The US Foreign Policy Role in Achieving the Rambouillet Agreement

322 Tarih ve Gelecek Dergisi, Haziran 2020, Cilt 6, Sayı 2 Journal of History and Future, June 2020, Volume 6, Issue 2 Tarih&Gelecek Dergisi https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jhf History&Future Journal of University of “Ukshin Hoti” Prizren Address Rruga e Shkronjave, nr.1 200000 Prizren, Artan RESHANI Republic of Kosovo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8124-0003 PhD. Candidate Screened by e-ISSN 2458-7672 Eser Geçmişi / Article Past: Araştırma Makalesi Başvuruda bulundu. Kabul edildi. 30/04/2020 17/05/2020 Applied Accepted DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21551/jhf.730216 Research Paper Orjinal Makale / Orginal Paper The US Foreign Policy Role in Achieving the Rambouillet Agreement Rambouillet Anlaşmasının Sağlanmasında ABD Dış Politikasının Rolü Abstract The Rambouillet Conference (February-March 1999) is the most serious and successful effort of the International Community to end the Kosovo War. This paper provides details on the commitment and determination of US foreign policy to end the war and achieve peace between the parties to the conflict. The fight between the KLA and Serbian forces, especially the massacre of 45 civilians in Recak, assessed as a crime against humanity by US Ambassador William Walker, served as the starting point for harsh reactions from the White House and President Bill Clinton himself, who urgently called for organizing a conference to stop the war and to establish peace. US policy in cooperation with the Contact Group managed to persuade the parties to enter into talks in Rambouillet. The conference opened on February 6, 1999, led by Presidents Hyber Vedrine and Robin Cook, and lasted until February 23. During the Conference, the commitment of US diplomacy, through the State Secretary Medelin Albright, was decisive, managing to convince one of the parties, the Kosovar one, to accept the proposed agreement. It was again American diplomacy and politics that pushed forward the idea of limited international military intervention on Serbian troops, as a imposed solution to stop the war and restore peace. NATO airstrikes began on March 24 and lasted 78 days. Even in these military actions, US political and military engagement played a crucial role. Keywords: Rambouillet conference, US foreign policy, war in Kosovo, NATO, etc. ATIF: RESHANI Artan , “Rambouillet Anlaşmasının Sağlanmasında ABD Dış Politikasının Rolü”, Tarih ve Gelecek Dergisi, 6/2 (Haziran 2020), s. (322-334) CITE: RESHANI Artan, “The US Foreign Policy Role in Achieving the Rambouillet Agreement”, Journal of History and Future, 6/2 (June 2020), pp. (322-334) https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jhf Tarih ve Gelecek Dergisi, Haziran 2020, Cilt 6, Sayı 2 Journal of History and Future, June 2020, Volume 6, Issue 2 323 Öz Rambouillet Konferansı (Şubat-Mart 1999), Kosova Savaşını sonra erdirmeye yönelik Uluslararası Toplumun en ciddi ve başarılı çabasıdır. Bu çalışma, çatışma tarafları arasındaki savaşı sonlandırmak ve barışı sağlamak için ABD dış politikasının taahhüt ve kararlılığına dair ayrıntılar ortaya koymaktadır. KKO ve Sırp güçleri arasındaki çatışmanın, özellikle Reçak’ta 45 sivilin katledilmesinin, ABD Büyükelçisi William Walker tarafından insanlık karşı işlenen suç olarak değerlendirilmesi, Beyaz Saray ve savaşın durdurulması ve barışın sağlanması için acil bir konferansın düzenlenmesini dile getiren Başkan Bill Clinton tarafından sert tepkilerin başlangıç noktasını teşkil etmektedir. ABD politikası, Temas Grubu ile işbirliği içerisinde, tarafları Rambouillet’de müzakerelere başlamasını ikna etmeyi başarmıştır. Konferans 6 Şubat 1999 tarihinde Başkan Hyber Vedrine ve Robin Cook yönetiminde başlamış ve 23 Şubat’a kadar sürmüştür. Konferans boyunca, Dışişleri Bakanı Madeleine Albright aracılığıyla ABD diplomasisinin ortaya koyduğu taahhütler belirleyici olmuş, önerilen anlaşmanın kabul edilebilmesi için taraflardan biri olan Kosova tarafını ikna etmeye başarmıştır. Benzer şekilde, savaşı sona erdirme ve barışı tesis etme çözümü olarak Sırp güçlerine karşı kısıtlı bir uluslararası askeri müdahale fikrini ileri süren yine Amerikan diplomasisi ve siyaseti olmuştur. NATO hava müdahalesi 24 Mart’ta başlamış ve 78 gün sürmüştür. Bu askeri müdahalelerde bile ABD siyasi ve askeri etkileşimi önemli rol oynamıştır. Anahtar kelimeler: Rambouillet Konferansı, ABD dış politikası, Kosova savaşı, NATO, vs. Preparations of the International Community for the organization of Conference on Kosovo D uring 1998, the war in Kosovo expanded on a large scale, creating a very serious and disturbing situation, where the striking targets of the Serbian forces were not only the units of the Kosovo Liberation Guerilla, but also the Albanian civilians of all age groups, who as an epilogue there were thousands killed and massacred. Concerned about the difficult situation and inhumane violence in Kosovo, US President Bill Clinton himself, who at the meeting of the National Security Council agreed that: “The United States Government must use a successful solution of the current crisis to convince all parties of their common interest in taking steps to avoid further incidents, cooperating with the Verification Mission in Kosovo (MVK) and promoting positive changes on the ground, as well as a temporary political solution”1. Despite the fact that there were such reactions from the White House to the cessation of hostilities in Kosovo, especially the plight of the civilian population there, Serbian forces were intensifying their military operations on an even larger scale. In early 1999, 1 National Security Council, Washington, Document, Nr: 0160, January 11, 1999. https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/16197 324 Tarih ve Gelecek Dergisi, Haziran 2020, Cilt 6, Sayı 2 Journal of History and Future, June 2020, Volume 6, Issue 2 https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jhf more precisely on January 15, 1999, Serbian forces killed and massacred 45 civilians in the village of Recak in Shtime, without sparing children, women or the elderly. The first to see and report the massacre was US Ambassador William Walker, the head of the OSCE, who called it a “crime against humanity.” Regarding this macabre event, Ambassador Walker had organized a press conference and said: “I accuse the Serbian police and military forces of being responsible for this massacre. A few days ago, the Kosovo Liberation Army released 8 Serb soldiers, we were expecting a measure of reciprocity. And what we have in its place: the killing of 45 innocent civilians. I want to know who gave the order. They must be brought to justice. I am not a lawyer, but in my opinion, a crime against humanity has taken place here.”2 The Recak massacre prompted the international community to urgently intervene to end the war in Kosovo and resolve its problem.3 US President Bill Clinton, during the annual file on American television channels, stated, “We, together with our NATO allies, are pressuring the Serbian government to end its bruta (...truncated)