From the archive: the consequences of Nato bombing Kosovo

There are two reasons to return to the Kosovo Conflict for this week’s hit from the archives. First, of course, the surface parallels with Libya: Nato involvement, bombing raids, all that. Second, that yesterday was the 12th anniversary of Nato’s first operation in Kosovo. Here’s Bruce Anderson’s take from the time:

Milosevic has Kosovo, Nato has no idea, Bruce Anderson, The Spectator, 3 April 1999

There is a precedent for Kosovan conflict: Suez. Then, as now, our indignation was inflamed by misleading historical analogies; Milosevic is not Hitler, any more than Nasser was. Then, as now, we were afflicted by geopolitical tunnel vision, and lost all contact with the wider strategic realities. In Kosovo, as at Suez, Western interests could suffer long-term damage, whatever the outcome.

There are two points at which the comparison breaks down. At Suez, we still understood the nature of warfare, and were at least prepared for all military eventualities, though for none of the diplomatic ones.