Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez

Live!
Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez joined us on Friday, March 26, 1999 to discuss NATO airstrikes against Serbia. Read the transcript below.

Currently a senior fellow at the Center for Naval Analyses in Washington, D.C., Admiral Lopez previously served as commander-in-chief for U.S. naval forces in Europe and commander-in-chief for Allied forces in Southern Europe. During his long navy career, he won numerous medals and honors including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal.

Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Dear Mr Lopez,

do you think that NATO will achieve its goal without sending troops to fight on ground ?

Did you ever win a war only in air ?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: I believe that NATO needs to let the current scenario play out. In general, all crises are ultimately settled on the ground. How this particular crisis will be settled is yet to be seen. NATO, although not necessarily all nations of NATO, could send troops in only to monitor, or for peacekeeping, or other missions. That's why we need to let the current situation develop and see what Pres. Milosevic's response is in response to NATO's current action.

Miami, FL: 1. Which day, Thur./Fri. produced the best results?
2. Would targeting Milosevic be more effective and possibly save more lives and shorten the whole process?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: I believe it's too early to ascertain the actual results of the current campaign. I have found in general that early assessments have a proclivity for errors. I think we need to wait and see a few days until we can receive more data and it is released publicly.

I have not seen an effective campaign to target an individual, nor do I believe that has ever been any institution's intent. Again, I believe we need to let the current scenario play out. It's the decision of the political hierarchy of many nations, and it has universal support. So, we will know more in a few days.

Michael Stine: I was in Bosnia for a year working on the on the peacekeeping mission.
Why should we attack a sovereign country, just because we do not like their president? Why don't we let the RS leave Bosnia and let the Bosnian Croats join Croatia. If the Albanians get their way why shouldn't the Serbs and Croats in Bosnia. Also why weren't the Croats bombed for not giving the Serbs in Krajina "self-rule?" Toooooo Many double standards, not enough knowledge of the Balkans on behalf of Pres. Clinton in my view.

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: The current actions by NATO and the members of the NATO alliance, and the reasons for those actions, have been fully articulated and supported by the leadership of not only NATO, but the national leaders. As you know, the humanitarian problems caused by this conflict and the potential for enormous refugee flows is an additional reason for NATO's response. We believe that the atrocities and killing must stop and NATO has taken the action to try and convince President Milosevic to stop his military and police action and to sign the peace accords. The Bosnian Croat situation you address is one that can be discussed within the constraints of the Dayton accords. The kinds of atrocities that now exist in Kosovo and the potential for refugee flow is not imminent any place in Bosnia. Peace has been given a chance in Bosnia-Herzegovina of which Herzog Bosna is a part. President Tudjman and President Milosevic both signed the Dayton accords among others and the situation in Bosnia must be addressed in consonance with those accords.

Laredo, Texas: What will happen after three weeks of bombing?

Social Studies class from J.W. Nixon High School

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: First of all, I and most of the world fervently hope that there will be no necessity for even one day more of bombing and that President Milosevic will agree to meet the requirements of the peace accords. All of the NATO alliance leaders have clearly said that he only has to indicate that he is ready for peace and will agree to the accords and the bombing will stop. More bombing will always bring more destruction. However, he has made the choice for his government and his military and must agree to peace.

Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico: I am a firm believer in US and NATO role as a prudent force to contain abuses. However I am very concerned about the inability of these two to gather other nations solidarity. Must the US carry the burden of world peace when the United Nations was created for this purpose. I much rather see 10 nations doing nothing than one acting, at least in appearance, on its own .

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: In today's world, one of the difficulties that we face is the spread of instability. The United States in concert with alliances such as NATO and individual nations have a responsibility to ensure that instability does not manifest itself ultimately in war. If that instability can be contained such as the coalition of nations has done in Bosnia, peace will have been given a chance. If the United States and other nations do not engage in proactive engagement beyond their shores, then no war or crisis can be prevented or contained. These are some of the reasons we are in Bosnia and are acting to bring stability to Kosovo.

Rosslyn, Va.: Do you think the power and potential of the Yugoslav military have been overestimated? Do they deserve the reputation as one of Europe's premier
forces?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: The Serbian military has been evaluated as very professional and capable and for that reason, each spokesman from NATO has said that the current mission can be very dangerous and that the Serbian military is respected for their capability and professionalism. To date, I have not reviewed any assessment of their military in the press that seems to overrate them.

