AHC/WI: Boots on the ground in Yugoslavia

Was it ever possible for the United States (along with other countries) to put boots on the ground in Yugoslavia, as a result of the Kosovo War?

  • What would be the best POD for this to happen?
  • Will the US's goals be to topple Milosevic or just force Serbia out of Kosovo and make it independent a decade earlier? I have a feeling that if its the former then there is a good chance that the US may stay in Serbia for a while longer to have their government remain in place and not be taken over by nationalist militias.
  • If its the former, how big would an anti-American insurgency in Serbia be? Who would lead it? And who would America put in charge in place of Milosevic?
  • What will happen to the Montenegro independence movement?
 
Was it ever possible for the United States (along with other countries) to put boots on the ground in Yugoslavia, as a result of the Kosovo War?

  • What would be the best POD for this to happen?
  • Will the US's goals be to topple Milosevic or just force Serbia out of Kosovo and make it independent a decade earlier? I have a feeling that if its the former then there is a good chance that the US may stay in Serbia for a while longer to have their government remain in place and not be taken over by nationalist militias.
  • If its the former, how big would an anti-American insurgency in Serbia be? Who would lead it? And who would America put in charge in place of Milosevic?
  • What will happen to the Montenegro independence movement?

The US actually trying to overthrow Milosevic is an early Iraq War just waiting to happen. Defending Kosovo is a bit easier, but requires negotiating logistics through Greece and Macedonia or Albania.
 
but requires negotiating logistics through Greece and Macedonia or Albania.

Albania will definitely agree. There is a reason why both Albania and Kosovo love the US for the 1999 intervention. If America wanted to attack Serbia to defend Kosovo, Albania will readily help America in doing so.
 
Was it ever possible for the United States (along with other countries) to put boots on the ground in Yugoslavia, as a result of the Kosovo War?

  • What would be the best POD for this to happen?
  • Will the US's goals be to topple Milosevic or just force Serbia out of Kosovo and make it independent a decade earlier? I have a feeling that if its the former then there is a good chance that the US may stay in Serbia for a while longer to have their government remain in place and not be taken over by nationalist militias.
  • If its the former, how big would an anti-American insurgency in Serbia be? Who would lead it? And who would America put in charge in place of Milosevic?
  • What will happen to the Montenegro independence movement?
I have read many articles from 1999 which discussed the possibilities. Allegedly it was seriously considered to do a ground invasion. How a ground invasion look like the question is. Would there be an attack on Serbia and Montenegro as parts of Yugoslavia ? Or just Kosovo province? NATO troops in Belgrade? The powder kegg Balkan might akso beco e dangerous again. This is just 3 years after Dayton. I think a concern back than was the peace in former Yugoslavia. So Croatia and Bosnia might aswell be affected. Interesting would be the question what happens to Karadzic and Mladic in such a scenario.
 
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I have read many articles from 1999 which discussed the possibilities. Allegedly it was seriously considered to do a ground invasion. How a ground invasion look like the question is. Would there be an attack on Serbia and Montenegro as parts of Yugoslavia ? Or just Kosovo province? NATO troops in Belgrade? The powder kegg Balkan might akso beco e dangerous again. This is just 3 years after Dayton. I think a concern back than was the peace in former Yugoslavia. So Croatia and Bosnia might aswell be affected. Interesting would be the question what happens to Karadzic and Mladic in such a scenario.

Karadzic was in hiding and Mladic was in the Hague at that time. If Milosevic lets Kosovo out of his reach he loses any support he might have among the Serbian people (and also, judging from what sort of person Milosevic was, he probably wouldn't let Kosovo slip by), so any invasion of Kosovo will probably lead to it boiling over to an overall invasion of Serbia proper.
 
Since Serbia is a lot smaller than Iraq I can't imagine it being as bad as Iraq.

How would this impact Russia? The bombing of Kosovo may be seen as the beginning of the rift between Russia and the west.
 
POD imho would have to be successful Somalia intervention followed by a successful intervention in Rwanda (which would have likely been successful) and then I don't see how we don't go in
 
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