General criticises strategy

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC could still achieve his goal of the mass deportation of Kosovo Albanians despite Nato's air campaign, the alliance's top general Klaus Naumann said yesterday.

In a surprisingly blunt statement, General Naumann criticised Nato for not being tough enough in the initial stages of the campaign and for losing the element of surprise in its dealings with the Serb leader. This meant that the conflict may be prolonged and could result in far more casualties than necessary. "Frankly and honestly we did not succeed in our initial attempt to coerce Milosevic through air strikes to accept our demands. Nor did we succeed in preventing Yugoslavia from pursuing a campaign of ethnic separation and expulsion."