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He ordered NATO troops to occupy the airport BEFORE the Russians arrived, so they couldn't occupy it. He DID NOT order NATO troops to take an airport that was already held by Russian troops. (Any force involved would have been against the Serb paramilitias, if they resisted the NATO troops.) The fact that the Russians hadn't yet occupied Pristina Airport is even contained in the quote YOU JUST POSTED.
As I told you in my first response, the Russians rolled into Kosovo a day ahead of schedule, with the intent of seizing Pristina Airport, and then flying in a division of Russian troops for the purpose of partitioning Kosovo. Something nobody in the world, other than the Serbs and Russians, thought was a good idea. Clark and NATO Secretary Solana were right to try and prevent it.
They didn't succeed because the French were apparently more worried about Serb snipers shooting at their helicopters than they were about the prospect of the Russians occupying half of Kosovo and turning it over to Serbia. So the Russians were allowed to seize the airport, and blocked entrances to it with their APCs. Clark then tried to thwart their plan to fly in Russian troops (in transport planes that were already loaded) by blocking the runway with NATO helicopters. In the end, the other NATO commanders convinced him that you could accomplish the same goal by simply blocking the roads OUT of the airport with APCs, rather than blocking the runway.
So, your reason for hating Clark is invalid. At no point did he ever order any NATO troops to attack Russian troops. You can go on hating him if you want to, but you'll have to find another reason. Sorry.
''He talked about what the risks were and what might happen if the Russian's got there first, and he said: 'Of course you have to get to the airport'.
As I told you in my first response, the Russians rolled into Kosovo a day ahead of schedule, with the intent of seizing Pristina Airport, and then flying in a division of Russian troops for the purpose of partitioning Kosovo. Something nobody in the world, other than the Serbs and Russians, thought was a good idea. Clark and NATO Secretary Solana were right to try and prevent it.
They didn't succeed because the French were apparently more worried about Serb snipers shooting at their helicopters than they were about the prospect of the Russians occupying half of Kosovo and turning it over to Serbia. So the Russians were allowed to seize the airport, and blocked entrances to it with their APCs. Clark then tried to thwart their plan to fly in Russian troops (in transport planes that were already loaded) by blocking the runway with NATO helicopters. In the end, the other NATO commanders convinced him that you could accomplish the same goal by simply blocking the roads OUT of the airport with APCs, rather than blocking the runway.
So, your reason for hating Clark is invalid. At no point did he ever order any NATO troops to attack Russian troops. You can go on hating him if you want to, but you'll have to find another reason. Sorry.
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