For five weeks, warplanes have pounded Yugoslavia with bombs. The U.S. and its allies began the air strikes in hope of forcing Yugoslavia's President Slobodan Milosevic to make peace with Kosovo's people. But the strategy has not worked.
Milosevic is furious that his land is under attack. His army continues to chase ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo. Russia has a peace plan, but it calls for bombing to stop now. The 19 NATO nations won't halt the bombs until Milosevic removes his forces from Kosovo. Neither side will give in.
Instead, the conflict is growing. Last week the U.S. announced it will call to active duty more than 33,000 reservists--soldiers who do not work for the armed services full time but are available for emergencies. They will serve for up to nine months.
Meanwhile, the war is dividing Congress. Last week the House of Representatives voted to keep troops in the region. But a count of 249 to 180, it agreed that NATO should not send in soldiers on the ground without House approval. The House also split 213 to 213 on a vote to support the bombing.
Said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, the voting shows the President need to "better explain the goals, the costs and the long-term strategy of why we are there."