World

Kosovo's Moment Of Truth

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

October 6, 1998 / 7:11 PM EDT / CBS

The blunt edge of American diplomacy rolled into Kosovo on Tuesday as U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke took a break from negotiations to find out what's happening on the ground.

On a whirlwind diplomatic troubleshooting mission, Holbrooke met with international observers, reports CBS News Correspondent Allen Pizzey. They delivered what the seasoned diplomat called a "grim briefing."

"There's still a huge number of refugees up in the hills, people come back to their houses but their houses are wrecked without roofs or walls," Holbrooke said.

"There's uniformed military police...all over the place. They're getting ready for winter which suggests they're getting ready to stay a long time."

The Serbs insist they are pulling out their army and special police to comply with U.N. demands.

In the field, however, Serb moves are being interpreted as largely cosmetic -- a classic ploy by Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic to wriggle out of a tight spot. Security for ethnic Albanian refugees to return home is another key issue that the Serbs have not addressed.

"This is serious stuff. We are not playing poker here. We are not playing chicken," said Holbrooke, widely considered to be one of the few foreigners who can deal with Milosevic. "We are trying to make clear the extreme seriousness of the situation."

The aircraft carrier Eisenhower, at sea today in the Mediterranean, is among the forces the Pentagon officially committed to an air campaign if and when NATO makes a decision to strike, reports CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin.

Trying to back up diplomacy with a credible threat of force, the Pentagon detailed the aircraft and ships armed with cruise missiles that would participate in the operation, and Defense Secretary Cohen outlined for congress what Milosevic could expect to suffer.

"He runs the risk of losing a substantial portion of his military capability," said Cohen.

The strikes would begin with cruise missiles and -- depending on Milosevic's reaction -- could escalate to a full scale air campaign against Serb military targets.

Gen. Henry Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Congress that once the shooting starts, NATO had better be prepared to go all the way.

"We have been very clear and up front in saying that before initiating any type of operation in Kosovo we need to think this operation through from beginning to end state," he said.

If what happened in Bosnia is any guide, the "end state" could well require some sort of NATO peacekeeping force on the ground in Kosovo.

However, Defense Secretary Cohen made it clear that he is opposed to putting American troops on the ground in Kosovo.

"If a ground component is required, it is my recommendation and...I would almost say insistence, that it be largely -- if not wholly -- European in nature."

Milosevic is concernd enough to have cancelled military leaves and to have begun calling up reserves. However, NATO remains reluctant to strike and pentagon officials say a decision to launch is still days away.