Lessons from the Kosovo War need to be kept in mind by the coalition fighting in Iraq and Syria
While the US-led coalition's operations against ISIL in places like Kobani continue to depend overwhelmingly on air strikes, it is difficult not to draw comparisons to the last military campaign to rely on that tactic. Nato's 78-day bombardment of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia forces during the Kosovo War in 1999 was ultimately successful, but it also demonstrated the limitations of air power.
There are several parallels with the fight against ISIL, not least being the warnings – then and now – from military strategists that air power alone would not achieve their goals. Each time, there was a deep reluctance on the part of the international coalitions involved to put boots on the ground.
One factor that emerged after the end of hostilities is that Nato’s claim to have destroyed half the Yugoslav Army’s 300 tanks deployed in Kosovo proved to be wildly overoptimistic. A report by the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think tank formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces, said UN peacekeeping troops found the remains of only three tanks in Kosovo, while Yugoslav forces admitted withdrawing 10 more damaged tanks from the region. The leaders of Yugoslav forces later boasted about staying ahead of Nato by creating hundreds of dummy tanks while hiding the real ones.
The distinctions between events in 1999 then and today in Iraq and Syria are equally telling. Nato was fighting, in effect, the government of a modern and industrialised country, allowing it to exert pressure by bombing infrastructure assets like bridges, utilities, communication facilities, factories and similar large undisguisable assets. The guerrilla nature of ISIL’s forces do not offer such targets.
How ought a sober analysis of events in the Balkans 15 years ago influence the decisions made now in the campaign against ISIL? A start will be to acknowledge the limits of air power, which tend to be inefficient at destroying the military capability of guerrilla forces on the ground. For the coalition battling ISIL, care must be taken to avoid having to relearn the lessons of Kosovo.
The five pillars of Islam
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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