Tampa, Fl: With the military muscle we have, why don't we continue to bomb during the day? I know that ight time is better for cover, but if radar is working it really doesn' matter does it?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: The military may begin military actions during the day but for now, the decision has been made to continue night bombing. If you recall, the initial period of action in 1990 against Iraq was also at night until we gained air superiority and then daylight missions were begun.

Eureka, California: Would there be a possibility that, after the air attacks have damaged substantially the Serbian military infrastructure, the Serb forces would melt into the remote mountain ranges and wage a hit-and-run type of guerilla war similar to what the Afghanis did to Russia?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: Certainly what you have proposed is possible and most military and political leaders would hope that the ongoing current actions would cause President Milosevic to agree to the peace accords. NATO has a wide range of capabilities and plans and I believe will be able to deal with any situation or mission that they are assigned by the political leadership.

Lanham, Md: Considering the comments coming from the Russian government regarding this crisis, how do you see it affecting any future Russian participation in NATO?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: I believe that it is important to maintain a continuing dialogue and relationship with the Russians. I hope that their recent statements and actions in response to the Kosovo crisis will not be long lasting. We in the military established a superb working relationship with the Russian military in Bosnia and in NATO, and I believe that that kind of relationship can be a catalyst for a positive future.

Washingtonpost.com: We're roughly half-way through this live discussion with Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, a former NATO commander. Submit questions using the hyperlink below.

Arlington, VA: Admiral Lopez,
By focusing our efforts on debilitating President Milosevic's military power, aren't we in effect acting on behalf of the Kosovo Liberation Army? What's to stop the KLA from taking advantage of the situation to assert complete independence for Kosovo, hence invalidating the agreement that prompted NATO action in the first place?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: The question you have asked addresses a clear risk from the ongoing action. On the other hand, without a force such as we have in Bosnia, we may not be able to fully thwart paramilitary action by either side. The hope is by the bombing campaign to bring President Milosevic and his government to the table and then move forward to peace.

Vienna, VA: Joe, you did not answer the young students' question...which was a good one.

What WILL happen after (whatever) period of bombing is undertaken... assuming Slobodan M does NOT blink??

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: Specifically, no one can ascertain exactly what will happen in three weeks if the bombing campaign is necessary to continue for that period. As I addressed in a previous question, most crises or war ultimately are settled on the ground. This can be simply monitoring or other more involved actions.

Largo maryland: Will Russia attempt to help yugoslavia fight the allis? How close is this to becoming a world war 3?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: This is a political question, but I see no indications of direct Russian involvement in Yugoslavia. One of the reasons to begin this action was to preclude the spread of the conflict outside of Bosnia. No one wants a larger war.

ST Louis, MO: How can the USA be sure that it has not shot itself in the foot as it did last December in Iraq? What action can be taken to insure that the air attack does not accelerate the Serbian action against the Albanians in Kosovo? And what is done to forestall the establishment of a "Greater Albania" formed from Kosovo, Albania, and Western Macedonia once the Serb's power base is destroyed?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: There are no guarantees that paramilitary forces will not act to commit atrocities from either side during the process of the air bombing campaign. The intent is to preclude any major military action by the Serbs in Kosovo, and it is too early to define what measure of full success we have achieved. The fact that NATO forces are already on the ground in the neighboring country of Macedonia will lend itself to stabilizing the region. I know of no support for a ''Greater Albania'' and believe that NATO's presence in the region will forestall any actions to achieve that.

rosslyn, va.: The legality of NATO's decision to strike Yugoslavia without U.N. Security Council approval has been questioned. Can you please explain how the two international organizations have worked together in the past and how the current Kosovo situation will affect their future relationship?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: In any crisis it would be useful if NATO and the United Nations were mutually supportive of military actions. I'm not fully familiar with all of the idiosyncrasies of international law with respect to the United Nations and I will leave that question for another to answer.

Arlington, Va. : One thing that I'm fuzzy about with all the talk of these airstrikes....I know you are no longer in the U.S. military, but what is the general strategic aim of the first few days of airstrikes? What is the U.S. trying to accomplish and why choose the targets they do?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: In general, the purpose of any military action in a crisis such as Kosovo is to bring peace to the country or region. In this case, as has been previously addressed, this action is aimed to bring President Milosevic to the peace table and preclude enormous humanitarian suffering not only in Kosovo but in surrounding nations.

