Informazione
From "International Policy" - http://www.inaffairs.org.yu
John Catalinotto
International Coordinator in
Ramsey Clark's International Action Center
NATO Must Be Abolished
In the name of the International Action Center and its president, former
US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, I would like to thank the Institute
for
International Politics and Economics for inviting us to participate in
this important symposium to discuss the roots and the consequences of
the
war of aggression the US-led NATO powers waged against the people of
Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia has always had a special place in our hearts. Why? Exactly
because the ideal of Yugoslavia is that of a multi-ethnic,
multi-national,
multi-religious state founded on social justice and equality of
nationalities, religions and languages.
The greatest military powers on earth – just a year ago– unleashed a
vicious, cold-blooded war against the people of Yugoslavia. These powers
expected the Yugoslavs to beg for mercy after two, three days at most.
Instead, the people here stood up bravely to 78 days of relentless
bombing. We are proud to be here on this anniversary among such people.
We
only regret we couldn't have done more in our own country to stop the
bombing and the war waged against you.
Long Live Yugoslavia!
Since the defeat of the Soviet Union strategists in US ruling circles
have
promoted the policy of expanding NATO and using that military pact as a
world policeman. This policy is directed against smaller and weaker
countries in Africa and the Middle East. It is also aimed at plundering
the East, up to the Caspian Sea with its oil riches.
While the major NATO powers are military allies, they are rivals for
markets, resources and areas to invest in. The US strategy of expanding
NATO is also aimed at keeping these powerful rivals in line behind
Washington.
The people of Yugoslavia were the direct targets of this policy. But
they
were only the first part of the world's peoples endangered by a strategy
that leads towards bigger, more dangerous wars – unless the people of
the
world are able to stop it.
WHO MAKES UP NATO
With the exception of Japan and Australia, NATO includes all the major
industrial and financial powers: the United States, Germany, France,
Britain, Italy and Canada. These six plus Japan make up the G-7
countries
that set economic rules for the world.
The corporate and financial rulers of these countries control the bulk
of
the world's wealth, both in these industrialized countries themselves
and
in what can be described as the oppressed countries or the Third World.
These capitalist countries were the first to industrialize, they are now
the most advanced in technology, they control the mass media, and of
course they manufacture the most powerful weapons and are the most
heavily
armed. They sell weapons to the world but keep the most powerful and
advanced weapons for themselves.
They include the big colonial powers of the 19th century – Britain and
France – that directly ruled vast parts of the earth, and others that
held
colonies like Germany (Namibia, Tanzania), the Netherlands (Indonesia)
and
Belgium (Congo). Now there are few direct colonies, but through control
of
the world market, currency exchange rates and banking, and on the basis
of
their technological advantages, they now indirectly control and oppress
most of the world. In 1878 they met in Berlin and carved up the Balkans.
In 1885 they met in Berlin and carved up Africa into spheres of
influence.
In 1999 they met in Bosnia and carved up Kosovo for the so-called
peace-keeping forces.
It should never be forgotten that, while pursuing their rivalry for
markets, colonies and raw materials in the first half of this century,
these predatory states launched two world wars that together killed 100
to
200 million people.
Of these seven countries, the United States, with the greatest single
national economy and by far the biggest military power, is now the most
dangerous to the rest of the world.
This analysis will focus on statements coming from United States
military
and diplomatic leaders and from their own media. Yet it will clearly
show
how the war against Yugoslavia was premeditated, planned in advance,
with
wide-ranging geostrategic goals, and that it contains the seeds of new
wars.
1992 PENTAGON WHITE PAPER
On March 8, 1992, the New York Times published excerpts from a 46-page
White Paper
leaked by Pentagon officials. This paper asserts the need for complete
US world domination in
both political and military terms and threatens other countries that
even aspire to a greater role.
The public threats seem to be aimed at the European powers and Japan.
Here's some part of
what it said:
"Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival...
First, the US must show the
leadership necessary to establish and protect a new order that holds the
promise of convincing
potential competitors that they need not aspire to a greater role or
pursue a more aggressive
posture to protect their legitimate interests. We must account
sufficiently for the interests of the
advanced industrial nations to discourage them from seeking to overturn
the established political
and economic order. Finally, we must maintain the mechanism for
deterring potential competitors
from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role".
Regarding Europe, the document continues:
"It is of fundamental importance to preserve NATO as the primary
instrument of Western defense
and security... We must seek to prevent the emergence of European-only
security arrangements
which would undermine NATO".
GEN. DUGAN'S PLAN FOR THE BALKANS
It wasn't too long before strategists began adapting this policy to the
developing crisis in the
Balkans.
Retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael J. Dugan and George Kenney
of the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace wrote an opinion piece for the New
York Times published
November 29, 1992, entitled "Operation 'Balkan Storm': Here's a Plan".
"A win in the Balkans would establish US leadership in the post-Cold War
world in a way that
Operation Desert Storm never could". Dugan laid out a scenario of
building a coalition with
Britain, France and Italy on an ad hoc basis, if possible, because he
believed the United Nations
Security Council would not approve a NATO assault. He described arming
the pro-US Bosnian
forces to use "unconventional" operations in Bosnia to force the UN to
suspend humanitarian
programs.
Then, he said, massive air power should be used against Serbs in Bosnia
and Serbia. Dugan
suggested using aircraft carriers, F-15s, F-16s, F-18s, and F-111s,
Tomahawk missiles, and the
JSTARS surveillance system to destroy Serbia's electricity grid,
refineries, storage facilities, and
communications. "But the US costs in blood and treasure would be modest
compared with that of
Bosnian trauma".
Gen. Dugan was infamous for his interview in September 1990 where he
candidly laid out US
plans for the massive assault on and destruction of Iraq. For speaking
out so frankly, he was
relieved of his command. But the US carried out this vicious plan
against Iraq.
His scenario for Bosnia too was carried out a little over six years
later, but starting instead from
Kosovo. And by then Washington was able to push and pull all of NATO
behind it while the UN
was left powerless.
From 1993 to 1995 in Bosnia the US, through NATO, increasingly used air
power against
Bosnian and Croatian Serbs as well as against those Muslim forces that
opposed the Izetbegovic
regime.
In August and September 1995, NATO launched a massive air war against
positions of the
Bosnian Serbs. The combination of these air raids with the NATO-enforced
economic blockade
led to the Dayton Accords of 1995. As part of the agreement, 60,000 NATO
troops, 20,000 of
them US soldiers, were sent into Bosnia under US command.
Earlier, a German/French-backed European force intervened in Bosnia,
where it attempted to
broker a truce. But US officials prodded the Bosnian regime to sabotage
this agreement, leading
to more bloodshed. Finally, US officials brokered the Dayton Accords on
more or less the same
terms except with a major US role as the occupying army.
A large new NATO base was established in Hungary to facilitate troop
deployment in Bosnia.
The US also established new bases in Macedonia and northern Albania.
(San Francisco
Chronicle, September 12, 1995)
As early as 1990, the US government had put in place plans for a
military occupation of Eastern
Europe and possibly parts of the former Soviet Union. That plan included
the 100,000 strong
Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, the NATO unit in charge of
the Bosnia
operation.
At the end of November 1995, Reuters reported that: "The Allied Command
Europe Rapid
Reaction Corps (ARRC), based at Rheindahlen in western Germany, has
worked relatively
unnoticed since 1992 to put into practice NATO's new emphasis... (It
has) NATO's full array of
firepower (and) a tailor-made fighting force of up to 100,000 soldiers
able to deploy quickly. As
ARRC commander, British Lt.-Gen. Michael Walker, is in charge of running
the multinational
ground force to be stationed in and around Bosnia for NATO's first
ground deployment outside
its own area. The corps, with headquarters in Sarajevo, is taking three
divisions into Bosnia. Two
of them, the US First Armored Division and the British Third Mechanized
Division, are
permanently assigned to it. The third division is French".
The US used the Bosnia operation as a wedge for the expansion of NATO
into Eastern Europe.
AUGUST 1998, ATTACK ON YUGOSLAVIA AT WORK
By August 4, 1998 the Clinton administration confirmed that NATO had
developed detailed plans
for an attack on Yugoslavia. Sources told the New York Times that the
focus is on "a variety of
air-power options that could punish or intimidate".
On July 29, 1998, the Albanian government had announced that 76 top NATO
officers were in
Tirana, the capital, to plan "joint Albania–NATO exercises" from August
17 to August 22, 1998
within 50 miles of the border with Kosovo. The maneuvers will prepare
NATO and Albanian
troops for a "peacekeeping mission". Similar exercises are planned for
Macedonia in September.
These maneuvers were recommended in a March 20, 1998 position paper of
the International
Crisis Group, a think-tank with White House ties, headed by former
Senate Democratic Leader
George Mitchell.
That report also recommended "an international force in Albania close to
the borders of Kosovo
to help prevent the conflict in Kosovo from spreading and... facilitate
rapid and effective action
should an intervention become necessary". On July 29, 1998, German
Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel recommended similar action by NATO.
An article in the November 28, 1998 New York Times, headlined "A policy
struggle stirs within
NATO", provided advance notice of US plans to expand NATO's use beyond
Europe.
Washington wanted NATO forces ready to intervene not only in the Balkans
and against
countries like Iraq or Iran in the Middle East, or Libya, Sudan or Congo
in Africa – but against
any attempt at a popular revolution anywhere, from Russia to Indonesia.
UN Security Council resolutions have often provided a cover for US
military intervention –
against Korea in 1950 and Iraq in 1991, for example. Yet the council is
not certain to ratify all US
military aggression.
Washington noted in its "mission statement" for NATO that the alliance
may act without the
Security Council's approval. US officials argue that otherwise a Russian
or Chinese veto could
stop a military action. One NATO official brazenly explained this to the
Times: "A Security
Council mandate is highly desirable but we should not tie our hands in
advance".
US – EUROPE CONFLICTS
On March 4, 1999:
– A Marine court martial in North Carolina acquitted the captain whose
jet fighter-bomber
snapped a gondola cable in the Italian Alps a year before, killing 20
European tourists. Italians
protested.
– The state of Arizona executed by lethal injection German-American
Walter LaGrand. The
German government protested.
– Media worldwide announced that the Clinton administration imposed 100
percent import duties
on selected European-produced goods. The European Union protested.
These three seemingly unrelated events expressed open economic
competition between US
business interests and those of its former Cold War "allies" in Western
Europe, a competition
carried out through the national states.
Within three weeks this competition was buried under the weight of US
air power. When
Belgrade refused to sign the Rambouillet surrender terms, Washington
used this pretext to launch
a war against Yugoslavia.
By the time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization celebrated its 50th
anniversary on April 4,
1999, it had just made its first military assault beyond its borders and
carried out the largest
bombing in Europe since World War II.
Washington used the war against Yugoslavia to impose its changes on NATO
– changing it from a
no-longer-needed anti-Soviet alliance to an intervention force ready to
strike worldwide. NATO
powers met in Washington in late April to ratify this proposal.
In addition, the US government had recently succeeded in gaining NATO
admission for Poland,
Hungary and the Czech Republic over the objection of other NATO members.
It then pulled
these three countries directly into the war.
The brutal bombing of Yugoslavia gives the first example of how the US
wants to use the new,
post-Cold War NATO to lead its European allies into battle. Washington
says the NATO
countries have an "alliance of interests". What this means is the common
need of the predatory
ruling classes in the US and Europe to suppress any popular revolt that
threatens their ability to
plunder the raw materials and labor of the rest of the world.
It also means a common interest in preventing any newer capitalist
country from being able to
challenge the G-7's domination of the world economy. Neither would-be
capitalists in Russia and
Eastern Europe nor up-and-coming entrepreneurs in south Korea or
Indonesia will be allowed to
challenge the supremacy of US, West European and Japanese capital. They
will have to consider
themselves fortunate to get crumbs off the tables of their masters.
