Part of Oral Answers to Questions – in the House of Commons at 2:33 pm on 10 May 1999.
Does the Secretary of State for Defence recall telling the Defence Committee some 10 hours before the bombing began:
Our military objective—our clear, simple, military objective—will be to reduce the Serbs' capability to repress the Albanian population and thus to avert a humanitarian disaster",
and further stating:
I would like to stress that whatever action is taken, that action is taken on behalf of all NATO allies with the aim—the clear and, I believe, justified aim—of averting a humanitarian disaster."?
Will the right hon. Gentleman report to the House his assessment of the effectiveness of that strategy in delivering that aim?