Page 188 - The CNN Effect in Action - How the News Media Pushed the West toward War ini Kosovo
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                                                                             THE KOSOVO CRISIS—THE MICRO REVIEW
                                                         Table 7.4 Change in Western Policy Aspects between Phases 5 and 6
                                                                                                     Phase 6
                                                                       • Kosovo autonomy (meaningful
                                                                                                protectorate based on interim
                                                                         self-administration)
                                                                                                settlement
                                                          Strategic Policy
                                                                       • Serb/Albanian dialogue
                                                                                              • Attend international conference
                                                                                                and sign interim settlement
                                                                       • Elections for self-administration
                                                                         (within 9 months)
                                                          Tactical Policy A
                                                                       • Accept terms of UN resolution
                                                                         (as incorporated in Holbrooke-
                                                                         Milosevic Agreement)
                                                                                              • Ultimatum threatening force if
                                                                       • Maintain previous sanctions
                                                                                                Serbs do not sign settlement
                                                                       • Implement Holbrooke-
                                                                                              • Withdraw support if Albanians
                                                                         Milosevic Agreement including
                                                                         robust monitoring regime
                                                                                                do not sign settlement
                                                          Tactical Policy B
                                                                         (KVM) with some
                                                                                              • Enforce settlement with
                                                                         enhancements
                                                                                                international implementation
                                                                       • Activation order for NATO air
                                                                                                force
                                                                         campaign   Phase 5   • Autonomous Kosovo  153
                                                         the parties to attend an international conference and signing an
                                                         interim agreement, largely as envisioned by the West with little room
                                                         for negotiation. Finally, at the tactical policy B level, the credible
                                                         threat of force that had initially been issued in October would be used
                                                         once more to try and force compliance from the Serbian side at the
                                                         conference. In contrast to the October agreement that had ignored
                                                         the KLA, however, the West this time demanded that the Kosovo
                                                         Albanians delegation, which included KLA representatives, also sign
                                                         on to the settlement, assuming that the threat of withdrawing support
                                                         would create enough pressure to generate compliance. To implement
                                                         this interim settlement, the West planned to send a large military force
                                                         that would, in effect, occupy Kosovo for a number of years.
                                                                      Western Decision-Making and the Media
                                                         In the United States and Europe, Racak and its media images and
                                                         framing seemed to play an important role in influencing foreign policy
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