Along with this "alliance of interests", however, there is also a bitter
rivalry between the same
powers over economic and strategic interests. This has already burst out
with the "banana war"
and the battle between the US and the European Union over
hormone-fattened meat.
Washington's first de facto expansion of NATO's role is against
Yugoslavia. To contain the
competing interests of the NATO countries and submit them all to US
strategic control,
Washington had NATO be the instrument for its conquest of Yugoslavia.
Throughout the 11-week assault on Yugoslavia by most of the world's
biggest military powers,
US and European mainstream politicians of all political shades tried to
give the impression that the
NATO forces were united, whatever trade rivalries and military
maneuvering were going on
behind the scenes.
But no sooner had Yugoslavia agreed to terms the European Union's
leaders made a remarkable
statement: the European Union, up to now a primarily economic alliance
centered around German
banks and industry, announced plans to emerge as a military power.
Leaders from 15 European countries announced the move on June 3, 1999 –
the same day that
the Yugoslav leadership announced its acceptance, on paper, of NATO's
onerous terms.
"The union must have the capacity for autonomous action", the EU
statement read, "backed up by
credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a
readiness to do so, in order to
respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO".
Make no mistake. The emergence of a new European military power does not
bode well for
ordinary working people anywhere. European workers in particular can
look forward to having
more of their labor robbed to fund the new military apparatus while
social services are cut – an
experience US workers have been forced to endure for decades.
WASHINGTON A REPEAT OFFENDER
Just since World War II, Washington has fought the Korean War;
overthrown the elected
governments of Guatemala, Iran, Chile, Indonesia; fought wars against
the people of Central
America; invaded Lebanon; carried out a genocidal war in Indochina, in
which millions of
Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians and more than 50,000 US troops died;
and enforced an
economic blockade against Iraq that has taken the lives of more than a
million and a half people,
half of them children under the age of five. The real objective of the
war on Yugoslavia is to
re-balkanize the Balkans – to break up Yugoslavia into small, easily
controllable and digestible
pieces, in order to insure US/NATO, and especially US, domination of
this key strategic region.
While 10 years ago it had no bases in Eastern Europe, today the United
States has military bases
in Albania, Macedonia, Hungary, Bosnia and Croatia. Washington and its
NATO partners have
cut up Kosovo into little pieces, occupation zones. And they have
assisted in forcing out all ethnic
and national groups who were not Albanian, and even some Albanians.
Thomas Friedman, who writes for the New York Times – is a thoroughly
despicable individual
who is now held up as the highest example of US journalism. Friedman
wrote approvingly on
March 28, 1999: "For globalization to work, America can't be afraid to
act like the almighty
superpower that it is. The hidden hand of the market will never work
without a hidden fist.
McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell-Douglas, the designer of
the F-15, and the hidden
fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley's technology is called
the United States Army, Air
Force, Navy and Marine Corps".
NEW US MILITARY BUILDUP
US military superiority is the key to US global economic domination. The
United States does not
have superiority over its rivals just by virtue of its economic system
and technology. But what it
does have is this vast military apparatus to implement its will.
A new military buildup is already under way, even though the United
States today already spends
more on its military that the rest of the UN Security Council combined.
Having spent US$ 19
trillion since 1940 on the military, the US government proposes to spend
an additional US$ 1,2
trillion in the next four years.
But Washington doesn't want to be the only one spending on the military.
US Defense Secretary
William Cohen used an evaluation of the war against Yugoslavia to bully
the NATO allies into
accepting US policies at an "informal meeting" of 19 NATO defense
ministers in Toronto
September 21–22, 1999.
Cohen said NATO won the war with US "precision-guided weapons" and other
high-tech
systems. Speaking of European NATO members, he said that "in some cases
countries would
have to spend more money" to buy such weapons – by implication from US
arms makers.
Speaking earlier at the Institute of Strategic Studies in San Diego on
September 9, 1999, Defense
Secretary William Cohen boasted of the US role in this bombing. He
outlined what he would
demand from France, Britain, Germany and the other European powers
regarding the US's new
NATO proposal called the Defense Capabilities Initiative.
"We have all agreed to develop forces that are more mobile, beginning
with the reassessment of
NATO's strategic lift requirements for planning purposes. We need
forces, we've agreed, that can
sustain themselves longer; that means having a logistics system that
will ensure they have the
supplies when and where they need them".
Cohen said the NATO powers need "forces that can engage more
effectively; that means having
the new advanced technologies such as greater stocks of precision-guided
munitions and forces
that can survive better against chemical, biological or nuclear weapons,
and also information
warfare".
EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENSE IDENTITY
Cohen and his European allies had different views on what the so-called
European Security and
Defense Identity (ESDI) should mean. Washington would oppose any force
that challenges its
domination even in Europe itself. Washington sees the ESDI as a way of
harnessing European
militarism back into NATO – where the Pentagon holds the reins. That's
what Cohen told
reporters in Toronto on September 22.
"There was unanimity of expression (supporting ESDI)", he said. "This is
important for the
Europeans to undertake. It is important also to make sure that it is not
seen as a separate
institution and capability, but rather that it is maintained under the
umbrella so to speak of
NATO".
On September 22, French Press Agency report noted that ESDI was supposed
to allow
European NATO members to carry out "a peacekeeping operation, for
example, using NATO
materiel and resources but not involving the US or Canada. It was
unclear, however, how the
Europeans would be able to act independently while relying on assets
under the control of an
alliance still dominated by the Pentagon".
Cohen wants a situation in which the European NATO countries take the
risks of wartime
casualties and pay the costs, but where US control of strategic weapons
and logistics gives
Washington all the trump cards.
It's clear that Cohen expects NATO to fight future wars of a Kosovo size
and bigger – and more
distant from the United States or Western Europe. Now, without a USSR,
Washington wants
NATO to be a world cop. And Cohen expects the European governments to
pick up a big share
of the costs of expansion. But he was definitely talking about "the next
war", without clarifying if
that war was against Iraq, Libya, in the Balkans, in Central Asia, in
Africa, against the Colombian
revolutionaries, against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
Perhaps it will be some new
target with a leader the US media demonizes.
Because NATO is such a threat to peace, Ramsey Clark has declared
publicly that he sees no
other alternative but to abolish NATO. And we in the International
Action Center have made this
demand central to our anti-war work.
WHAT IS OUR ROLE?
This conference is doing an excellent job analyzing the war against
Yugoslavia and its
consequences. But our responsibility is not simply to analyze the world,
but to change it. NATO's
armies are strong, but they too have weaknesses. The US military fears
that any significant
casualties among US troops will arouse a mass anti-war movement as
happened during the war
against Vietnam. Some of the other European powers have populations that
are also reluctant to
back a war that demands sacrifices. They are in conflict with each
other. All this raises possibilities
to fight back.
I especially address this to those of us here from the very NATO
countries that waged aggression
against Yugoslavia. Our responsibility is to use the facts and analysis
from here to mobilize our
home populations to fight the government's policies, to lift the
sanctions against Yugoslavia, to
send aid – really reparations for the crimes committed.
On June 10, the International Action Center is holding a day-long
International Tribunal on
US/NATO War Crimes Against Yugoslavia in New York. Our initial hearing
last July 31 inspired
or encouraged a dozen US cities. Those working in parallel with us held
similar hearings in Oslo,
Novi Sad, Berlin, Rome, Vienna, Moscow, Kiev, Sydney, and even Tokyo.
The most dramatic
was a mass people tribunal in Athens last fall where thousands found
Clinton guilty of war crimes.
More hearings are planned for Belgrade, Hamburg, Prague, Boston and
elsewhere.
We do not expect to make the people in power see reason and change their
minds. These
tribunals are a way to mobilize mass public opinion and build a movement
that can fight the
governments that wage these wars. In the International Action Center we
also support the
struggles of oppressed groups in the United States – or example, the
fight to free political prisoner
Mumia Abu-Jamal. Only by building bridges to others can we succeed in
turning back the US war
machine.
On June 10, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark will prosecute US and
NATO leaders for
19 charges of war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against
humanity. International expert
witnesses will present testimony. And a distinguished international
panel of judges will hear the
case. Come and be part of this historic event.
Down with NATO! Long live Yugoslavia!
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
John Catalinotto
International Coordinator in
Ramsey Clark's International Action Center
NATO Must Be Abolished
In the name of the International Action Center and its president, former
US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, I would like to thank the Institute
for
International Politics and Economics for inviting us to participate in
this important symposium to discuss the roots and the consequences of
the
war of aggression the US-led NATO powers waged against the people of
Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia has always had a special place in our hearts. Why? Exactly
because the ideal of Yugoslavia is that of a multi-ethnic,
multi-national,
multi-religious state founded on social justice and equality of
nationalities, religions and languages.
The greatest military powers on earth – just a year ago– unleashed a
vicious, cold-blooded war against the people of Yugoslavia. These powers
expected the Yugoslavs to beg for mercy after two, three days at most.
Instead, the people here stood up bravely to 78 days of relentless
bombing. We are proud to be here on this anniversary among such people.
We
only regret we couldn't have done more in our own country to stop the
bombing and the war waged against you.
Long Live Yugoslavia!
Since the defeat of the Soviet Union strategists in US ruling circles
have
promoted the policy of expanding NATO and using that military pact as a
world policeman. This policy is directed against smaller and weaker
countries in Africa and the Middle East. It is also aimed at plundering
the East, up to the Caspian Sea with its oil riches.
While the major NATO powers are military allies, they are rivals for
markets, resources and areas to invest in. The US strategy of expanding
NATO is also aimed at keeping these powerful rivals in line behind
Washington.
The people of Yugoslavia were the direct targets of this policy. But
they
were only the first part of the world's peoples endangered by a strategy
that leads towards bigger, more dangerous wars – unless the people of
the
world are able to stop it.
WHO MAKES UP NATO
With the exception of Japan and Australia, NATO includes all the major
industrial and financial powers: the United States, Germany, France,
Britain, Italy and Canada. These six plus Japan make up the G-7
countries
that set economic rules for the world.
The corporate and financial rulers of these countries control the bulk
of
the world's wealth, both in these industrialized countries themselves
and
in what can be described as the oppressed countries or the Third World.
These capitalist countries were the first to industrialize, they are now
the most advanced in technology, they control the mass media, and of
course they manufacture the most powerful weapons and are the most
heavily
armed. They sell weapons to the world but keep the most powerful and
advanced weapons for themselves.
They include the big colonial powers of the 19th century – Britain and
France – that directly ruled vast parts of the earth, and others that
held
colonies like Germany (Namibia, Tanzania), the Netherlands (Indonesia)
and
Belgium (Congo). Now there are few direct colonies, but through control
of
the world market, currency exchange rates and banking, and on the basis
of
their technological advantages, they now indirectly control and oppress
most of the world. In 1878 they met in Berlin and carved up the Balkans.
In 1885 they met in Berlin and carved up Africa into spheres of
influence.
In 1999 they met in Bosnia and carved up Kosovo for the so-called
peace-keeping forces.
It should never be forgotten that, while pursuing their rivalry for
markets, colonies and raw materials in the first half of this century,
these predatory states launched two world wars that together killed 100
to
200 million people.
Of these seven countries, the United States, with the greatest single
national economy and by far the biggest military power, is now the most
dangerous to the rest of the world.
This analysis will focus on statements coming from United States
military
and diplomatic leaders and from their own media. Yet it will clearly
show
how the war against Yugoslavia was premeditated, planned in advance,
with
wide-ranging geostrategic goals, and that it contains the seeds of new
wars.
