Balkans: October 23, 2000

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One of Slobodan Milosevic's last actions as president was to approve a new military doctrine based on the experiences of the Kosovo War. The new basic goals are "the prevention of possible military aggression by the enemy, successful armed response, and other organized resistance." Noting that the Yugoslav Air Force was all but destroyed and never posed a serious threat to NATO, the new policy calls for a network of advanced SAM missiles (probably Russian S300s) and mobile air defense battalions in each brigade. The new strategy also includes a re-introduction of the WWII doctrine of "armed popular defense", i.e., the citizenry operating as guerrillas behind the advancing forces of an invader.--Stephen V Cole