An Overview of Operation Allied Force in Kosovo

An Overview of Operation Allied Force in Kosovo In 1998, the long-simmering conflict between the Slobodan MiloÃ… ¡evics Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army erupted into full-scale fighting. Battling to end Serbian oppression, the KLA also sought independence for Kosovo. On January 15, 1999, Yugoslav forces massacred 45 Kosovar Albanians in the village of Racak. News of the incident sparked global outrage and led NATO to issue an ultimatum to MiloÃ… ¡evics government calling for an end to the fighting and Yugoslavian compliance with the demands of the international community. Operation Allied Force To settle the issue, a peace conference opened at Rambouillet, France with NATO Secretary General Javier Solana serving as a mediator. After weeks of talks, the Rambouillet Accords were signed by the Albanians, United States, and Great Britain. These called for NATO administration of Kosovo as an autonomous province, a force of 30,000 peacekeepers, and free right of passage through Yugoslav territory. These terms were refused by MiloÃ… ¡evic, and the talks quickly broke down. With the failure at Rambouillet, NATO prepared to launch air strikes to force the Yugoslavian government back to the table. Dubbed Operation Allied Force, NATO stated that their military operations were undertaken to achieve: A stop to all military action and repression in KosovoThe withdrawal of all Serbian forces from KosovoAgreement to the presence of an international peacekeeping force in KosovoThe unconditional and safe return of all refugees and unhindered access to them by humanitarian organizationsA credible assurance from MiloÃ… ¡evics government that it was willing to work on the basis of the Rambouillet Accords in creating an acceptable political framework for the future of Kosovo Once it was demonstrated that Yugoslavia was adhering to these terms, NATO stated that their air strikes would cease. Flying from bases in Italy and carriers in the Adriatic Sea, NATO aircraft and cruise missiles began attacking targets on the evening on March 24, 1999. The first strikes were conducted against targets in Belgrade and were flown by aircraft from the Spanish Air Force. Oversight for the operation was delegated to the Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Admiral James O. Ellis, USN. Over the next ten weeks, NATO aircraft flew over 38,000 sorties against Yugoslav forces. While Allied Force began with surgical attacks against high-level and strategic military targets, it was soon expanded to include Yugoslavian forces on the ground in Kosovo. As air strikes continued into April, it became clear that both sides had misjudged their oppositions will to resist. With MiloÃ… ¡evic refusing to comply with NATO demands, planning began for a ground campaign to expel Yugoslav forces from Kosovo. Targeting was also expanded to include dual-use facilities such as bridges, power plants, and telecommunications infrastructure. Early May saw several errors by NATO aircraft including the accidental bombing of a Kosovar Albanian refugee convoy and a strike again the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Sources have subsequently indicated that the latter may have been intentional with the goal of eliminating radio equipment being used by the Yugoslav army. As NATO aircraft continued their attacks, MiloÃ… ¡evics forces worsened the refugee crisis in the region by forcing Kosovar Albanians from the province. Ultimately, over 1 million people were displaced from their homes, increasing NATOs resolve and support for its involvement. As the bombs fell, Finnish and Russian negotiators continuously worked to end the conflict. In early June, with NATO preparing for a ground campaign, they were able to convince MiloÃ… ¡evic to give in to the alliances demands. On June 10, 1999, he agreed to NATOs terms, including the presence of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Two days later, Kosovo Force (KFOR), led by Lieutenant General Mike Jackson (British Army), which had been staging for an invasion, crossed the border to return to peace and stability to Kosovo. Aftermath Operation Allied Force cost NATO two soldiers killed (outside of combat) and two aircraft. Yugoslavian forces lost between 130-170 killed in Kosovo, as well as five aircraft and 52 tanks/artillery/vehicles. Following the conflict, NATO agreed to allow the United Nations to supervise the administration of Kosovo and that no independence referendum would be permitted for three years. As a result of his actions during the conflict, Slobodan MiloÃ… ¡evic was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. He was overthrown the following year. On February 17, 2008, after several years of negotiations at the UN, Kosovo controversially declared independence. Operation Allied Force is also notable as the first conflict in which the German Luftwaffe took part since World War II. Selected Sources NATO: Operation Allied ForceGlobal Security: Operation Allied Force

The eNotes Blog Welcome to Gilead Casting and Character Analysis for Hulus The Handmaids Tale