1992 PENTAGON WHITE PAPER
On March 8, 1992, the New York Times published excerpts from a 46-page
White Paper
leaked by Pentagon officials. This paper asserts the need for complete
US world domination in
both political and military terms and threatens other countries that
even aspire to a greater role.
The public threats seem to be aimed at the European powers and Japan.
Here's some part of
what it said:
"Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival...
First, the US must show the
leadership necessary to establish and protect a new order that holds the
promise of convincing
potential competitors that they need not aspire to a greater role or
pursue a more aggressive
posture to protect their legitimate interests. We must account
sufficiently for the interests of the
advanced industrial nations to discourage them from seeking to overturn
the established political
and economic order. Finally, we must maintain the mechanism for
deterring potential competitors
from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role".
Regarding Europe, the document continues:
"It is of fundamental importance to preserve NATO as the primary
instrument of Western defense
and security... We must seek to prevent the emergence of European-only
security arrangements
which would undermine NATO".
GEN. DUGAN'S PLAN FOR THE BALKANS
It wasn't too long before strategists began adapting this policy to the
developing crisis in the
Balkans.
Retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael J. Dugan and George Kenney
of the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace wrote an opinion piece for the New
York Times published
November 29, 1992, entitled "Operation 'Balkan Storm': Here's a Plan".
"A win in the Balkans would establish US leadership in the post-Cold War
world in a way that
Operation Desert Storm never could". Dugan laid out a scenario of
building a coalition with
Britain, France and Italy on an ad hoc basis, if possible, because he
believed the United Nations
Security Council would not approve a NATO assault. He described arming
the pro-US Bosnian
forces to use "unconventional" operations in Bosnia to force the UN to
suspend humanitarian
programs.
Then, he said, massive air power should be used against Serbs in Bosnia
and Serbia. Dugan
suggested using aircraft carriers, F-15s, F-16s, F-18s, and F-111s,
Tomahawk missiles, and the
JSTARS surveillance system to destroy Serbia's electricity grid,
refineries, storage facilities, and
communications. "But the US costs in blood and treasure would be modest
compared with that of
Bosnian trauma".
Gen. Dugan was infamous for his interview in September 1990 where he
candidly laid out US
plans for the massive assault on and destruction of Iraq. For speaking
out so frankly, he was
relieved of his command. But the US carried out this vicious plan
against Iraq.
His scenario for Bosnia too was carried out a little over six years
later, but starting instead from
Kosovo. And by then Washington was able to push and pull all of NATO
behind it while the UN
was left powerless.
From 1993 to 1995 in Bosnia the US, through NATO, increasingly used air
power against
Bosnian and Croatian Serbs as well as against those Muslim forces that
opposed the Izetbegovic
regime.
In August and September 1995, NATO launched a massive air war against
positions of the
Bosnian Serbs. The combination of these air raids with the NATO-enforced
economic blockade
led to the Dayton Accords of 1995. As part of the agreement, 60,000 NATO
troops, 20,000 of
them US soldiers, were sent into Bosnia under US command.
Earlier, a German/French-backed European force intervened in Bosnia,
where it attempted to
broker a truce. But US officials prodded the Bosnian regime to sabotage
this agreement, leading
to more bloodshed. Finally, US officials brokered the Dayton Accords on
more or less the same
terms except with a major US role as the occupying army.
A large new NATO base was established in Hungary to facilitate troop
deployment in Bosnia.
The US also established new bases in Macedonia and northern Albania.
(San Francisco
Chronicle, September 12, 1995)
As early as 1990, the US government had put in place plans for a
military occupation of Eastern
Europe and possibly parts of the former Soviet Union. That plan included
the 100,000 strong
Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, the NATO unit in charge of
the Bosnia
operation.
At the end of November 1995, Reuters reported that: "The Allied Command
Europe Rapid
Reaction Corps (ARRC), based at Rheindahlen in western Germany, has
worked relatively
unnoticed since 1992 to put into practice NATO's new emphasis... (It
has) NATO's full array of
firepower (and) a tailor-made fighting force of up to 100,000 soldiers
able to deploy quickly. As
ARRC commander, British Lt.-Gen. Michael Walker, is in charge of running
the multinational
ground force to be stationed in and around Bosnia for NATO's first
ground deployment outside
its own area. The corps, with headquarters in Sarajevo, is taking three
divisions into Bosnia. Two
of them, the US First Armored Division and the British Third Mechanized
Division, are
permanently assigned to it. The third division is French".
The US used the Bosnia operation as a wedge for the expansion of NATO
into Eastern Europe.
AUGUST 1998, ATTACK ON YUGOSLAVIA AT WORK
By August 4, 1998 the Clinton administration confirmed that NATO had
developed detailed plans
for an attack on Yugoslavia. Sources told the New York Times that the
focus is on "a variety of
air-power options that could punish or intimidate".
On July 29, 1998, the Albanian government had announced that 76 top NATO
officers were in
Tirana, the capital, to plan "joint Albania–NATO exercises" from August
17 to August 22, 1998
within 50 miles of the border with Kosovo. The maneuvers will prepare
NATO and Albanian
troops for a "peacekeeping mission". Similar exercises are planned for
Macedonia in September.
These maneuvers were recommended in a March 20, 1998 position paper of
the International
Crisis Group, a think-tank with White House ties, headed by former
Senate Democratic Leader
George Mitchell.
That report also recommended "an international force in Albania close to
the borders of Kosovo
to help prevent the conflict in Kosovo from spreading and... facilitate
rapid and effective action
should an intervention become necessary". On July 29, 1998, German
Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel recommended similar action by NATO.
An article in the November 28, 1998 New York Times, headlined "A policy
struggle stirs within
NATO", provided advance notice of US plans to expand NATO's use beyond
Europe.
Washington wanted NATO forces ready to intervene not only in the Balkans
and against
countries like Iraq or Iran in the Middle East, or Libya, Sudan or Congo
in Africa – but against
any attempt at a popular revolution anywhere, from Russia to Indonesia.
UN Security Council resolutions have often provided a cover for US
military intervention –
against Korea in 1950 and Iraq in 1991, for example. Yet the council is
not certain to ratify all US
military aggression.
Washington noted in its "mission statement" for NATO that the alliance
may act without the
Security Council's approval. US officials argue that otherwise a Russian
or Chinese veto could
stop a military action. One NATO official brazenly explained this to the
Times: "A Security
Council mandate is highly desirable but we should not tie our hands in
advance".
US – EUROPE CONFLICTS
On March 4, 1999:
– A Marine court martial in North Carolina acquitted the captain whose
jet fighter-bomber
snapped a gondola cable in the Italian Alps a year before, killing 20
European tourists. Italians
protested.
– The state of Arizona executed by lethal injection German-American
Walter LaGrand. The
German government protested.
– Media worldwide announced that the Clinton administration imposed 100
percent import duties
on selected European-produced goods. The European Union protested.
These three seemingly unrelated events expressed open economic
competition between US
business interests and those of its former Cold War "allies" in Western
Europe, a competition
carried out through the national states.
Within three weeks this competition was buried under the weight of US
air power. When
Belgrade refused to sign the Rambouillet surrender terms, Washington
used this pretext to launch
a war against Yugoslavia.
By the time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization celebrated its 50th
anniversary on April 4,
1999, it had just made its first military assault beyond its borders and
carried out the largest
bombing in Europe since World War II.
Washington used the war against Yugoslavia to impose its changes on NATO
– changing it from a
no-longer-needed anti-Soviet alliance to an intervention force ready to
strike worldwide. NATO
powers met in Washington in late April to ratify this proposal.
In addition, the US government had recently succeeded in gaining NATO
admission for Poland,
Hungary and the Czech Republic over the objection of other NATO members.
It then pulled
these three countries directly into the war.
The brutal bombing of Yugoslavia gives the first example of how the US
wants to use the new,
post-Cold War NATO to lead its European allies into battle. Washington
says the NATO
countries have an "alliance of interests". What this means is the common
need of the predatory
ruling classes in the US and Europe to suppress any popular revolt that
threatens their ability to
plunder the raw materials and labor of the rest of the world.
It also means a common interest in preventing any newer capitalist
country from being able to
challenge the G-7's domination of the world economy. Neither would-be
capitalists in Russia and
Eastern Europe nor up-and-coming entrepreneurs in south Korea or
Indonesia will be allowed to
challenge the supremacy of US, West European and Japanese capital. They
will have to consider
themselves fortunate to get crumbs off the tables of their masters.
Along with this "alliance of interests", however, there is also a bitter
rivalry between the same
powers over economic and strategic interests. This has already burst out
with the "banana war"
and the battle between the US and the European Union over
hormone-fattened meat.
Washington's first de facto expansion of NATO's role is against
Yugoslavia. To contain the
competing interests of the NATO countries and submit them all to US
strategic control,
Washington had NATO be the instrument for its conquest of Yugoslavia.
Throughout the 11-week assault on Yugoslavia by most of the world's
biggest military powers,
US and European mainstream politicians of all political shades tried to
give the impression that the
NATO forces were united, whatever trade rivalries and military
maneuvering were going on
behind the scenes.
But no sooner had Yugoslavia agreed to terms the European Union's
leaders made a remarkable
statement: the European Union, up to now a primarily economic alliance
centered around German
banks and industry, announced plans to emerge as a military power.
Leaders from 15 European countries announced the move on June 3, 1999 –
the same day that
the Yugoslav leadership announced its acceptance, on paper, of NATO's
onerous terms.
"The union must have the capacity for autonomous action", the EU
statement read, "backed up by
credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a
readiness to do so, in order to
respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO".
Make no mistake. The emergence of a new European military power does not
bode well for
ordinary working people anywhere. European workers in particular can
look forward to having
more of their labor robbed to fund the new military apparatus while
social services are cut – an
experience US workers have been forced to endure for decades.
WASHINGTON A REPEAT OFFENDER
Just since World War II, Washington has fought the Korean War;
overthrown the elected
governments of Guatemala, Iran, Chile, Indonesia; fought wars against
the people of Central
America; invaded Lebanon; carried out a genocidal war in Indochina, in
which millions of
Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians and more than 50,000 US troops died;
and enforced an
economic blockade against Iraq that has taken the lives of more than a
million and a half people,
half of them children under the age of five. The real objective of the
war on Yugoslavia is to
re-balkanize the Balkans – to break up Yugoslavia into small, easily
controllable and digestible
pieces, in order to insure US/NATO, and especially US, domination of
this key strategic region.
While 10 years ago it had no bases in Eastern Europe, today the United
States has military bases
in Albania, Macedonia, Hungary, Bosnia and Croatia. Washington and its
NATO partners have
cut up Kosovo into little pieces, occupation zones. And they have
assisted in forcing out all ethnic
and national groups who were not Albanian, and even some Albanians.
Thomas Friedman, who writes for the New York Times – is a thoroughly
despicable individual
who is now held up as the highest example of US journalism. Friedman
wrote approvingly on
March 28, 1999: "For globalization to work, America can't be afraid to
act like the almighty
superpower that it is. The hidden hand of the market will never work
without a hidden fist.
McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell-Douglas, the designer of
the F-15, and the hidden
fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley's technology is called
the United States Army, Air
Force, Navy and Marine Corps".
NEW US MILITARY BUILDUP
US military superiority is the key to US global economic domination. The
United States does not
have superiority over its rivals just by virtue of its economic system
and technology. But what it
does have is this vast military apparatus to implement its will.
A new military buildup is already under way, even though the United
States today already spends
more on its military that the rest of the UN Security Council combined.
Having spent US$ 19
trillion since 1940 on the military, the US government proposes to spend
an additional US$ 1,2
trillion in the next four years.
But Washington doesn't want to be the only one spending on the military.
US Defense Secretary
William Cohen used an evaluation of the war against Yugoslavia to bully
the NATO allies into
accepting US policies at an "informal meeting" of 19 NATO defense
ministers in Toronto
September 21–22, 1999.
