>TALK OF INVASION PLAYED DOWN AS AIR RAIDS CONTINUE
>By Ben Fenton in Washington and Jon Hibbs
>MINISTERS and generals played down talk of an imminent ground invasion of
>Kosovo yesterday as Nato stepped up its air attacks on targets across
>Yugoslavia.
>Reports that Britain would provide up to 50,000 troops as part of a
>150,000-strong army to invade the province to get Kosovo refugees home
>before winter were described as premature in Whitehall and Brussels.
>Smoke rises over Belgrade on the 68th day of Nato attacksWhile Nato
>acknowledged that a key meeting took place last week between William Cohen,
>the American Defence Secretary, and his European counterparts, Robin Cook
>insisted there had been no change in the strategy governing Operation
>Allied Force. But the Foreign Secretary hinted that the alliance was
>running out of time before the issue had to be confronted.
>He told the BBC: "We are not making any decision at the present time, nor
>is there any proposal in front of us to make a decision. But we have always
>said all options are under review, and it would be important for any
>military organisation to keep options under review so they are there and
>available for ministers if the time comes to take a decision."
>Publicly Britain insisted that Nato would continue to put its faith in the
>air campaign, and there was therefore no immediate question of sending in
>an invasion force against Serb opposition. Privately, however, sources
>acknowledged that contingency plans were being developed in Whitehall for
>the deployment of ground troops, though these were being kept on the shelf
>until the politicians gave the go-ahead.
>Ministers believe a final decision will have to be made by the middle of
>next month in order to mount a successful operation before winter. The
>Ministry of Defence said Mr Cohen and the European defence ministers had
>reviewed the progress of the military campaign so far, but had taken no
>decisions beyond sanctioning the increase in troop numbers announced last
>week.
>A spokesman said: "Nothing in terms of options is being ruled out.
>Discussions were wide-ranging and they considered troop numbers in the
>light of the revised Nato requirement."
>Officials also played down suggestions that large numbers of reservists
>would be called up for service in Kosovo, including doctors and nurses
>working in the National Health Service. Some medical personnel will be
>among the 12,000 extra troops Britain agreed to send to Kosovo last week,
>including a number of regular servicemen and women seconded to the NHS. But
>the spokesman said: "We have no intention to call up reservists en masse."
>The deliberations over ground troops came as Nato planes continued their
>offensive. Yugoslav state media said at least nine people died after
>missiles hit a bridge in the central town of Krusevac.
>Nato said the bridge, a legitimate and designated target, was attacked by
>four aircraft. It was unable to confirm reports of casualties but said it
>"never intentionally targets civilians".
>Gen Wesley Clark, commander of Nato's operations against Yugoslavia, said
>he was opposed to a pause in the air campaign but had noted a change of
>tone in Belgrade. He told CNN: "Any bombing pause would give the Serbs a
>chance to continue their campaign against some 500,000-plus Kosovo
>Albanians who are still inside Kosovo."
>But there was "a significant change in the tone of pronouncements coming
>from Belgrade" following the visit of the Russian envoy, Viktor
>Chernomyrdin, on Friday.
>While claiming there is no need to change strategy, Gen Clark is frustrated
>by the restrictions placed on him by the need to retain a consensus of 19
>Nato countries. At last Thursday's meeting of defence ministers in Bonn, Mr
>Cohen is understood to have sided with those who opposed even planning a
>full-scale ground invasion.