What were the essential characteristics of the situation NATO was facing in Kosovo? And what is a fair evaluation of NATO’s actions? NATO’s war in Kosovo has been the subject of harsh critics and denunciation. In this study Per Fr. I. Pharo questions the critics’ point of departure in evaluating NATO’s actions. He argues that a realistic policy evaluation should focus on the practical dilemmas from which the policy originated. In the case of NATO’s war over Kosovo, Pharo argues that such an approach reflects the fact that there was no viable alternative to NATO’s general course of action. Not acting was not an option; the question was when, how and under which authority.