The use of force requires moral clarity between the good and bad, not shades of ambiguity. The color of truth in Kosovo is gray. Efforts to demonize Milosevic deflect attention from those who until recently were branded terrorists by Western governments, but are today the principal beneficiaries of the bombing. The argument about NATO's credibility, with echoes of Vietnam, confuses ends and means. Success is hard to measure because of the vague, confused and contradictory goals that have been given by different spokesmen.
Goals are also metamorphosed in the crucible of war once started.
To be sure, Milosevic is no longer in doubt that NATO takes the issue seriously. But the human plight of Kosovars has worsened, and predictably so. Even if the Serbs were to be defeated and Kosovo taken by force, the problem would fester, perhaps for centuries. The local, regional and international consequences are likely to prove to be the most enduring and damaging. The Serb nation has rallied around Milosevic, and his political position is stronger.