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<blockquote data-quote="Sp5" data-source="post: 984293" data-attributes="member: 4337">I was involved as a bit player in Operation Allied Force, the 1999 Kosovo intervention.&nbsp; I agree it set a bad precedent for things like the Crimea, but I don't think it enabled jihadists, nor did the Bosnia intervention.Before the Serbs surrendered and allowed NATO into Kosovo, we were getting intelligence reports that Al Qaeda was in the area and we should look out for attacks.&nbsp; Navy SEALs were roaming around looking for both Al Qaeda and Serbian special forces around NATO bases in Albania.After the western intervention, in both Bosnia and Kosovo, you ended up with NATO/EU peacekeeping forces, with a heavy component of UN, EU, USAID, DFID, OECD, OSCE nation builders.&nbsp; They are still there.In any situation, you have to pose the counterfactual.&nbsp; What would have happened if there was no western intervention?It's possible there would have been a long-term Bosniak and Kosovar insurgency against the Serbs and Croats.&nbsp; The insurgents would have partly identified themselves as Muslims.&nbsp; Money and fighters had already entered the Balkans from the Arab Gulf.&nbsp; It would have continued for longer had the west not intervened.&nbsp; Al Qaeda could have gained strength from the fight, as they have in Iraq and Syria.&nbsp; The fighting and brutality could have gone on for years and ended up radicalizing Muslims in the Balkans.&nbsp; What we have now - countries which are EU/western foster children and are secular, with the freedom to drink, etc.&nbsp; What we could have had - ISIS and Al Qaeda still fighting in the Balkans and recruiting a lot of Bosniaks and Kosovars..</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Sp5, post: 984293, member: 4337"] I was involved as a bit player in Operation Allied Force, the 1999 Kosovo intervention. I agree it set a bad precedent for things like the Crimea, but I don't think it enabled jihadists, nor did the Bosnia intervention. Before the Serbs surrendered and allowed NATO into Kosovo, we were getting intelligence reports that Al Qaeda was in the area and we should look out for attacks. Navy SEALs were roaming around looking for both Al Qaeda and Serbian special forces around NATO bases in Albania. After the western intervention, in both Bosnia and Kosovo, you ended up with NATO/EU peacekeeping forces, with a heavy component of UN, EU, USAID, DFID, OECD, OSCE nation builders. They are still there. In any situation, you have to pose the counterfactual. What would have happened if there was no western intervention? It's possible there would have been a long-term Bosniak and Kosovar insurgency against the Serbs and Croats. The insurgents would have partly identified themselves as Muslims. Money and fighters had already entered the Balkans from the Arab Gulf. It would have continued for longer had the west not intervened. Al Qaeda could have gained strength from the fight, as they have in Iraq and Syria. The fighting and brutality could have gone on for years and ended up radicalizing Muslims in the Balkans. What we have now - countries which are EU/western foster children and are secular, with the freedom to drink, etc. What we could have had - ISIS and Al Qaeda still fighting in the Balkans and recruiting a lot of Bosniaks and Kosovars.. [/QUOTE]

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