Cohen said NATO won the war with US "precision-guided weapons" and other
high-tech
systems. Speaking of European NATO members, he said that "in some cases
countries would
have to spend more money" to buy such weapons – by implication from US
arms makers.
Speaking earlier at the Institute of Strategic Studies in San Diego on
September 9, 1999, Defense
Secretary William Cohen boasted of the US role in this bombing. He
outlined what he would
demand from France, Britain, Germany and the other European powers
regarding the US's new
NATO proposal called the Defense Capabilities Initiative.
"We have all agreed to develop forces that are more mobile, beginning
with the reassessment of
NATO's strategic lift requirements for planning purposes. We need
forces, we've agreed, that can
sustain themselves longer; that means having a logistics system that
will ensure they have the
supplies when and where they need them".
Cohen said the NATO powers need "forces that can engage more
effectively; that means having
the new advanced technologies such as greater stocks of precision-guided
munitions and forces
that can survive better against chemical, biological or nuclear weapons,
and also information
warfare".
EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENSE IDENTITY
Cohen and his European allies had different views on what the so-called
European Security and
Defense Identity (ESDI) should mean. Washington would oppose any force
that challenges its
domination even in Europe itself. Washington sees the ESDI as a way of
harnessing European
militarism back into NATO – where the Pentagon holds the reins. That's
what Cohen told
reporters in Toronto on September 22.
"There was unanimity of expression (supporting ESDI)", he said. "This is
important for the
Europeans to undertake. It is important also to make sure that it is not
seen as a separate
institution and capability, but rather that it is maintained under the
umbrella so to speak of
NATO".
On September 22, French Press Agency report noted that ESDI was supposed
to allow
European NATO members to carry out "a peacekeeping operation, for
example, using NATO
materiel and resources but not involving the US or Canada. It was
unclear, however, how the
Europeans would be able to act independently while relying on assets
under the control of an
alliance still dominated by the Pentagon".
Cohen wants a situation in which the European NATO countries take the
risks of wartime
casualties and pay the costs, but where US control of strategic weapons
and logistics gives
Washington all the trump cards.
It's clear that Cohen expects NATO to fight future wars of a Kosovo size
and bigger – and more
distant from the United States or Western Europe. Now, without a USSR,
Washington wants
NATO to be a world cop. And Cohen expects the European governments to
pick up a big share
of the costs of expansion. But he was definitely talking about "the next
war", without clarifying if
that war was against Iraq, Libya, in the Balkans, in Central Asia, in
Africa, against the Colombian
revolutionaries, against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
Perhaps it will be some new
target with a leader the US media demonizes.
Because NATO is such a threat to peace, Ramsey Clark has declared
publicly that he sees no
other alternative but to abolish NATO. And we in the International
Action Center have made this
demand central to our anti-war work.
WHAT IS OUR ROLE?
This conference is doing an excellent job analyzing the war against
Yugoslavia and its
consequences. But our responsibility is not simply to analyze the world,
but to change it. NATO's
armies are strong, but they too have weaknesses. The US military fears
that any significant
casualties among US troops will arouse a mass anti-war movement as
happened during the war
against Vietnam. Some of the other European powers have populations that
are also reluctant to
back a war that demands sacrifices. They are in conflict with each
other. All this raises possibilities
to fight back.
I especially address this to those of us here from the very NATO
countries that waged aggression
against Yugoslavia. Our responsibility is to use the facts and analysis
from here to mobilize our
home populations to fight the government's policies, to lift the
sanctions against Yugoslavia, to
send aid – really reparations for the crimes committed.
On June 10, the International Action Center is holding a day-long
International Tribunal on
US/NATO War Crimes Against Yugoslavia in New York. Our initial hearing
last July 31 inspired
or encouraged a dozen US cities. Those working in parallel with us held
similar hearings in Oslo,
Novi Sad, Berlin, Rome, Vienna, Moscow, Kiev, Sydney, and even Tokyo.
The most dramatic
was a mass people tribunal in Athens last fall where thousands found
Clinton guilty of war crimes.
More hearings are planned for Belgrade, Hamburg, Prague, Boston and
elsewhere.
We do not expect to make the people in power see reason and change their
minds. These
tribunals are a way to mobilize mass public opinion and build a movement
that can fight the
governments that wage these wars. In the International Action Center we
also support the
struggles of oppressed groups in the United States – or example, the
fight to free political prisoner
Mumia Abu-Jamal. Only by building bridges to others can we succeed in
turning back the US war
machine.
On June 10, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark will prosecute US and
NATO leaders for
19 charges of war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against
humanity. International expert
witnesses will present testimony. And a distinguished international
panel of judges will hear the
case. Come and be part of this historic event.
Down with NATO! Long live Yugoslavia!
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
SULLE ELEZIONI NELLA RF DI JUGOSLAVIA
Gentile Tommaso Di Francesco,
nei giorni precedenti la tornata elettorale in Jugoslavia abbiamo notato
uno zelo particolare da parte tua e del tuo giornale nel sostegno ad uno
dei candidati della opposizione di destra, il liberista e nazionalista
Kostunica. In particolare, nel tuo articolo "I profughi dimenticati di
Belgrado"
(http://www.ilmanifesto.it/Quotidiano-archivio/23-Settembre-2000/art13.htm)
sostieni che "solo Kostunica non ha smesso di insistere sulla questione
Kosovo e sul rientro dei profughi", sorvolando sul fatto che proprio
Kostunica in Kosovo e' stato preso a sassate in faccia dai serbi sotto
assedio, mentre l'attuale governo jugoslavo chiede costantemente che, in
applicazione alla Risoluzione ONU 1244, non solo rientrino i profughi,
ma persino alle forze di sicurezza jugoslave sia consentito di
rientrare. Per quanto riguarda il voto ai profughi, tu biasimi Milosevic
che non li fa votare; a parte il fatto che i profughi hanno
tranquillamente diritto di voto nei loro seggi (in Kosovo), ma non
possono esercitarlo perche' - appunto - sono profughi (ma la colpa di
questo di chi e'?): se il governo jugoslavo avesse organizzato dei seggi
elettorali appositi nei campi profughi tu avresti sicuramente scritto
che sarebbe stata una "speculazione politica di Milosevic" per
garantirsi i voti dei profughi.
Comunque si voglia girare la frittata, la colpa e' di Milosevic.
D'altronde, lo dicono pure tutti gli altri giornali.
Saluti
Coordinamento Romano per la Jugoslavia
PS. non contiamo nella pubblicazione, ma una risposta diretta ci sarebbe
gradita.
PPS. perche', piuttosto, non pubblicate l'intervista di Juergen
Elsaesser a Mihailo Markovic? Se c'e' un problema di copyright crediamo
sia facilmente risolvibile... O non e' quello il motivo?
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
Gentile Tommaso Di Francesco,
nei giorni precedenti la tornata elettorale in Jugoslavia abbiamo notato
uno zelo particolare da parte tua e del tuo giornale nel sostegno ad uno
dei candidati della opposizione di destra, il liberista e nazionalista
Kostunica. In particolare, nel tuo articolo "I profughi dimenticati di
Belgrado"
(http://www.ilmanifesto.it/Quotidiano-archivio/23-Settembre-2000/art13.htm)
sostieni che "solo Kostunica non ha smesso di insistere sulla questione
Kosovo e sul rientro dei profughi", sorvolando sul fatto che proprio
Kostunica in Kosovo e' stato preso a sassate in faccia dai serbi sotto
assedio, mentre l'attuale governo jugoslavo chiede costantemente che, in
applicazione alla Risoluzione ONU 1244, non solo rientrino i profughi,
ma persino alle forze di sicurezza jugoslave sia consentito di
rientrare. Per quanto riguarda il voto ai profughi, tu biasimi Milosevic
che non li fa votare; a parte il fatto che i profughi hanno
tranquillamente diritto di voto nei loro seggi (in Kosovo), ma non
possono esercitarlo perche' - appunto - sono profughi (ma la colpa di
questo di chi e'?): se il governo jugoslavo avesse organizzato dei seggi
elettorali appositi nei campi profughi tu avresti sicuramente scritto
che sarebbe stata una "speculazione politica di Milosevic" per
garantirsi i voti dei profughi.
Comunque si voglia girare la frittata, la colpa e' di Milosevic.
D'altronde, lo dicono pure tutti gli altri giornali.
Saluti
Coordinamento Romano per la Jugoslavia
PS. non contiamo nella pubblicazione, ma una risposta diretta ci sarebbe
gradita.
PPS. perche', piuttosto, non pubblicate l'intervista di Juergen
Elsaesser a Mihailo Markovic? Se c'e' un problema di copyright crediamo
sia facilmente risolvibile... O non e' quello il motivo?
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
DA PEACELINK: A PROPOSITO DI LIBERTA' DI VOTO
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date forwarded: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 04:37:12 +0200
From: "francesco iannuzzelli" <francesco@...>
Organization: peacelink
To: pck-armamenti@...
Come segnalato in home page dalla testimonianza di Zoran, gli
USA stanno compiendo parecchie operazioni militari in
concomitanza con il voto in Yugoslavia.
In Kosovo sono arrivati altri 4 battaglioni di truppe alleate portando
la K-For a 45.000 effettivi.
Nella confinante Romania forze della Nato insieme a rumeni,
svizzeri e bulgari simulano un "intervento teso a riportare la pace in
un paese sconvolto dalla guerra civile".
In Slovacchia e Repubblica Ceca si svolgono le manovre "Blue Line
2000" con piloti e jet statunitensi.
Le operazioni piu' significative pero' riguardano l'esercitazione
congiunta tra truppe USA e croate, sia di terra che di mare, che si
svolgera' dal 25 al 29 settembre, coinvolgendo 600 soldati
americani e 9.000 croati nelle citta' di Spalato e Sebenik.
Sono accompagnati da due unita' di trasporto per operazioni
anfibie, la USS Austin e la USS Saipan, che nei giorni scorsi era
nel porto di Trieste (prima ancora a La Spezia).
Inoltre la portaerei Washington, a propulsione nucleare, e' stata
trasferita all'ultimo momento dal Golfo Persico all'Adriatico, dove e'
giunta in questi giorni.
Il dipartimento della difesa statunitense ha smentito ogni legame
tra queste manovre e le concomitanti elezioni yugoslave...
ciao
francesco
Fonti:
Reuters:
http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=2205001&ern=y
Analisidifesa:
http://www.analisidifesa.it/numero7/natobelg.htm
francesco iannuzzelli francesco@...
associazione peacelink - sez. disarmo
http://www.peacelink.it
===
DUE MESSAGGI DA MICHEL COLLON, PRESENTE IN JUGOSLAVIA
Message urgent de Michel Collon de Belgrade
L?opposition va provoquer des incidents Dimanche soir. Ils diront qu?ils
ont gagné les élections à 9 heures, les bureaux
fermant à 8 heures. Mais les résultats officiels n?étant connus qu?à
minuit. Ils diront que les sondages étaient à leur
faveur et que si Milosevic gagne ça ne peut être qu?une fraude. Ils
cherecheront des bagares avec la police et avoir de
mauvaises images. Peut-être aussi des incidents à Montenegro.
Pourtant les sondages ne sont pas fiables, reconnaît même un responsable
des observateurs dits indépendants, organisés
par l?opposition et les USA, qui reconnaît qu?on ne peut rien prédire.
La tactique de déstabilisation est bien coordonnée, les prix augmentent
chacun de ces derniers jours, on (qui?) organise des
pénuries, huile et sucre sont retirés, les gens se ruent pour stocker.
Les prix augmentent, un dinar de plus chaque jour pour
un mark. L?atmosphère devient engoissante.
