said further up is illistrative of American attitudes these days.

Except it never happened and Washington promptly told Clark to back off.

And if Clark thought he could get away with it, or Washington thought it could pull it off? The fact remains that the instruction was given and was not carried out only because of the good sence of the British commander.

[Sea Skimmer]

Probably would've resulted in some air combat if NATO went to challenge them (they wouldn't send paratrooper laden Il-76s to Kosovo without Su-27 escort).

They dont have the range to fly from Russia and fight, and there where no Russian fighters in Bosina that I'm aware of.

[Vympel]

They dont have the range to fly from Russia and fight, and there where no Russian fighters in Bosina that I'm aware of.

Is it more than 1,500km (Su-27 combat radius) from the nearest Russian Su-27 unit to Serbia? If so; damn lack of IFR probes only to be remedied by Su-27SM upgrade program, but it still would've been a matter of 'we dare you to attack our fighters'. Of course, it they could reach Serbia and not Kosovo per se ... *fuel pump sound*

Or, this is more farfetched, simply use the limited Su-30 force (5-30 aircraft, depending on who you ask) for escort purposes (IFR probe= good)- though I don't know where they're based, one would assume that planning which saw paratroopers on Il-76s must've also provided for escort.