Air-raid warning sirens sounded in the Kosovo capital of Pristina this morning. Yugoslavia is bracing for air strikes by NATO forces.

Reporters say the siren lasted about 90 seconds. There was a brief pause before the siren sounded again.

Yugoslav authorities have declared a state of emergency . They are getting ready for war. They've shut down the country's main independent radio station and they're preparing shelters for the civilian population.

This is happening because the coalition of countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organizatoin (NATO) want to stop the Yugoslavians from invading the neighbouring region of Kosovo.

Kosovo is a province of Serbia, which is one of the republics that make up Yugoslavia. Ninety per cent of Kosovo's population are ethnic Albanians, who have been pushing for independence from Serbia. Brigadier-General Michel Maisonneuve is the senior Canadian Forces officer who has been serving with NATO. He adds that "Kosovo is a beautiful part of Yugoslavia. It is relatively flat, with mountains surrounding it, as well as a spine that runs up the middle. The province is in large majority ethnic Albanian, with many other minorities, including Serbs, gypsies, Turks, etc.. The people are hospitable and hardy.''

The conflict that is being played out today has roots that go back hundreds and hundreds of years .

In 1389, Serbs lost a key battle against the forces of the invading Ottoman Empire on the fields of Kosovo. The defeat marks the beginning of the end of Serbia's Medieval Empire. Kosovo became part of the Ottoman Empire. In the following centuries that battle become the key event in Serbian and Albanian national history.

Over the last decade there have been many attempts at a peaceful settlement.

Representatives of the NATO countries have tried to negotiate with the government of Yugoslavia. Those negotions failed earlier this week. NATO says that bombing Yugoslavia is the only way to get them to stop their assault on Kosovo.

The question is no longer if, but when, NATO will begin bombing.

NATO Secretary General Javier Solana assured Yugoslovia's neighbors today that the alliance would protect them in the event of attacks by Yugoslavia.

Yugoslav officials say they might not be able to win a war against NATO, but they feel they can inflict serious damage. NATO military planners aren't taking the threats lightly.

Few people believe that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is ready to give in. He opposes outside interference in Kosovo. The Yugoslav leader insists the problems in Kosovo are an internal Yugoslav matter. He refuses to allow any outside force into Kosovo to monitor any peace agreement.

If NATO strikes proceed, Canadians will be involved. There are about 130 Canadian Forces personnel and six CF-18 fighter aircraft based in Aviano, Italy who will likely participate.

1. Who sounded in the Kosovo capital of Pristina this morning?