La différence entre les meetings électoraux frappe. A celui de Milosevic
: « En tant que colonie, nous ne serions jamais
libres des sanctions car le statut de colonie c?est la pire forme de
sanctions ». Les gens sont fiers de ce qu?ils ont fait :
resister. Milosevic a beaucoup reconstruit. Mais bien sûr, il y a la
lassitude des sanctions et les illusions de la jeunesse qui
n?a pas vecu le fascisme. Il y a un fosse entre générations, d?autant
que l?Ouest envahit la jeunesse avec sa pub et son
modèle de consommation.
Et au meetings de Kostunica, les gens sont tristes, ils sont vite partis
apres le discours, il ne restent même pas pour le
concert. C?est normal, il se prétend un homme de principes mais il est
en train de vendre la souveraineté du pays.
L?opposition, trouvera-t-elle assez de gens pour le soutenir dans ces
incidents ? On verra?
Je ne sais pas comment ca va tourner, en tout cas ça valait la peine de
venir ici. Il faut se préparer au pire et mobiliser les
gens
> Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 17:24:19 +0200
> From: Marko Atanasievski
> To: pdevos@...
> Subject: Message de Michel Collon de Belgrade
>
> Nous sommes ici plus de 200 observateurs venus de 53 pays (Russie,
> Argentine, Chili, Jordanie, Chine, Allemagne, etc) pour contr^oler la
> legalite des elections en Yougoslavie.
> Au parlement, nous avons rencontre la commission de supervision des
> elections qui nous a explique les regles. En fait, elles ressemblent
> tout a fait a ce quon voit dans les pays occidentaux: vote secret,
> bulletins controles, dans tous les bureaux de vote, commissions de
> controle ouvertes a tous les partis.
> En fait, les methodes electorales sont celles pronees par l'OSCE,
> Organisation pour la Cooperation et la Securite en Europe, qui avait
> d'ailleurs declare parfaitement correctes les elections yougoslaves
> de 1996.
> On se demande alors pourquoi la presse occidentale repete inlassablement
> que les elections seront truquees pour permettre a Milosevic de gagner.
> Parce qu'elle pense que l'opposition va perdre? Parce que l'Otan
> cherche un pretexte pour intervenir a nouveau?
> Nous avons essaye de repondre a cette question, ce samedi matin, en
> echangeant nos observations entre observateurs d'une vingtaine de
> pays. D'abord, nous avons constate qu'a l'etranger, on racontait des
> choses assez incroyables. En Hongrie, la presse pretend que les
> observateurs etrangers viennent seulement de quatre pays (Russie,
> Libye, Irak et Hongrie), qu'ils ne peuvent rencontrer l'opposition et
> que celle ci ne pourra etre dans les bureaux de vote pour controler
> les operations. Trois mensonges grossiers, nous avons pu le
> constater. Au Canada, les medias ont pretendu que tous les
> journalistes etrangers avaient ete expulses. Archi-faux: il reste ici
> des dizaines de correspondants internationaux meme si cest vrai,
> quelques journalistes ont ete expulses.
> Cest peut etre regrettable dans certains cas, mais il faut aussi
> comprendre: les Yougoslaves ont subi une guerre, des milliers de gens
> ont perdu la vie, leurs maisons, leurs biens, l'Otan a foutu des
> dechets nucleaires un peu partout et ca provoquer des millers de
> cancers dans quelques annes, et toute cette guerre a ete prepare par
> des mediamensonges occidentaux. Aujourdhui, ils sont a nouveau
> nerveux car les Etats Unis manifestement font monter la tension...
> Il y a dix jours, un journal de l'opposition yougoslave a revele que
> Madeleine Albright, ministre US des Affaires etrangeres, avait reclame
> qu'on bombarde a nouveau la Yougoslavie. Proposition non acceptee
> pour l'instant par les autres responsables americains, mais demain
> qu'arrivera-t-il? Avant les guerres precedentes contre la
> Yougoslavie, on avait constate aussi une campagne psychologique
> preparatoire: demonisation de l'adversaire, creation d'un etat de
> tension en lui attribuant des projets agressifs (ici on pretend que
> Milosevic va attaquer le Montenegro, ce qui ne tient pas debout),
> etcetera... Dans cette campagne psychologique, les sondages doivent
> etre consideres comme une arme de propagande parmi d'autres. Selon
> beaucoup de gens a qui j'ai parle, la lutte sera serree. Voteront
> Milosevic ceux qui, en depit de critiques qu'ils lui font, mettent
> pardessus tout la defense de l'independance. Voteront pour
> l'opposition ceux qui, lasses par des annes depreuves et de
> privations, s'efforcent de croire Kostunica et les promesses des
> EtatsUnis. Mais les medias occidentaux avancent que Kostunica serait
> sur de gagner. Ca ne repose pas sur des enquetes serieuses, en fait
> il n'existe pas de sondage scientifiquement fiable. Pourquoi alors ce
> pronostic trompeur? Pour decourager les electeurs yougoslave et pour
> preparer l'opinion occidentale a cette idee: si Milosevic gagne, ce
> ne pourra etre qu'en fraudant, donc nous devrons intervenir de
> nouveau contre la Yougoslavie (par une nouvelle guerre ou de nouveaux
> bombardements? Esperons que non, et faisons tout pour qu'il n'en soit
> pas ainsi). Les Etats Unis ont fourni a l'opposition une serie de
> consultants specialistes de la communication (le genre de ceux qui
> ont assiste Jamie Shea durant la guerre); les sondages trompeurs
> font partie de leur panoplie d'armes psychologiques. Les Etats-Unis
> font aujourd'hui plein de promesses, garantissant aux Yougoslaves
> qu'ils vivront prosperes s'ils votent bien. D'abord, il faut
> remarquer que ces promesses ils les ont deja faites aux Russes, aux
> Bulgares et aux Albanais avec les resultats qu'on sait....
> En Occident, on n'en parle guere, mais ici, on est tres choques par
> les 70 millions de dollars que les Usa reconnaissent verser aux
> partis, medias dits independants et a d'autres organisations. Acheter
> la Yougoslavie? Que diraient les medias occidentaux si Belgrade ou
> Pekin versait 5 milliards de FB (somme equivalente si on compare les
> niveaux de vie) pour aider un parti d'extreme gauche en France parce
> qu'elle ne respecte pas les droits des Corses ou des Basques? Ou en
> Belgique parce qu'elle enferme les refugies dans des prisons?
>
> Redevenons serieux: les Etats-Unis sont en train de preparer
> psychologiquement l'opinion internationale a la possibilite dune
> nouvelle agression (n'oublions pas qu'ils bobardemt impunement l'Irak
> depuis neuf ans!). Ils osent presenter comme une lecon de
> <democratie> le chantage <Votez pour nous ou crevez de faim a moins
> qu'on vous bombarde a nouveau!>
>
> Au moment ou ils preparent un Plan Colombie, veritable declaration de
> guerre contre toute l'Amerique latime et ses nouvelles luttes au
> Venezuela, em Argentine et ailleurs, au moment ou ils soutiennent
> ferocement Israel responsable d'une purification ethnique
> systematique depuis plus de cinquante ans, au moment ou le monde
> entier se mobilise tres positivement contre les injustices de la
> globalisation imposee par les multinationales, il est tres important
> d'arreter cette nouvelle menace d'agression.
>
> Demain, les 200 observateurs se disperseront dans tout le pays ou ils
> pourront tout controler dans les bureaux de vote et les operations de
> comptage. Nous avons convenu d'echanger nos impressions dimache soir
> et lundi matin tres tot. Les resultats devraient etre connus dans la
> nuit. Il me parait tres important de contrer IMMEDIATEMENT la
> desinformation que certains milieux essaient d'organiser au sujet de
> ces elections. Je suggere de contacter d'avance des journalistes
> honnetes pour leur expliquer qu'une autre information est disponible.
> On peut me joindre a l'hotel Intercontinental, chambre 313.
>
> Michel Collon
> samedi 23 septembre, Belgrade
===
IMPORTANTI INFORMAZIONI DALLA BULGARIA
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/doncheva/electionday.htm
>Election Day Meddling
>A letter from Blagovesta Doncheva in Sofia, Bulgaria
>(9-24-2000)
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/doncheva/bulgmed.htm
>Bulgaria Meddles in Yugoslav Vote
>
>'Monitor,' [Bulgaria] September 22, p. 1-2-3
>
>Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marin Raikov, is behind an unprecedented
>plan for parallel Yugoslav vote counting from Sofia. Kostov threatens
>Milosevic with "categorical/decisive actions" if he 'manipulates' the vote on
>Sunday...
===
SULLE INTERFERENZE EUROPEE E STATUNITENSI
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Sept. 28, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
YUGOSLAVIA ELECTIONS: U.S., W. EUROPE USE CARROT &
STICK
By John Catalinotto
With the big vote set for Sept. 24, the European Union and
the U.S. government have stepped up their already blatant
intervention in Yugoslavia's national election. Both the
Yugoslav government and anti-war forces in NATO countries
have reacted with anti-NATO actions.
The EU offered the carrot. In a "message to the Serbian
people" from a Sept. 18 monthly foreign ministers' meeting
in Brussels, the EU said it would lift sanctions if
Yugoslavs voted out President Slobodan Milosevic in the
presidential election.
"The elections ... will give the Serbian people the
opportunity to repudiate clearly and peacefully the policy
of Milosevic." Should they do so, "we will lift the
sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, we
will support the necessary economic aid for its
reconstruction, and we will support the reintegration of the
FRY into the international community," is how the EU
presented its bribe.
Washington continued to wave the big stick. The U.S. Navy
plans maneuvers in the Adriatic Sea off the Yugoslav coast
on election weekend. Both U.S. and NATO leaders have
threatened intervention should there be conflict in
Montenegro, the smaller republic, which along with Serbia
makes up what remains of Yugoslavia.
If Yugoslavia is treated like the other former socialist
countries of the Balkans, "reintegration" means that a
handful of Yugoslavs will grow rich while the bulk of the
population is driven deeper into poverty and the people as a
whole are forced to submit to Western imperialism.
An article in the Sept. 19 New York Times makes it clear
that the only job opportunities for young Bulgarian women is
to work as prostitutes in the Czech Republic near the German
border.
The only serious candidates for president of Yugoslavia are
Milosevic and Vojislav Kostunica, who is backed by 18 small
opposition parties, some of them openly pro-NATO and all pro-
Western. Kostunica is a long-time anti-communist with
credentials as a Serbian nationalist.
Kostunica is also the only opposition figure who is not
tarnished by open association with NATO forces. He can
possibly attract voters who are weary of the assault on
Yugoslavia and who hope that removing Milosevic will end the
hostility.
The U.S. and West European imperialists, however, want
Kostunica to defeat Milosevic in order to weaken the best-
organized anti-NATO structures inside Yugoslavia. These
structures include Milosevic's Socialist Party and the party
called the Yugoslav United Left, plus the security forces
and the army.
Weakening this apparatus would leave the road open for
imperialist penetration and for turning all of Yugoslavia
back into a colony of the West, whether or not that is what
Kostunica plans.
The Western media claim Kostunica is leading in election
polls. Pro-Milosevic sources point out that the polls were
taken by pro-NATO organizations that want to try to claim
Milosevic "stole" the election should he win.
BELGRADE PUTS NATO LEADERS ON TRIAL
Meanwhile, the Milosevic forces have run their election
campaign against NATO threats, pointing to the opposition as
NATO puppets.
In addition, the Yugoslav government has gone on the
political offensive against NATO. In Belgrade Sept. 18 the
government opened a trial of NATO leaders for war crimes
committed during the 1999 aggression and 78-day bombing
assault.
