US envoy: Killing of civilians in Varvarin big NATO 1999 bombing mistake

During the opening of a new kindergarten in Obrez near Varvarin, Scott said that “today it’s a happy day for Varvarin because we open a new kindergarten. But we know that this place bears a historical sorrow and we remember it today.”

“It was a terrible day 20 years ago, one of the biggest NATO mistakes during the 1999 campaign when innocent people died in this municipality. I'll say again that we regret every civilian casualty, innocent man who was killed in the bombing, as we feel sorry for all others who died on that day, that year and that decade in this region,” Scott said.

The kindergarten was built within the project of humanitarian aid by the US government.

NATO bombs hit the Varvarin bridge which was so narrow that it could not be a legitimate military target, killing ten and wounding 30 civilians who crowded the centre during the market day in the town.

No one has been held responsible as far as available data go.

Scott said it was impossible to go back and change the history, but that we should go forward “step by step, brick by brick, to build a new future, new relations and new friendship.”

NATO launched its 78-day-long air campaign dubbed “The Angel of Mercy” in March 1999 to prevent, as they said, the looming humanitarian catastrophe due to Belgrade police and military forces operations against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.