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Human Rights Watch - Civilian Deaths In The NATO Air Campaign

Minimizing harm to civilians was central to governmental and public consent for NATO's bombing campaign in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia-an air war officially justified as humanitarian intervention. The decision to intervene was taken with the awareness that the use of force would be subjected to close scrutiny through the lens of international humanitarian law-and in the court of public opinion.

From the beginning of Operation Allied Force, NATO and allied government and military officials stressed their intent to limit civilian casualties and other harm to the civilian population. The practical fulfilment of this legal obligation and political imperative turned upon a range of decisions relating to targeting, weapons selection, and the means of attack.

• Principal Findings
• International Humanitarian Law and Accountability
• The Objective of This Report
• Compiling and Evaluating the Evidence
• The Civilian Deaths
• The Standards Applied
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO
• Operation Allied Force Attacks
• Documenting and Assessing the Civilian Toll
• Civilian Deaths as a Result of Attacks
• Countervailing Claims
• The Standards Applied
• Case Studies of Civilian Deaths
• Refugees on the Djakovica-Decane Road, Kosovo
• Displaced Civilians in the Korisa Woods, Kosovo
• Bombing of the Dubrava Penitentiary, Kosovo
• Serb Radio and Television Headquarters
• Cluster Bombs and Civilian Deaths
• Appendix A: Incidents Involving Civilian Deaths in Operation Allied Force
• Appendix B: Civilian Victims of NATO Bombing During Operation Allied Force
• Appendix C: Incidents Involving Unsubstantiated Reports of Civilian Deaths