Welcome to Gilead Casting and Character Analysis for Hulus The Handmaids Tale Offred Enter to Win The Handmaids Tale and  an Subscription As you may have heard, Hulu will soon be premiering its new series The Handmaid’s Tale, based on Margaret Atwood’s famous novel of the same name, on April 28. The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a dystopian future in which the United States (now called the Republic of Gilead) has been taken over by a conservative theocracy. Women have virtually no rights in this new society, and reproductively viable young women called â€Å"Handmaids† are forced to serve as surrogate wombs for the government elite, most of whom have been left sterile by disease and environmental pollution. In eager anticipation of the show’s premiere, we thought we’d take a closer look at several major characters from the novel to see who is playing them and what we might expect to see from them over the course of the show. Also, enter our raffle* to win a copy of  The Handmaids Tale  and a 1-year subscription to !  Ã¢â€ â€™ *Entries accepted until Monday, April 24, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. PST. Offred Played by: Elizabeth Moss via Hulu Though she is the narrator of The Handmaid’s Tale, we are ultimately told very little about Offred- even her real name remains a mystery. In the Republic of Gilead, Handmaids are only named in relation to their current master, so Offred’s name literally means that she is â€Å"of-Fred.† Offred’s life as a Handmaid is isolating and limited; she is not allowed to read, leave the house alone, or speak freely with others. Offred occasionally describes her life before the revolution when she had a job, a husband, and a young daughter, but she now finds these memories of freedom painful to dwell on. The daughter of a feminist activist, Offred bristles at the repression and exploitation she experiences under the new theocratic government; however, unlike Moira, Offred makes her main goal survival rather than resistance. In the show, Offred will be played by Elizabeth Moss, who you may recognize as Peggy Olsen from Mad Men. Moira Played by: Samira Wiley via jetmag.com Moira is Offred’s best friend from college. Brazen, outspoken, and unapologetically feminist, Moira- unlike Offred- is not surprised by the drastic curtailing of women’s rights under the new regime. While she and Offred are going through Handmaid training at the same center, Moira makes a daring escape and does not return. Offred likes to think that Moira was able to escape Gilead and flee to Canada, but she later finds her working as a prostitute in a secret club for government officials. During this final meeting, Offred is disappointed to see that Moira’s defiant and rebellious spirit seems to have been extinguished; after having been recaptured and tortured by the government, Moira is now resigned to her unhappy existence. Samira Wiley, known for her role as Poussey Washington on Orange Is the New Black, will play Moira on Hulu’s new show. Ofglen Played by: Alexis Bledel via Hulu Ofglen is a fellow Handmaid and Offred’s assigned walking companion. Handmaids are not allowed to walk outside the house alone and must be accompanied by a fellow Handmaid with the expectation that they will police each other’s behavior. Initially, Offred is unsure whether or not Ofglen is a â€Å"true believer,† and she doesn’t dare do or say anything improper. Eventually, Ofglen reveals that she is actually a member of a secret resistance group. As news in Gilead is closely controlled by the government, Ofglen’s connection to the resistance makes her a source of valuable information for Offred. When Ofglen finds out about Offred’s strange relationship with the Commander, she urges her to spy on him for the resistance. In the show, Ofglen will be played by Alexis Bledel, who you may remember as Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. The Commander Played by: Joseph Fiennes via empireonline.com An older, married man, the Commander is a high-level government official and the head of the house in which Offred works as a Handmaid. When the novel begins, Offred has only recently arrived at the Commander’s house and finds him to be a mysterious and intimidating figure. Although he is not supposed to have any contact with Offred outside of the reproductive Ceremony, the Commander begins to secretly invite Offred to his room in the evenings. During these forbidden meetings, he allows Offred to play Scrabble and read magazines, and on one occasion he takes her to an illicit club. As Offred gets to know him better, she realizes that the Commander’s life is empty and unfulfilled despite his considerable power within the regime. It is implied that the Commander is one of the architects of Gilead’s social structure, and though he frequently espouses conservative and sexist ideas, he seems to realize on some level that their experiment has failed. In the show, the Commander will be played by Joseph Fiennes of Shakespeare in Love and American Horror Story. As Fiennes is significantly younger than the Commander is in the novel, it will be interesting to see how his age alters the odd, almost paternal relationship between the Commander and Offred in the book. Serena Joy Played by: Yvonne Strahovski via Hulu Serena Joy is the elderly, infertile â€Å"Wife† of the commander. As a Wife, Serena enjoys the highest female rank in the household, but her sexual and reproductive role is purely symbolic. Offred recognizes Serena from her former career as a religious personality on television prior to the revolution. Before the Republic of Gilead was established, Serena Joy preached that women should stay at home and return to domestic, subservient roles (a lifestyle that she, as a working woman, did not actually practice). Barren, forbidden from working, and trapped in a loveless marriage, Serena Joy appears to be quite unhappy living the wholly domestic lifestyle she once promoted. Like other Wives, Serena views Handmaids as a necessary evil, and though she is not fond of Offred, she desperately desires a healthy baby. Concerned that the Commander may himself be infertile, Serena arranges for Offred to secretly have sex with Nick, the Commander’s chauffeur and gardener, in order to conceive. Serena will be played by Yvonne Strahovski of Dexter and 24. Like Joseph Fiennes, Strahovski is much younger than her character in the book, and we are excited to see how Serena’s youth will impact her already tense and competitive relationship with Offred. We can’t wait to find out how these characters will be interpreted in the show, and we’ll be watching closely to see how faithful the show’s creators remain to the source material. If you want to learn more about The Handmaid’s Tale, we’ve got you covered! Check out our study guide to find in-depth summaries, character analysis, themes, and more. Be sure to enter our raffle giveaway and get your own copy of  The Handmaids Tale  and a 1-year subscription!

