Excerpts from Reuters Report Wednesday March 24 4:44 PM ET

Translations (in brackets) Provided by Maj Telicommunications International

BELGRADE (Reuters) - NATO launched a devastating blitz of air strikes against military targets in Yugoslavia Wednesday after a defiant Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic rejected a big-power peace plan for Kosovo.

In Washington, President Clinton said the strikes aimed to prevent ``brutal repression'' by Yugoslav forces against the ethnic Albanian majority in Serbia's Kosovo province.

[Hey!! Hey!! I told you to stop hitting your brother!!! Now you're gonna get it!!]

``Only firmness now can prevent greater catastrophe later,'' Clinton told reporters at the White House.

[You'll thank me for this when you're older. This'll teach you to play nice!!!]

``I have been informed by SACEUR (NATO's Supreme Commander, Europe), General (Wesley) Clark, that at this moment NATO air operations against targets in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have commenced,'' Solana said.

[Come Back Here!! OK mister, you want me to use the belt? I'll use the belt]

``Clear responsibility for the air strikes lies with President Milosevic who has refused to stop his violent action in Kosovo and has refused to negotiate in good faith,'' he said.

[You shouldn't make me do this (WHACK!!). It hurts me more than it hurt (WHACK!) you. If you had just done what I (WHACK!) told you in the first place you wouldn't be in this position (WHACK!!WHACK!!).]

Clinton said the action had three objectives: demonstrate the seriousness of NATO's opposition to aggression and its support for peace; deter Milosevic from escalating his attacks on civilians by imposing a price for those attacks, and if necessary, damage Serbia's capacity to wage war in the future.

[You don't think I mean it when I say cut it out? Huh, you know I mean it now don't you? After I get through with you, you're gonna leave your brother alone, right? You do it again, I'm gonna smack you into next week!!]

But the attacks caused consternation in Russia, a traditional friend of fellow Orthodox nation Serbia. President Boris Yeltsin said he was ``deeply shocked'' and Moscow called an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

The Vatican also expressed dismay, calling the strikes a ''defeat for humanity.'' [(voice from other room: Aww, honey, don't hit him so hard! He didn't mean it, they were only playing. You know how little boys are. Oh well, I can't watch, I'll be in the laundry room)]

But Solana said: ``NATO is not waging war against Yugoslavia. We have no quarrel with the people of Yugoslavia who for too long have been isolated in Europe because of the policies of their government. Our actions are directed against the repressive policy of the Yugoslav leadership.''

[You know I'm only doing this beacuse I love you and I want you to be a good boy. You just have to learn.]

Arrayed against it is the power of the United States and most of its European allies. Experts and officials say the first strikes will aim to disable Yugoslavia's Soviet-made anti-aircraft missiles and to knock out radar and communications.

Up to 400 NATO warplanes could follow through with sustained bombing of forces that might be used against Kosovo's Albanian separatist guerrillas.

[Cut that out or I'll really give you something to cry about!! Go to your room and stay there till I say you can come back out!!!]