Austin, Texas: We've seen little activity from the Yugoslav's much talked about anti-aircraft and missile defenses. Are you surprised at their relative inactivity or ineffectiveness?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: A military commander should never be surprised by the unexpected. As long as any potential enemy has a measure of readiness and is husbanding his defenses, you must maintain the readiness and capability to respond. I am certain that NATO is ready.

Alameda, CA: Shouldn't Germany begin to play a stepped role in this affair? After all, that country exerts an enormous amount of economic leverage in all of Europe, which at some point in time will translate into political influence. If the concern is that Germany might (in 20 - 40 years) return to its old ways, is not the Yugoslav\Kosovo\Serbia crisis an opportunity for them to demonstrate that the united Germany can play a moderating role?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: Germany has begun to play an increasing important role outside their borders as manifested in Bosnia. When I commanded Bosnia, they were only involved in logistics out of Croatia, but now, of course are fully involved in the peace keeping role inside of Bosnia. I fully expect that they will continue to increase their military cooperation and action in NATO as long as it is in concert with the constraints of their constitution.

Alexandria, VA: Does a reliance on (relatively) low-self-risk cruise missiles and air power indicate to adversaries that we have very little commitment to the resolution of the issues, and that they can win just by persevering? This seems to be the issue in Iraq. Could this be the reason for prolonged low-level engagements, with little change in positions? How is the use of cruise missiles and air power perceived by adversaries?

Brent Boning

Brent Boning

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: This is a difficult question to answer since all of the adversaries for which these weapons have been deployed have not addressed the question. In general, it is my belief that this is an excellent way to begin warfare action with the hope that it will achieve the ultimate objective. If there is a next step, than I am certain that NATO is prepared to move ahead if directed by the political leadership.

Centreville, Va: Why did NATO decide to intervene in the Kosovo crisis versus the one in Rwanda? Is there a strategic purpose for this?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: Today's world is far more complicated than during the Cold War. There are far more areas of instability, emerging countries, struggling democracies and economies, and alliances such as NATO must make hard choices as to where they can exert their influence and impact their area of strategic interests. I, for one, believe that NATO is the most powerful and most influential alliance in the world, as is the United States the most powerful and influential nation in the world. That said, neither can do everything to bring full stability to the world.

Detroit, Michigan: Why won't the US train and arm the KLA? They doing a fair amount of damage to the serb forces with the training and guns they've got now, why not help them? I think arming and training them, much like you did in Afghanistan, would make the air strikes more effective. I am Albanian, and I want to know if you support independence for Kosovo?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: The United States and NATO have been very clear that they recognize the plight of many of the citizens of Kosovo and have supported autonomy, but not independence. The action that is ongoing is clearly to stop the killing and to bring peace to Kosovo. Representatives of the KLA have indicated at the peace table that they desire the peace process to begin.

Newark, NJ: What is the exit strategy? What do we (NATO and the US) do if the Yugoslavs do not blink?

Ed Hammond

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: I believe that we need to let the current scenario play out. NATO and the political leadership have clearly articulated their expectations of President Milosevic. If further actions are dictated, I believe that goals and objectives of the next scenario will be stated.

Kursumlija, Yu: Last night i lost two members of my family who ran into shelters. One of them was 6 years old. Can you tell me how do you think that by provoking one war you can stop another from happening?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: Nothing that I can say could ever bring comfort to you with this great personal loss. It is the most compelling reason that we should strive to prevent all wars. My fervent hope is that President Milosevic will immediately agree to the peace accords and no other family suffer the loss that you have. I express my deepest personal condolences.

Arlington, Va.: Since the end of the Cold War, there has been substantial debate on whether NATO is needed, and if so, what it's role should be. Does this action signify that NATO will now act as a firefighter, stepping in to resolve ethnic conflicts and civil wars in an increasingly destabilized post-Cold War world?

Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez: My view is that NATO, any military alliance or coalition, or any nation's military can best be employed in the maintenance of stability and the prevention of war. We have a marvelous opportunity in today's world to prevent the next Bosnia or Kosovo. NATO's proactive engagement in actions such as Partnership for Peace will perhaps have us reach that goal of preventing most crises and war. The enemy is instability and all nations and alliances can work together to give peace a chance. This is a new role for NATO and our militaries, and one that I believe is most worthwhile. When crises arise and NATO is engaged, then it will be best positioned to shorten the crisis and preclude war.

Washingtonpost.com: That's all the time we have. Thanks to everyone who participated and thanks to Ret. Admiral T. Joseph Lopez.