Yugoslavia charged Presidents Bill Clinton of the United
States and Jacques Chirac of France, British Prime Minister
Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and nine other NATO
and Western government leaders with war crimes. Their names
were attached to 14 empty chairs in the front of a Belgrade
courtroom.
Serb authorities appointed a lawyer for each of the accused.
Yugoslav officials said it would take four days to present
the evidence.
"They are charged with inciting an aggressive war...war
crimes against civilian population...use of banned combat
means, attempted murder of the Yugoslav president...the
violation of the country's territorial integrity. ..," the
charge sheet read.
"They fired 600 cruise missiles and made 25,119 [air]
sorties during the 78-day aggression, attacking both
military and civilian targets, killing and wounding many
people, causing mass destruction of property," it added.
The charges were similar in structure to those presented at
the dozens of "People's Tribunals" held in Germany, the
United States, Italy, Austria, Greece, Russia and other
countries in the past 14 months, all of which found the NATO
leaders guilty. The Yugoslavs will be able to present more
detailed, eyewitness descriptions of the crimes.
Exposing NATO's crimes and especially the lies NATO leaders
used to justify their aggression has strengthened solidarity
with Yugoslavia in some of the NATO countries.
In Italy, a traditional annual peace march from Perugia to
Assisi will take place Sept. 24 with a more clearly anti-
NATO position than it has had in recent years. Last year
former Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema led the march--but he
also had led the war against Yugoslavia. This year march
organizers invited forces carrying a banner "Against NATO,
against the embargoes" to play a big role in the march and
promised that none of the war criminals from the Italian
regime would be present.
In Germany, a group of anti-war intellectuals have issued a
call from Berlin: "No new NATO-war on the Balkans!" The call
warns of U.S.-NATO military preparations for a possible new
assault on Yugoslavia, and asks for actions against this new
aggression. There are also vigils planned in Bonn on Sept.
22 and 29.
- END -
(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to
copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but
changing it is not allowed. For more information contact
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail:
ww@.... For subscription info send message to:
info@.... Web: http://www.workers.org)
YUGOSLAVIA LODGES PROTEST WITH E.U. COUNCIL
BRUSSELS, September 23 (Tanjug) Yugoslavia has filed a protest
with the European Union in Brussels over a socalled "message" that E.U.
foreign ministers have recently sent Yugoslavs in connection with
Sunday's
presidential and parliamentary elections in Yugoslavia.
Yugoslav Charge d'Affaires Dragan Zupanjevac delivered the
protest
note to E.U. Ministerial Council Director General Brian Crowe.
The note says, among others, that the E.U. ministers' "message"
constitutes gross and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs
of
a sovereign country, and is without a precedent in democratic practice.
Yugoslavia believes it is high time the European Union
abandoned
its unprincipled and antiEuropean policy, its antiYugoslav policy of
sanctions and isolation, which is achieving nothing other than
continuing
to destabilise southeast Europe, the protest note says.
===
F.R. YUGOSLAVIA ELECTIONS
YUGOSLAVIA TO ELECT PRESIDENT AND MP'S ON SUNDAY
BELGRADE, September 23 (Tanjug) Yugoslavia will be electing a
president and federal parliament deputies, while its republic of Serbia
will be voting also for local administration officials on Sunday,
September
24.
According to the Central Electoral Commission, Yugoslavia has
an
electorate of 7,861,327; of this number, 7,417,197 are in Serbia, and
444,130 in the other Yugoslav federal unit, Montenegro.
This will be the first time for the people to be electing a
president directly, and they will have the choice of five candidates:
Incumbent Slobodan Milosevic, nominated by a leftist coalition
made up of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the Yugoslav Left (JUL),
and the Socialist People's Party (SNP) of Montenegro;
Vojislav Kostunica, nominated by 18 opposition parties rallied
into the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) bloc;
Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS);
Vojislav Mihailovic of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO);
Miroljub Vidojkovic of the Affirmative Party.
Should none of the candidates secure an outright majority of
the
votes cast in the first round, the two leading candidates will fight it
out
between them in a runoff two weeks later.
Serbs and Montenegrins will be voting in 27 electoral districts
to
elect 138 deputies to the Chamber of Citizens (lower house) of the
Yugoslav
federal parliament, from among candidates nominated by 30 parties on 30
tickets.
Of this number, Serbia will be giving 108 deputies to the
Chamber,
and Montenegro, 30.
Yugoslav citizens displaced from Serbia's U.N.administered
Kosovo
and Metohija province will be voting in Serbia's southern Prokuplje and
Vranje municipalities.
Deputies to the Chamber of Republics (Upper house) will be
elected
by direct ballot another first with Serbia and Montenegro, as two
equal
constituencies, giving 20 deputies each.
Parallel with the federal elections, polls will be held for
electing 120 deputies to the Serbian Vojvodina province's assembly
(Parliament), and local administrations in Serbia.
Also, 110 deputies to the Belgrade City Council will be elected
from among 548 candidates nominated by 21 parties.
Belgrade has an electorate of 1,351,365.
Apart from local monitors, the elections will be monitored by
more
than 200 foreign observers from 52 countries, who have already arrived
in
Yugoslavia.
YUGOSLAVIA TAKES FURTHER STEPS TO PREVENT ELECTION FRAUD
BELGRADE, September 23 (Tanjug) The Yugoslav Central Electoral
Commission on Saturday reviewed reports on a plot to illegally augment
the
number of ballots at polling stations and issued further instructions to
prevent fraud on the eve of Sunday's elections.
Yugoslavia votes for president and deputies to both chambers of
the federal parliament, while its republic of Serbia elects local
administrators on Sunday, September 24.
The Commission said in a statement it has come in possession of
information that, as part of subversive activities against Yugoslavia, a
plan has been hatched to sabotage and compromise the presidential
election.
"Foreign factors have prepared a number of ballots for the
presidential election, which their stooges among the Yugoslav people
should
drop in the ballot boxes folded inside the regular ballot papers...
"This has been done because, under election rules, in case
there
is a single ballot in a box more than there were voters at that
particular
polling station, the polling must be declared invalid", the Commission
said.
In this way, a couple of hundred unscrupulous individuals could
invalidate the will of hundreds of thousands, it added.
The Commission has therefore decreed that the invigilators at
the
polling stations must check that the ballot paper of each voter in the
presidential election is a single paper, with nothing folded in it.
"The check will be made by each voter marking the ballot,
folding
it and then handing it over to an invigilator to see that it is a single
paper, while not violating the secrecy of the voting, and then dropping
it
in the box", the statement said.
The Commission appealed to the people to respect the reasons
that
have made this kind of control necessary.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date forwarded: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 04:37:12 +0200
From: "francesco iannuzzelli" <francesco@...>
Organization: peacelink
To: pck-armamenti@...
Come segnalato in home page dalla testimonianza di Zoran, gli
USA stanno compiendo parecchie operazioni militari in
concomitanza con il voto in Yugoslavia.
In Kosovo sono arrivati altri 4 battaglioni di truppe alleate portando
la K-For a 45.000 effettivi.
Nella confinante Romania forze della Nato insieme a rumeni,
svizzeri e bulgari simulano un "intervento teso a riportare la pace in
un paese sconvolto dalla guerra civile".
In Slovacchia e Repubblica Ceca si svolgono le manovre "Blue Line
2000" con piloti e jet statunitensi.
Le operazioni piu' significative pero' riguardano l'esercitazione
congiunta tra truppe USA e croate, sia di terra che di mare, che si
svolgera' dal 25 al 29 settembre, coinvolgendo 600 soldati
americani e 9.000 croati nelle citta' di Spalato e Sebenik.
Sono accompagnati da due unita' di trasporto per operazioni
anfibie, la USS Austin e la USS Saipan, che nei giorni scorsi era
nel porto di Trieste (prima ancora a La Spezia).
Inoltre la portaerei Washington, a propulsione nucleare, e' stata
trasferita all'ultimo momento dal Golfo Persico all'Adriatico, dove e'
giunta in questi giorni.
Il dipartimento della difesa statunitense ha smentito ogni legame
tra queste manovre e le concomitanti elezioni yugoslave...
ciao
francesco
Fonti:
Reuters:
http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=2205001&ern=y
Analisidifesa:
http://www.analisidifesa.it/numero7/natobelg.htm
francesco iannuzzelli francesco@...
associazione peacelink - sez. disarmo
http://www.peacelink.it
===
DUE MESSAGGI DA MICHEL COLLON, PRESENTE IN JUGOSLAVIA
Message urgent de Michel Collon de Belgrade
L?opposition va provoquer des incidents Dimanche soir. Ils diront qu?ils
ont gagné les élections à 9 heures, les bureaux
fermant à 8 heures. Mais les résultats officiels n?étant connus qu?à
minuit. Ils diront que les sondages étaient à leur
faveur et que si Milosevic gagne ça ne peut être qu?une fraude. Ils
cherecheront des bagares avec la police et avoir de
mauvaises images. Peut-être aussi des incidents à Montenegro.
Pourtant les sondages ne sont pas fiables, reconnaît même un responsable
des observateurs dits indépendants, organisés
par l?opposition et les USA, qui reconnaît qu?on ne peut rien prédire.
La tactique de déstabilisation est bien coordonnée, les prix augmentent
chacun de ces derniers jours, on (qui?) organise des
pénuries, huile et sucre sont retirés, les gens se ruent pour stocker.
Les prix augmentent, un dinar de plus chaque jour pour
un mark. L?atmosphère devient engoissante.
La différence entre les meetings électoraux frappe. A celui de Milosevic
: « En tant que colonie, nous ne serions jamais
libres des sanctions car le statut de colonie c?est la pire forme de
sanctions ». Les gens sont fiers de ce qu?ils ont fait :
resister. Milosevic a beaucoup reconstruit. Mais bien sûr, il y a la
lassitude des sanctions et les illusions de la jeunesse qui
n?a pas vecu le fascisme. Il y a un fosse entre générations, d?autant
que l?Ouest envahit la jeunesse avec sa pub et son
modèle de consommation.
Et au meetings de Kostunica, les gens sont tristes, ils sont vite partis
apres le discours, il ne restent même pas pour le
concert. C?est normal, il se prétend un homme de principes mais il est
en train de vendre la souveraineté du pays.
L?opposition, trouvera-t-elle assez de gens pour le soutenir dans ces
incidents ? On verra?
Je ne sais pas comment ca va tourner, en tout cas ça valait la peine de
venir ici. Il faut se préparer au pire et mobiliser les
gens
> Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 17:24:19 +0200
> From: Marko Atanasievski
> To: pdevos@...
> Subject: Message de Michel Collon de Belgrade
>
> Nous sommes ici plus de 200 observateurs venus de 53 pays (Russie,
> Argentine, Chili, Jordanie, Chine, Allemagne, etc) pour contr^oler la
> legalite des elections en Yougoslavie.
> Au parlement, nous avons rencontre la commission de supervision des
> elections qui nous a explique les regles. En fait, elles ressemblent
> tout a fait a ce quon voit dans les pays occidentaux: vote secret,
> bulletins controles, dans tous les bureaux de vote, commissions de
> controle ouvertes a tous les partis.
> En fait, les methodes electorales sont celles pronees par l'OSCE,
> Organisation pour la Cooperation et la Securite en Europe, qui avait
> d'ailleurs declare parfaitement correctes les elections yougoslaves
> de 1996.
> On se demande alors pourquoi la presse occidentale repete inlassablement
> que les elections seront truquees pour permettre a Milosevic de gagner.
> Parce qu'elle pense que l'opposition va perdre? Parce que l'Otan
> cherche un pretexte pour intervenir a nouveau?
