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NATO Bombs in Yugoslavia May Do Serious Environmental Harm
Tuesday, November 5, 2002
(5:12 PM ET)
By Edith M. Lederer
Associated Press Writer

Co-author Nicole Deller, a lawyer, said that "precision targeting may be intended to minimize civilian damage, but the choice of targets may still violate the international laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions. The deliberate targeting of industrial facilities that hold little military value yet can cause severe health and environmental damage appear to violate these laws."

UNITED NATIONS -- AP
The bombing of factories during the 1999 NATO air campaign in Yugoslavia may have long-term effects on health, raising questions about targets in possible future conflicts such as Iraq, according to a new report by an environmental group.

Precision bombing of industrial plants can lead to contamination that is difficult to remove and may violate international humanitarian law, the report found.

Civilians living near the targets may also be exposed to greater health risks from contamination of the air, water, and food, said the report released this week by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, a research organization based in Takoma Park, Md.

Maj. Robert Ditchey, a spokesman for the U.S. European Command, said Tuesday he could not comment on the report because the military had not seen it. Ditchey referred questions to NATO, where a spokesman did not return telephone messages Tuesday.
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2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan