Unlearning the Lessons of Kosovo

‘The sweetest music you will ever hear’: structural and programmatic uses of concrete by Denys Lasdun & Partners

“…4 After studying at the Architectural Association in the early 1930s, and a brief period 378 'The sweetest music you will ever hear': structural and programmatic uses of concrete Tecton's understanding of the construction practicalities of concrete, as well as its engineering properties, was grounded in experience, and in a mutually formative collaboration with Ove Arup and his practice. 5 As a partner in one of the successor practices continuing Tecton jobs, Lasdun inherited not only a large concrete building site, and Tecton's attitude to concrete, but also the close relationship with Ove Arup & Partners.…”

Victory by Spin? Britain, the US and the Propaganda War over Kosovo

“….A ground war had become a decided likelihood, even if not a certainty, by June 1999.' 101 However, there does not seem to be contemporaryevidence to support this claim. 102 While some have argued that Clinton had greater latitude with US public opinion to launch a ground attack, that does not seem to have been the perception of the US President and close advisers.…”

“…For Clinton's critics this was a major blunder that took the pressure off Milosevic to negotiate. 86 Clinton's defenders would argue that he had to rule out the ground option to maintain NATO unity, reassure the US electorate, Congress and the Pentagon that he was not contemplating another Vietnamstyle debacle. Clinton feared military casualties and 'was terrified of American public opinion' even though the US media was sympathetic to the war.…”

“…By the Washington Summit the Germans felt they could not bring public opinion with them to support a ground war. 22 The Italians, were reported to have assured the British that their calls for bombing pauses were for domestic reasons and did not reflect their true views. 23 The Greeks also tried to project different messages to different audiences, they privately supported NATO but were publicly critical.…”

“…26 The NATO military appeared to be confused by the politicians' signals to different audiences. On the one hand the politicians appeared to be saying that the bombing raids were designed to prevent ethnic cleansing while on the other they were saying that they were intended to coerce the Serbs to negotiate.…”