-Caveat Lector- Cohen Orders Kosovo Air War Review By JOHN DIAMOND .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary William Cohen is urging European allies to improve their post-Kosovo precision weapons capability and also to buy more of the big aircraft used to support bombing campaigns. On Wednesday, the eve of Cohen's departure for a weeklong trip to Europe, a senior defense official said there were some weak spots that showed up in the 78-day NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia. In particular, the United States had to bear much of the burden on raids involving munitions guided by lasers, satellite links or other high-tech means - about one-third of the total strikes. These precision-guided bombs and missiles played a particularly important role in the early weeks of the air campaign when long stretches of foul weather made conventionally guided munitions too risky to use. In addition, U.S. planes did most of the work on missions involving midair refueling, cargo airlift, airborne radar control and surveillance of ground radar. The role of precision-guided weapons will be one aspect of a broad review of the air campaign to be conducted jointly by Cohen's staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials said Wednesday. The Pentagon routinely performs a detailed review of combat operations to learn lessons from their successes and failures. ``I strongly believe that we must have an integrated, analytical approach that accurately captures the details of the operation within the larger context of joint operations,'' Cohen wrote in a memo ordering the review, according to The Washington Times, which obtained a copy of the memo. Cohen, who travels to Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Albania, Greece and Turkey in a seven-day trip, was not planning on pitching weapons purchases from specific U.S. contractors, said the senior official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. A renewed emphasis among European allies on heavy support aircraft could be a boon to Boeing Co. and to Europe's Airbus Industrie, the world's leading makers of wide-body aircraft. U.S. defense contractors are also heavily represented in the field of precision-guided weapons technology. Germany has placed a priority on improving its heavy troop transport and reconnaissance aircraft capability, and Britain is planning to lease at least four Boeing-built C-17 heavy airlifters. Although strike sorties were split roughly evenly between U.S. and allied planes during the Yugoslav campaign, U.S. planes flew 70 percent of the support sorties. And the overwhelming majority of precision-strikemissions aimed at targets in Belgrade or at suppressing Serb air defenses were flown by U.S. pilots. In Hungary, Cohen will be pressing one of the three newest NATO allies - Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic formally joined NATO just days before the airstrikes over Yugoslavia began - on modernizing its Cold War, Warsaw Pact weaponry. The U.S. goal is to develop an alliance in which each member is a ``security provider'' in terms of contributing some needed defense or weapons capability. Cohen also plans to discuss Russia in a meeting Saturday in Norway with defense ministers from the Nordic and Baltic countries. He plans to visit U.S. and allied troops at Tazar Air Base in Hungary and to stop in on U.S. troops deploying through Greece and Albania into Kosovo for the peacekeeping operation. In Turkey, Cohen will travel to Incirlik Air Base to visit U.S. fliers conducting missions over northern Iraq. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
