U.S.: Milosevic won't budge

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Albright says diplomatic channels remain open

March 25, 1999
Web posted at: 2:54 p.m. EST (1954 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Clinton on Thursday warned that airstrikes would continue if Slobodan Milosevic does not "choose peace," and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the Yugoslav president "knows how to get in touch with us."

Albright said diplomatic channels "remain open" if Milosevic wants to end the attacks. But, she added, "there is no indication that there is any change at all in Milosevic's position."

"It is impossible for us to negotiate while he builds up his forces, attacks civilians and torches villages in Kosovo," Albright said during a news conference at the State Department.

While acknowledging that the United States and Russia are in sharp disagreement on the need for force, Albright said the Clinton administration hoped to convince Moscow "that our differences over Kosovo need not disrupt progress on other fronts."

The airstrikes, involving bombs and air and sea-launched cruise missiles, were authorized by NATO after Milosevic refused to call off attacks against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo or sign a U.S.-brokered peace deal.

NATO officials in Brussels said allied aircraft "destroyed" three Yugoslav jet fighters and hit 40 targets on the ground throughout Yugoslavia in Wednesday's first wave of bombings, missile firings and air combat.

Albright says the peace accords, signed by the ethnic Albanian side, "remain the best hope for a peaceful future in Kosovo" 374K/20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

"I'm very grateful that our crews returned safely after their work last night," Clinton said at the White House just before a briefing from his senior international policy advisers. They were to plan future action as well.

"Our purpose here is to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe or a wider war," Clinton said Thursday. "Our objective is to make it clear that Serbia must choose peace or we will limit its ability to make war."

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