Originally posted by: mfs378
The russians took the airport unopposed because Clark's orders weren't followed.
well let me apologize for being terse, but you still not recognizing that the russians got there first, and the brits were ordered to prevent re-enforcements from arriving. it looks like we are both using the same BBC article so lets start there.
plus let me remind you again i am an ex combat engineer, living at fort hood and personally know people who were there
before the kfor troops even entered the proveince, the russians were already "rolling" toward the airport unkown to them they found out the russian advance party had already occupied the airport the article is giving a linear progression of events the rusians were instrumental in gettin milosevic to end stop his attacks they expected to be part of the post war administration, when they did not get it they sent a team to occupy the airport the only reason the russians were later "let in on it" was to avoid confrontation. kfor did not even know about them until the russian team was already well on the way. the
quote from BBC article.
"As Nato's K-For peacekeepers prepared to enter the province on 12 June, they discovered the Russians had got there first."
quote from the CNN article:
"An estimated 200 Russian troops surprised NATO by unexpectedly moving into Pristina ahead of alliance troops early Saturday."
linky
quote
"Desperate to demonstrate that it could still act without NATO's permission, Russia sent 205 troops to occupy the airport at Pristina, Kosovo's capital, on June 10, before NATO's troops had entered the province. "
again...kfor troops were not even in the province.