Washington, DC, September 15 -- In a policy forum "Aerospace Power and the Use of Force," sponsored by the Air Force Association, a former secretary of defense emphasized the need to "win" when US forces are committed abroad, while the current vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military will often be used as a "tool in the diplomat's portfolio."

Gen. Joseph Ralston, vice chairman of the JCS, said, "In Kosovo, I believe airpower created the conditions for a diplomatic solution. That's how it's supposed to work."

Despite the widespread criticism of the gradualism of Operation Allied Force, Ralston argued that the situation in Serbia was very different from Vietnam. The combination of stealth and electronic warfare, precision-guided weapons, and especially all-weather strike capabilities enhanced NATO's war of attrition against the Milosevic regime, he said.

"Wars of attrition, like that in Vietnam, are generally very costly. Both sides attack and both sides suffer," Ralston said. "But each believes they are stronger and more able to endure than the other." Because of the airpower advantage enjoyed by NATO, "over Kosovo, only one side suffered." In the end, the Serbs were unable to inflict casualties on NATO forces or to hold out long enough to split the alliance.

For his part, former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger said that in Kosovo "you had a number of failures which, in effect, tarnished to a very considerable extent and reduced the value of the enormous contribution made by the Air Force and all of the people connected with it in doing what they were told to do and what they did do."

Recalling his six criteria for the use of force, which he first enunciated in 1984, Weinberger maintained that the use of force in Kosovo met only the first of those conditions -- intervention was in the nation's vital interests, given the human rights atrocities and violations of international agreements by Serbia. It did not meet the other tests: prosecuting the war with the intent to win; having clearly defined political and military objectives; having the necessary forces in place; having public and congressional support; and sending US troops into combat as a last resort.

Weinberger was especially critical of the nature of the victory. "This was not the kind of victory that we should have had, because he [Milosevic] cut a deal. A deal was brokered." The former defense secretary added that Slobodan Milosevic stayed in power, he was allowed to remove all of his troops and equipment, Kosovo was not given independence, and the Kosovo Liberation Army was to be disarmed. All of this involved trusting Milosevic.

Weinberger said that the "Air Force performed brilliantly" in the Kosovo campaign, but he added, "If you're going to go into a war, you have to intend to win it. And you have to have the forces to do it, and you have to do it from Day 1."

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Stephen P. Aubin, Director of Policy and Communications
(202) 745-2121 [Sept. 15]; (703) 247-5850 [after Sept. 15]
E-mail: saubin@afa.org

The Air Force Association is an independent, nonprofit, civilian aerospace organization whose objective is to promote greater understanding of the role aerospace power plays in national defense. AFA is a grass-roots organization with a membership of 150,000. The Air Force Association was incorporated in the District of Columbia on February 4, 1946.