UK News 25-10-2000 Kosovo Campaign Was Poorly Run who: Commons Defence Select Committee what: Condemns disappointing efforts of RAF in Kosovo where: House of Commons, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Serious shortcomings in Nato`s conduct of the Kosovo war, including a `limited and disappointing` British contribution, were identified in a report by MPs yesterday," says The Telegraph. "The most comprehensive inquiry into the conflict to date," writes Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor of The Independent, "found that Britain`s contribution to the Nato operation had been characterised by weapons failures, poor planning, obsolete communications and a heavy reliance on United States support". "The Commons Defence Select Committee issued a catalogue of criticism of the way that Nato leaders both approached and then ran the campaign," says ITN`s report. The RAF took part in less than five per cent of all Nato sorties and the two percent hit-rate in bombing raids was condemned as "distressingly low". "Overall, despite the heroic efforts of UK aircrew and support staff, we must conclude that the UK`s contribution to the air campaign, in terms of actual firepower rather than support, was somewhat disappointing," said the report. The government has refuted the claims. "There was never any sense from Nato that we were less than 100 per cent committed, or falling short of what was expected," says a senior Ministry of Defence spokesman in The Financial Times. [... more]

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