HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=10910 [For War Crimes and Cowardice Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, printed against a backdrop of the KLA insignia. The valiant warriors who dropped cluster bombs from a height of 25,000 feet, well beyond the range of Yugoslav anti-aircraft defenses, and those who pushed buttons to launch Tomahawk missiles from warships in the Adriatic Sea qualify for the Kosovo Campaign medal 'honoring their service in the 78-day blitz against Yugoslavia' in a so-called 'combat zone.' And a special waiver was issued to General Wesley Clark (who may want to look into a timeshare plan at Nuremberg should international law ever be revived), whose frontline service during the terror bombing was split between NATO headquarters in Brussels and appearances on Sunday morning news programs in New York City.] Thousands still waiting for decision on eligibility for Kosovo medal By Jon R. Anderson, Stars and Stripes European edition, Tuesday, October 8, 2002 More than three years after the end of the Kosovo air campaign, thousands of troops still are waiting to find out if they can wear the medal honoring their service during the 78-day blitz against Yugoslavia. Eligibility rules for the Kosovo Campaign Medal excluded entire units of servicemembers who performed nearly identical jobs to those who qualified for the award. Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, head of the U.S. European Command and NATO�s senior military commander, requested a blanket waiver to allow about 22,000 troops to pin on the Kosovo medal. But that was more than 16 months ago. The request made its way to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld�s desk, where it has remained in limbo for months. The waiver request �is still under review,� Rumsfeld spokeswoman Maj. Sandy Troeber said Friday. She declined, however, to answer any detailed questions about the review and why it was taking so long or to estimate how much longer troops will have to wait for an answer. Many of troops waiting for their medal say the decision is a no-brainer. �The criteria was simply not well thought out,� said one soldier who supported the campaign from a base in Turkey. �This shouldn�t be a tough decision.� Under rules for the medal established by the Pentagon shortly after the conflict ended, those who served in and around the Balkans are eligible for the decoration. Servicemembers must have served at least 30 consecutive days in the combat zone or 60 nonconsecutive days traveling in and out of it. The criteria also includes the pilots who actually flew missions over the combat zone as well as those who worked in Italy and served aboard ships in the Adriatic Sea. Left out, however, are thousands of troops who performed virtually identical jobs at bases in England, Spain, Germany, Turkey and even the United States. Even Gen. Wesley Clark, who led the international alliance through the campaign, was ineligible for the award because his headquarters was in Mons, Belgium, outside the geographic constraints of the medal criteria. While Pentagon brass moved quickly to ensure the general was granted a waiver, pinning on at his retirement ceremony in 2000 the first medal minted, it remains to be seen how long it will take before the rest of the troops find out if they�ll be given the same honor. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
