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.