> Nous avons essaye de repondre a cette question, ce samedi matin, en
> echangeant nos observations entre observateurs d'une vingtaine de
> pays. D'abord, nous avons constate qu'a l'etranger, on racontait des
> choses assez incroyables. En Hongrie, la presse pretend que les
> observateurs etrangers viennent seulement de quatre pays (Russie,
> Libye, Irak et Hongrie), qu'ils ne peuvent rencontrer l'opposition et
> que celle ci ne pourra etre dans les bureaux de vote pour controler
> les operations. Trois mensonges grossiers, nous avons pu le
> constater. Au Canada, les medias ont pretendu que tous les
> journalistes etrangers avaient ete expulses. Archi-faux: il reste ici
> des dizaines de correspondants internationaux meme si cest vrai,
> quelques journalistes ont ete expulses.
> Cest peut etre regrettable dans certains cas, mais il faut aussi
> comprendre: les Yougoslaves ont subi une guerre, des milliers de gens
> ont perdu la vie, leurs maisons, leurs biens, l'Otan a foutu des
> dechets nucleaires un peu partout et ca provoquer des millers de
> cancers dans quelques annes, et toute cette guerre a ete prepare par
> des mediamensonges occidentaux. Aujourdhui, ils sont a nouveau
> nerveux car les Etats Unis manifestement font monter la tension...
> Il y a dix jours, un journal de l'opposition yougoslave a revele que
> Madeleine Albright, ministre US des Affaires etrangeres, avait reclame
> qu'on bombarde a nouveau la Yougoslavie. Proposition non acceptee
> pour l'instant par les autres responsables americains, mais demain
> qu'arrivera-t-il? Avant les guerres precedentes contre la
> Yougoslavie, on avait constate aussi une campagne psychologique
> preparatoire: demonisation de l'adversaire, creation d'un etat de
> tension en lui attribuant des projets agressifs (ici on pretend que
> Milosevic va attaquer le Montenegro, ce qui ne tient pas debout),
> etcetera... Dans cette campagne psychologique, les sondages doivent
> etre consideres comme une arme de propagande parmi d'autres. Selon
> beaucoup de gens a qui j'ai parle, la lutte sera serree. Voteront
> Milosevic ceux qui, en depit de critiques qu'ils lui font, mettent
> pardessus tout la defense de l'independance. Voteront pour
> l'opposition ceux qui, lasses par des annes depreuves et de
> privations, s'efforcent de croire Kostunica et les promesses des
> EtatsUnis. Mais les medias occidentaux avancent que Kostunica serait
> sur de gagner. Ca ne repose pas sur des enquetes serieuses, en fait
> il n'existe pas de sondage scientifiquement fiable. Pourquoi alors ce
> pronostic trompeur? Pour decourager les electeurs yougoslave et pour
> preparer l'opinion occidentale a cette idee: si Milosevic gagne, ce
> ne pourra etre qu'en fraudant, donc nous devrons intervenir de
> nouveau contre la Yougoslavie (par une nouvelle guerre ou de nouveaux
> bombardements? Esperons que non, et faisons tout pour qu'il n'en soit
> pas ainsi). Les Etats Unis ont fourni a l'opposition une serie de
> consultants specialistes de la communication (le genre de ceux qui
> ont assiste Jamie Shea durant la guerre); les sondages trompeurs
> font partie de leur panoplie d'armes psychologiques. Les Etats-Unis
> font aujourd'hui plein de promesses, garantissant aux Yougoslaves
> qu'ils vivront prosperes s'ils votent bien. D'abord, il faut
> remarquer que ces promesses ils les ont deja faites aux Russes, aux
> Bulgares et aux Albanais avec les resultats qu'on sait....
> En Occident, on n'en parle guere, mais ici, on est tres choques par
> les 70 millions de dollars que les Usa reconnaissent verser aux
> partis, medias dits independants et a d'autres organisations. Acheter
> la Yougoslavie? Que diraient les medias occidentaux si Belgrade ou
> Pekin versait 5 milliards de FB (somme equivalente si on compare les
> niveaux de vie) pour aider un parti d'extreme gauche en France parce
> qu'elle ne respecte pas les droits des Corses ou des Basques? Ou en
> Belgique parce qu'elle enferme les refugies dans des prisons?
>
> Redevenons serieux: les Etats-Unis sont en train de preparer
> psychologiquement l'opinion internationale a la possibilite dune
> nouvelle agression (n'oublions pas qu'ils bobardemt impunement l'Irak
> depuis neuf ans!). Ils osent presenter comme une lecon de
> <democratie> le chantage <Votez pour nous ou crevez de faim a moins
> qu'on vous bombarde a nouveau!>
>
> Au moment ou ils preparent un Plan Colombie, veritable declaration de
> guerre contre toute l'Amerique latime et ses nouvelles luttes au
> Venezuela, em Argentine et ailleurs, au moment ou ils soutiennent
> ferocement Israel responsable d'une purification ethnique
> systematique depuis plus de cinquante ans, au moment ou le monde
> entier se mobilise tres positivement contre les injustices de la
> globalisation imposee par les multinationales, il est tres important
> d'arreter cette nouvelle menace d'agression.
>
> Demain, les 200 observateurs se disperseront dans tout le pays ou ils
> pourront tout controler dans les bureaux de vote et les operations de
> comptage. Nous avons convenu d'echanger nos impressions dimache soir
> et lundi matin tres tot. Les resultats devraient etre connus dans la
> nuit. Il me parait tres important de contrer IMMEDIATEMENT la
> desinformation que certains milieux essaient d'organiser au sujet de
> ces elections. Je suggere de contacter d'avance des journalistes
> honnetes pour leur expliquer qu'une autre information est disponible.
> On peut me joindre a l'hotel Intercontinental, chambre 313.
>
> Michel Collon
> samedi 23 septembre, Belgrade
===
IMPORTANTI INFORMAZIONI DALLA BULGARIA
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/doncheva/electionday.htm
>Election Day Meddling
>A letter from Blagovesta Doncheva in Sofia, Bulgaria
>(9-24-2000)
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/doncheva/bulgmed.htm
>Bulgaria Meddles in Yugoslav Vote
>
>'Monitor,' [Bulgaria] September 22, p. 1-2-3
>
>Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marin Raikov, is behind an unprecedented
>plan for parallel Yugoslav vote counting from Sofia. Kostov threatens
>Milosevic with "categorical/decisive actions" if he 'manipulates' the vote on
>Sunday...
===
SULLE INTERFERENZE EUROPEE E STATUNITENSI
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Sept. 28, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
YUGOSLAVIA ELECTIONS: U.S., W. EUROPE USE CARROT &
STICK
By John Catalinotto
With the big vote set for Sept. 24, the European Union and
the U.S. government have stepped up their already blatant
intervention in Yugoslavia's national election. Both the
Yugoslav government and anti-war forces in NATO countries
have reacted with anti-NATO actions.
The EU offered the carrot. In a "message to the Serbian
people" from a Sept. 18 monthly foreign ministers' meeting
in Brussels, the EU said it would lift sanctions if
Yugoslavs voted out President Slobodan Milosevic in the
presidential election.
"The elections ... will give the Serbian people the
opportunity to repudiate clearly and peacefully the policy
of Milosevic." Should they do so, "we will lift the
sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, we
will support the necessary economic aid for its
reconstruction, and we will support the reintegration of the
FRY into the international community," is how the EU
presented its bribe.
Washington continued to wave the big stick. The U.S. Navy
plans maneuvers in the Adriatic Sea off the Yugoslav coast
on election weekend. Both U.S. and NATO leaders have
threatened intervention should there be conflict in
Montenegro, the smaller republic, which along with Serbia
makes up what remains of Yugoslavia.
If Yugoslavia is treated like the other former socialist
countries of the Balkans, "reintegration" means that a
handful of Yugoslavs will grow rich while the bulk of the
population is driven deeper into poverty and the people as a
whole are forced to submit to Western imperialism.
An article in the Sept. 19 New York Times makes it clear
that the only job opportunities for young Bulgarian women is
to work as prostitutes in the Czech Republic near the German
border.
The only serious candidates for president of Yugoslavia are
Milosevic and Vojislav Kostunica, who is backed by 18 small
opposition parties, some of them openly pro-NATO and all pro-
Western. Kostunica is a long-time anti-communist with
credentials as a Serbian nationalist.
Kostunica is also the only opposition figure who is not
tarnished by open association with NATO forces. He can
possibly attract voters who are weary of the assault on
Yugoslavia and who hope that removing Milosevic will end the
hostility.
The U.S. and West European imperialists, however, want
Kostunica to defeat Milosevic in order to weaken the best-
organized anti-NATO structures inside Yugoslavia. These
structures include Milosevic's Socialist Party and the party
called the Yugoslav United Left, plus the security forces
and the army.
Weakening this apparatus would leave the road open for
imperialist penetration and for turning all of Yugoslavia
back into a colony of the West, whether or not that is what
Kostunica plans.
The Western media claim Kostunica is leading in election
polls. Pro-Milosevic sources point out that the polls were
taken by pro-NATO organizations that want to try to claim
Milosevic "stole" the election should he win.
BELGRADE PUTS NATO LEADERS ON TRIAL
Meanwhile, the Milosevic forces have run their election
campaign against NATO threats, pointing to the opposition as
NATO puppets.
In addition, the Yugoslav government has gone on the
political offensive against NATO. In Belgrade Sept. 18 the
government opened a trial of NATO leaders for war crimes
committed during the 1999 aggression and 78-day bombing
assault.
Yugoslavia charged Presidents Bill Clinton of the United
States and Jacques Chirac of France, British Prime Minister
Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and nine other NATO
and Western government leaders with war crimes. Their names
were attached to 14 empty chairs in the front of a Belgrade
courtroom.
Serb authorities appointed a lawyer for each of the accused.
Yugoslav officials said it would take four days to present
the evidence.
"They are charged with inciting an aggressive war...war
crimes against civilian population...use of banned combat
means, attempted murder of the Yugoslav president...the
violation of the country's territorial integrity. ..," the
charge sheet read.
"They fired 600 cruise missiles and made 25,119 [air]
sorties during the 78-day aggression, attacking both
military and civilian targets, killing and wounding many
people, causing mass destruction of property," it added.
The charges were similar in structure to those presented at
the dozens of "People's Tribunals" held in Germany, the
United States, Italy, Austria, Greece, Russia and other
countries in the past 14 months, all of which found the NATO
leaders guilty. The Yugoslavs will be able to present more
detailed, eyewitness descriptions of the crimes.
Exposing NATO's crimes and especially the lies NATO leaders
used to justify their aggression has strengthened solidarity
with Yugoslavia in some of the NATO countries.
In Italy, a traditional annual peace march from Perugia to
Assisi will take place Sept. 24 with a more clearly anti-
NATO position than it has had in recent years. Last year
former Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema led the march--but he
also had led the war against Yugoslavia. This year march
organizers invited forces carrying a banner "Against NATO,
against the embargoes" to play a big role in the march and
promised that none of the war criminals from the Italian
regime would be present.
In Germany, a group of anti-war intellectuals have issued a
call from Berlin: "No new NATO-war on the Balkans!" The call
warns of U.S.-NATO military preparations for a possible new
assault on Yugoslavia, and asks for actions against this new
aggression. There are also vigils planned in Bonn on Sept.
22 and 29.
- END -
(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to
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Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail:
ww@.... For subscription info send message to:
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YUGOSLAVIA LODGES PROTEST WITH E.U. COUNCIL
BRUSSELS, September 23 (Tanjug) Yugoslavia has filed a protest
with the European Union in Brussels over a socalled "message" that E.U.
foreign ministers have recently sent Yugoslavs in connection with
Sunday's
presidential and parliamentary elections in Yugoslavia.
Yugoslav Charge d'Affaires Dragan Zupanjevac delivered the
protest
note to E.U. Ministerial Council Director General Brian Crowe.