A Critique on What Determines Humanity and Right to Life Essay

A Critique on What Determines Humanity and Right to Life - Essay Example To start with, the author does not acknowledge the role of genetic humanity in determining moral humanity. Trying to eliminate the genetic component in determining moral humanity appear illogical and ridiculous to me. The genetic component and the moral aspect of a human are inseparable, a person only retain the traits distinguishing them as morally human only if the genetic composition is normal or not distorted. Altering the genetic component of a human being such as the nucleic acids can utterly deny personhood traits such as rationality, reasoning, consciousness, independence, and communicative ability hence humanity in the moral sense. Trying to detach the two facets makes the definition of moral humanity invalid. What is a human without the genes or even nucleotides? According to the author, an infant is accorded full human just because it can be adopted, this argument is void since the possibility of adoption does not make the infants morally human than an eight month old fetu s. The infant should not be considered more human just because it does not fully limit the rights of the mother. This paper is a critique of the article on the moral and legal status of abortion and seeks to establish the invalidity of the traits that determine if any entity is human or not. To support the conclusion that foetus are not morally human, not entitled to any human rights and thus can be aborted, the author gives several reasons. To start with, the author claims that the foetus does not satisfy the traits of humanity in the sense of morals. Another reason is that the unborn can be a source of risk on the mother’s health or even source of unhappiness. In addition, she argues that the right of a human outweighs that of the foetus that is not human and therefore the mother should determine the choice on whether the foetus is entitled to life. The author uses different types of premises to support her argument but mainly relies on the descriptive assumption. In descri ptive assumptions, she depicts and describes several examples to support her point of view. An example is the assumption of how a person visiting a new planet where there are alien beings would use the traits of humanity to discern if the organisms are human or not (Warren 434-440). In evaluative assumptions, the author assesses assumptions made by people on different grounds and evaluates them, some of which she rejects in the conclusion. Evaluation helps to distinguish if assumptions made are realistic or if they make any sense. Those that do not make sense are abandoned when concluding. A good example of evaluative assumption in the article is the one on the tendency of people criticising infanticide while it is not morally a misdemeanour. The author also appeals to general principles for example when she tries to explain why infants could be considered more human as compared to infants. In the example, the author posits that infants do not limit the right to the happiness of the mother since it can be given for adoption. The appeals to general principles are used to support the assumption described. The argument is invalid, since some premises that do not support the conclusion, others are missing, others controversial and in some instances the author appeals to public emotions. Inconsistency between different premises is evident throughout the article. A good example is the author denunciation of foetus as not human on basis of absence of traits defining a human, acknowledging infants also lack these traits and later alluring to people’s emotions in the conclusion by agreeing infants could be more human just because their restriction to mothers liberty is lesser. Another