United States Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D - Hawaii) issued the following statement on the possibility of NATO airstrikes against Serbian military targets:

"Over 40,000 Yugoslav Army and Serbian paramilitary troops are conducting a systematic, brutal assault against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Tens of thousands of heavily armed reinforcements are moving to join this reign of terror. Absent a verifiable ceasefire and agreement to a NATO-led peacekeeping force, a strong air strike campaign is the only option left to stop the ethnic cleansing, halt the military offensive, and severely curtail the Serbs' ability to wage war.

"The President correctly stated that the 'price of inaction is higher than the price of action.' We and our NATO allies share a security interest and moral charge to avert a replay of the Bosnian genocide in Kosovo. Ethnic violence and barbarism in the Balkans cannot continue unchecked. I support the President and all our forces who find themselves in harm's way."