The note says, among others, that the E.U. ministers' "message"
constitutes gross and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs
of
a sovereign country, and is without a precedent in democratic practice.
Yugoslavia believes it is high time the European Union
abandoned
its unprincipled and antiEuropean policy, its antiYugoslav policy of
sanctions and isolation, which is achieving nothing other than
continuing
to destabilise southeast Europe, the protest note says.
===
F.R. YUGOSLAVIA ELECTIONS
YUGOSLAVIA TO ELECT PRESIDENT AND MP'S ON SUNDAY
BELGRADE, September 23 (Tanjug) Yugoslavia will be electing a
president and federal parliament deputies, while its republic of Serbia
will be voting also for local administration officials on Sunday,
September
24.
According to the Central Electoral Commission, Yugoslavia has
an
electorate of 7,861,327; of this number, 7,417,197 are in Serbia, and
444,130 in the other Yugoslav federal unit, Montenegro.
This will be the first time for the people to be electing a
president directly, and they will have the choice of five candidates:
Incumbent Slobodan Milosevic, nominated by a leftist coalition
made up of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the Yugoslav Left (JUL),
and the Socialist People's Party (SNP) of Montenegro;
Vojislav Kostunica, nominated by 18 opposition parties rallied
into the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) bloc;
Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS);
Vojislav Mihailovic of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO);
Miroljub Vidojkovic of the Affirmative Party.
Should none of the candidates secure an outright majority of
the
votes cast in the first round, the two leading candidates will fight it
out
between them in a runoff two weeks later.
Serbs and Montenegrins will be voting in 27 electoral districts
to
elect 138 deputies to the Chamber of Citizens (lower house) of the
Yugoslav
federal parliament, from among candidates nominated by 30 parties on 30
tickets.
Of this number, Serbia will be giving 108 deputies to the
Chamber,
and Montenegro, 30.
Yugoslav citizens displaced from Serbia's U.N.administered
Kosovo
and Metohija province will be voting in Serbia's southern Prokuplje and
Vranje municipalities.
Deputies to the Chamber of Republics (Upper house) will be
elected
by direct ballot another first with Serbia and Montenegro, as two
equal
constituencies, giving 20 deputies each.
Parallel with the federal elections, polls will be held for
electing 120 deputies to the Serbian Vojvodina province's assembly
(Parliament), and local administrations in Serbia.
Also, 110 deputies to the Belgrade City Council will be elected
from among 548 candidates nominated by 21 parties.
Belgrade has an electorate of 1,351,365.
Apart from local monitors, the elections will be monitored by
more
than 200 foreign observers from 52 countries, who have already arrived
in
Yugoslavia.
YUGOSLAVIA TAKES FURTHER STEPS TO PREVENT ELECTION FRAUD
BELGRADE, September 23 (Tanjug) The Yugoslav Central Electoral
Commission on Saturday reviewed reports on a plot to illegally augment
the
number of ballots at polling stations and issued further instructions to
prevent fraud on the eve of Sunday's elections.
Yugoslavia votes for president and deputies to both chambers of
the federal parliament, while its republic of Serbia elects local
administrators on Sunday, September 24.
The Commission said in a statement it has come in possession of
information that, as part of subversive activities against Yugoslavia, a
plan has been hatched to sabotage and compromise the presidential
election.
"Foreign factors have prepared a number of ballots for the
presidential election, which their stooges among the Yugoslav people
should
drop in the ballot boxes folded inside the regular ballot papers...
"This has been done because, under election rules, in case
there
is a single ballot in a box more than there were voters at that
particular
polling station, the polling must be declared invalid", the Commission
said.
In this way, a couple of hundred unscrupulous individuals could
invalidate the will of hundreds of thousands, it added.
The Commission has therefore decreed that the invigilators at
the
polling stations must check that the ballot paper of each voter in the
presidential election is a single paper, with nothing folded in it.
"The check will be made by each voter marking the ballot,
folding
it and then handing it over to an invigilator to see that it is a single
paper, while not violating the secrecy of the voting, and then dropping
it
in the box", the statement said.
The Commission appealed to the people to respect the reasons
that
have made this kind of control necessary.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
The Economist April 1st-7th, 2000
The next Balkan War
It could still be avoided with a relatively small amount of money, so
long
as it is spent wisely and soon
LOST in their cyber-dreams in Lisbon, the European Union's leaders must
have felt pleasantly far from the mess in the Balkans. They did, it is
true, offer some reassuring generalities about fast-track procedures for
effective assistance and so on in their conclusions; and EU panjandrums
and officials from a host of governments and international institutions
were taking stock of the Balkan imbroglio again in Brussels a few days
later. But there is little evidence that the Union's leaders are ready
to
devote the necessary attention to an issue that should be high on the
agenda of any European political summit right now: the avoidance of
another war in the Balkans, which remains all too real a possibility.
In case the summiteers have forgotten, the most dramatic event in Europe
last year was not, alas, the launch of some bold economic experiment but
the outbreak of the continent's most intensive war for half a
century-and
its conclusion on terms that offered no guarantee against a recurrence.
Since the end of the war over Kosovo last June, the West's adversary
Slobodan Milosevic has tightened his grip on power, at least in his
native
Serbia, and raised the rhetorical temperature. He is a man who thrives
on
wars, even though they invariably leave him king of an ever-smaller
castle, and several signs suggest that his next war could be fought over
Montenegro, the last remaining republic with which Serbia is linked in
the
shrunken Yugoslav federation.
Heading for the last bust-up
Montenegro is hardly a model democracy, neither is its president, Milo
Djukanovic, a model citizen. But he is pro-western and no friend of Mr
Milosevic. Indeed, he has been trying to put some distance between his
small republic and Serbia, and the West would rightly like to see him
succeed, so long as his efforts do not precipitate a bloody rupture.
That, however, is just what Mr Milosevic might welcome. As an indicted
war criminal, in charge of a country under sanctions, Mr Milosevic may
well calculate that he has nothing to lose by testing transatlantic
solidarity once again and drawing Russia's new administration, as well
as
NATO, into an international crisis. As the experience of the past
decade
makes plain, European governments cannot keep the peace in the Balkans
without taking America into account. In the continent's potential
killing
fields, moreover, there is a natural division of labour whereby
America's
might serves as a strategic deterrent, while artfully applied economic
assistance from EU governments keeps local antagonisms from boiling
over.
In sensitive spots like Macedonia, Kosovo and, above all, Montenegro,
the
swift dispatch of relatively small sums of financial assistance could
well
make the difference between peace and war. Many European politicians
understand this perfectly well, but their collective response to the
need
has shown up many of the EU's worst features: introversion, lack of
urgency and an obsession with arcane technicalities.
In the Balkans no less than in cyberspace, the EU is always capable of
conjuring up lofty visions. At this week's conference in Brussels on
economic development in south-eastern Europe, there was much talk-some
of
it sensible-about the need for bridges, roads, railway links and the
like
to create inter-dependence. There was also a realisation that
Montenegro's pro-western government needs aid over the next few weeks if
it is to fend off economic warfare from Serbia and maintain some
credibility at home: Mr Djukanovic says Mr Milosevic is trying to
promote
a coup against him, using Yugoslav troops garrisoned in Montenegro.
There
was a realisation, too, that spending money wisely in the Balkans is not
quite the same as spending it freely: if the aim is to keep Mr
Djukanovic
in power, it must go to pay the pensions of deserving Montenegrins
(including the Serb-minded) and so on, not to finance
cigarette-smuggling
by corrupt members of the regime. But did all that add up to action?
In Lisbon, the heads of government urged the "competent
institutions"-including, presumably, their own finance ministers-to
"make
necessary decisions"
to help Montenegro. But if those decisions continue to be held up by
technicalities and buck-passing between different parts of the EU's
decision-making structure, they may come too late to bolster the
Montenegrin government against a takeover bid by Mr Milosevic-and hence
too late to avert another war in the Balkans. If Europe's minds are
indeed genuinely concentrated on high, no time should be wasted in
taking
action lower down.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
The next Balkan War
It could still be avoided with a relatively small amount of money, so
long
as it is spent wisely and soon
LOST in their cyber-dreams in Lisbon, the European Union's leaders must
have felt pleasantly far from the mess in the Balkans. They did, it is
true, offer some reassuring generalities about fast-track procedures for
effective assistance and so on in their conclusions; and EU panjandrums
and officials from a host of governments and international institutions
were taking stock of the Balkan imbroglio again in Brussels a few days
later. But there is little evidence that the Union's leaders are ready
to
devote the necessary attention to an issue that should be high on the
agenda of any European political summit right now: the avoidance of
another war in the Balkans, which remains all too real a possibility.
In case the summiteers have forgotten, the most dramatic event in Europe
last year was not, alas, the launch of some bold economic experiment but
the outbreak of the continent's most intensive war for half a
century-and
its conclusion on terms that offered no guarantee against a recurrence.
Since the end of the war over Kosovo last June, the West's adversary
Slobodan Milosevic has tightened his grip on power, at least in his
native
Serbia, and raised the rhetorical temperature. He is a man who thrives
on
wars, even though they invariably leave him king of an ever-smaller
castle, and several signs suggest that his next war could be fought over
Montenegro, the last remaining republic with which Serbia is linked in
the
shrunken Yugoslav federation.
Heading for the last bust-up
Montenegro is hardly a model democracy, neither is its president, Milo
Djukanovic, a model citizen. But he is pro-western and no friend of Mr
Milosevic. Indeed, he has been trying to put some distance between his
small republic and Serbia, and the West would rightly like to see him
succeed, so long as his efforts do not precipitate a bloody rupture.
That, however, is just what Mr Milosevic might welcome. As an indicted
war criminal, in charge of a country under sanctions, Mr Milosevic may
well calculate that he has nothing to lose by testing transatlantic
solidarity once again and drawing Russia's new administration, as well
as
NATO, into an international crisis. As the experience of the past
decade
makes plain, European governments cannot keep the peace in the Balkans
without taking America into account. In the continent's potential
killing
fields, moreover, there is a natural division of labour whereby
America's
might serves as a strategic deterrent, while artfully applied economic
assistance from EU governments keeps local antagonisms from boiling
over.
In sensitive spots like Macedonia, Kosovo and, above all, Montenegro,
the
swift dispatch of relatively small sums of financial assistance could
well
make the difference between peace and war. Many European politicians
understand this perfectly well, but their collective response to the
need
has shown up many of the EU's worst features: introversion, lack of
urgency and an obsession with arcane technicalities.
In the Balkans no less than in cyberspace, the EU is always capable of
conjuring up lofty visions. At this week's conference in Brussels on
economic development in south-eastern Europe, there was much talk-some
of
it sensible-about the need for bridges, roads, railway links and the
like
to create inter-dependence. There was also a realisation that
Montenegro's pro-western government needs aid over the next few weeks if
it is to fend off economic warfare from Serbia and maintain some
credibility at home: Mr Djukanovic says Mr Milosevic is trying to
promote
a coup against him, using Yugoslav troops garrisoned in Montenegro.
There
was a realisation, too, that spending money wisely in the Balkans is not
quite the same as spending it freely: if the aim is to keep Mr
Djukanovic
in power, it must go to pay the pensions of deserving Montenegrins
(including the Serb-minded) and so on, not to finance
cigarette-smuggling
by corrupt members of the regime. But did all that add up to action?
In Lisbon, the heads of government urged the "competent
institutions"-including, presumably, their own finance ministers-to
"make
necessary decisions"
to help Montenegro. But if those decisions continue to be held up by
technicalities and buck-passing between different parts of the EU's
decision-making structure, they may come too late to bolster the
Montenegrin government against a takeover bid by Mr Milosevic-and hence
too late to avert another war in the Balkans. If Europe's minds are
indeed genuinely concentrated on high, no time should be wasted in
taking
action lower down.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
