Operation Eagle Eye (1999)
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{{Short description|NATO air operation over Kosovo}}{{About|an operation during the Kosovo War|the operation during the Sinai insurgency|Operation Eagle|the operation during the Iran hostage crisis|Operation Eagle Claw|the Republican Party voter suppression in Arizona in the 1960's|Operation Eagle Eye (United States)|the military operation by the "Kobra Unit" of the Kosovo Liberation Army|Operation Eagle (Kosovo War)}}{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Operation Eagle Eye
| partof = the Kosovo Verification Mission and Kosovo War
| date = 30 October 1998 – 24 March 1999
| place = Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia
| result = Operation changed to Operation Allied Force
| combatant1 = {{Flagicon|FR Yugoslavia}} FR Yugoslavia
| combatant2 = {{Flagicon|NATO}} NATO
- {{flagicon|France}} France
- {{flagicon|Germany}} Germany
- {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Netherlands
- {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
- {{flagicon|United States}} United States
- {{flagicon|Canada}} Canada{{Cite web |date=November 12, 2018 |title=Operation EAGLE EYE |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/past-operations/europe/kayak.html?adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=524EF0579E9D4A26A11B7EE1A1E22CB6 |website=Government of Canada}}
| commander1 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of the President of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg|size=23px}} Slobodan Milošević
| commander2 = {{flagicon|NATO}}/{{flagicon|United States}} Michael E. Short{{cite journal |last1=Haulman |first1=Daniel L. |title=The U.S. Air Force in the Air War Over Serbia, 1999 |journal=Air Power History |date=2015 |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=8–9 |jstor=26276597 |issn=1044-016X}}
| strength1 = Unknown
| strength2 = {{flagicon|NATO}} 1,400 Ground observers
{{flagicon|NATO}} cca 80 Aircraft
}}
Operation Eagle Eye (Serbian: Operacija Orlovo oko) was the result of the NATO-Kosovo Verification Mission agreement which was signed in Belgrade on 15 October 1998, under which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia agrees to establish an air surveillance system consisting of NATO non-combatant reconnaissance aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
When a NATO "activation order" was given and dated 30 October 1998, it marked the official launch of the high-tech verification mission.{{Cite web |title=Eagle Eye, Kosovo, 16 Oct 1998-24 Mar 1999 |url=http://www.patriotfiles.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=716&page=1&adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=D5CA61D54A24431CAC3BB9BCE9E8EF73 |website=The Patriot Flies}}{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2013 |title=Operation Eagle Eye |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/eagle_eye.htm?adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=466D6D3564684EF0AF7CBFF1714CDB68 |website=GlobalSecurity.Org}} The aim was to monitor the Federal Yugoslav government's compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1199, and in particular the withdrawal of armed forces from Kosovo and compliance with the ceasefire.{{cite web |title=Operation Eagle Eye |url=http://www.jfcnaples.nato.int/page7194727.aspx |accessdate=January 15, 2012 |publisher=NATO}} About 80 aircraft took part in Operation Eagle Eye,{{cite web |author=12 mal bewertet |date=March 24, 1999 |title=Die Bundeswehr zieht in den Krieg |url=http://www.60xdeutschland.de/die-bundeswehr-zieht-in-den-krieg/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903002336/http://www.60xdeutschland.de/die-bundeswehr-zieht-in-den-krieg/ |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |access-date=2012-05-06 |website=60xdeutschland.de}} four of whom are German Tornado fighter planes. The monitors consisted of 1,400 ground observers. The Serbs did not comply with the resolutions and agreements.{{Cite web |title=EAGLE EYE Air monitoring Peacekeeping |url=https://www.freedomanatomy.com/en/missioni/eagle-eye/?adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=23F3B809F34644FBA606F2D8140F035B |website=FREEDOM/ANATOMY}}
As a result of Yugoslav troop activities and other forms of non-compliance, the ground observers withdrew citing "an unacceptable level of risk to the peace support verification mission", which resulted in an end to aerial verification on 24 March 1999.
Background
The background to NATO's intervention is the brutal repression, expulsion and murder of the Albanian population in Kosovo. Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer calls this self-mandate of NATO a "very big exception". The General Secretary, Kofi Annan, acknowledged that "... excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the Serbian security forces and the Yugoslav Army has resulted in numerous civilian casualties and ... the displacement of more than 230,000 people from their homes." These words were incorporated into United Nations Security Council Resolution 1199 passed on 23 September, that demanded a ceasefire in Kosovo, dialogue between the warring parties, the end of action by security forces against civilians, and the safe return of refugees back to Kosovo.
Operation
The monitors consisted of 1,400 ground observers, as well as 80 aircraft to patrol the Yugoslav Army. The operation lasted for 5 months and 26 days until it was terminated on 24 March 1999, during which Michael E. Short commanded the operation. Four days before the termination, Yugoslav forces began a massive campaign of repression and expulsions of Kosovar Albanians following the withdrawal of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission and the failure of the proposed Rambouillet Agreement.{{cite web |title=A Review of NATO's War over Kosovo |url=https://chomsky.info/200005__/ |website=chomsky.info}} In response to this, NATO intervened with an aerial bombing campaign that began on March 24, justifying it as a "humanitarian war".{{cite news |date=9 December 2007 |title=Endgame in Kosovo |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/world/20071209_KOSOVO_FEATURE/ |access-date=2012-05-06}}