(english / italiano)

Il carteggio tra Fidel Castro e Slobodan Milosevic

1) Castro says Spain's Aznar sought to bomb Serb media /
Fidel Castro reveals: SECOND AND THIRD MESSAGES TO MILOSEVIC AND HIS REPLY (1999)

2) RIFLESSIONI DEL COMANDANTE IN CAPO FIDEL CASTRO RUZ (CUBA, 4/10/2007):
IL 2° ED IL 3° MESSAGGIO A MILOSEVIC E LA SUA RISPOSTA (1999)

Sullo stesso argomento si veda anche:
la lettera di Milosevic a Castro del 30 marzo 1999


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Castro says Spain's Aznar sought to bomb Serb media

Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:00pm EDT

By Marc Frank

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban leader Fidel Castro accused Spain's former prime minister on Sunday of recommending that Serbian media be bombed during the war in Kosovo, publishing what he said was a transcript of a talk Jose Maria Aznar had with a U.S. official at the time.

Aznar's conservative Popular Party was stung last week by publication of a compromising conversation Aznar had with U.S. President George W. Bush just before the Iraq war. Castro did not say how he obtained his transcript.

Castro remains in seclusion after abdominal surgeries over the last 14 months for an unknown ailment.

The now frail revolutionary, who is 81, occasionally appears in videos and photographs and has taken to writing essays for the state-run media as his younger brother Raul Castro runs the country.

In the official Juventud Rebelde newspaper on Sunday, Castro published what he said was a transcript of an Aznar conversation about strategy during NATO's bombing of Serbian forces in 1999 to force them to stop attacking ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

Aznar also speaks disparagingly in the transcript about then French President Jacques Chirac. "When I want to have a good time with Chirac, I start by telling him those Americans are really horrible," he says in the transcript. Castro did not explain how or when he obtained the transcript and does not identify the U.S. official or publish the U.S. official's part of the conversation.

Castro had claimed previously to have a transcript of a conversation between former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Aznar.

He says Aznar in the new transcript discusses the possibility of a ground war if NATO's bombing campaign fails, urging a stepped-up air campaign. "My idea is that to win this war communications must be cut between the Belgrade government and the people. It's vital to cut all Serbian communications, radio, television and telephone," he is quoted as saying.

Spain's relations with Cuba reached a breaking point under Aznar. His Popular Party opposes the new Socialist government's efforts to improve relations with the Communist island.

Castro had accused Aznar before of wanting to bomb the media. He first made the charge after Aznar's conservative government led European Union protests over the jailing of 75 Cuban dissidents in 2003.

Castro introduced the transcript on Sunday by repeating his earlier accusation that Aznar told Clinton on April 13, 1999: "I do not understand why we still have not bombed Serbian radio and television." That was also based on an alleged transcript that Castro said he had.

Castro wrote in Sunday's article that he would publish more "public and confidential" materials in forthcoming essays.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN3024506620070930?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&sp=true

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Reflections by the Commander in Chief

SECOND AND THIRD MESSAGES TO MILOSEVIC AND HIS REPLY


On April 2, 1999, I sent Milosevic my second message through our UN mission:
“It would be advisable not to indict the three US prisoners. International public opinion is now especially susceptible and a strong anti-Serb movement might result”. 
On April 5, 1999, I sent him a third message through our mission in the UN and Yugoslavia:
“We congratulate you on the decision with regards to the three prisoners as reported by press agencies. Your promise to treat them well and to release them when the bombings cease is very intelligent and apt. It has foiled the United States’ maneuver to turn its domestic public opinion against Serbia; a public opinion which is deeply divided on the issue of the aggression. The ruthless bombing of civilian targets and the Serbian people’s heroic resistance are having an impact within and outside of Europe and within NATO itself". 
That same day, on the 5th, we received Milosevic’s official reply through his Ambassador to the UN:
“I want to express my appreciation to the President and people of the Republic of Cuba for their sympathy and solidarity with our people and country, victims of a US – NATO aggression. 
“I hope you will continue these highly useful efforts to make heads of state —particularly the heads of non-aligned states— understand the extreme danger to international relations as a whole stemming from the precedent being set by the US – NATO aggression against the sovereignty and independence of a small country. I invite and ask you to send a personal message to presidents Mandela, Nujoma, Mugabe, Obasanjo, Rawlings and Vajpayee, requesting that they condemn the invasion and, if they have already done so, to do so again, for the aggression continues to be repudiated, so as to rally the broadest possible support for Yugoslavia from non-aligned nations at this highly important moment. My best wishes and warmest regards go out to you. With respect to the three US soldiers who have been imprisoned, I am very grateful for your amicable suggestion and wish to inform you that these soldiers were heavily armed and penetrated deeply into Yugoslav territory in a number of armored vehicles. The investigations into this matter are underway. They are being treated in a humane and respectful manner. We understand your suggestion and have practically accepted it. We are in no rush to take these soldiers to justice. We won’t do it now. Perhaps we will do it later, or not at all. We won't do it hastily". 

Fidel Castro Ruz
October 4, 2007 
6:23 p.m.



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(Sullo stesso argomento si veda anche:
la lettera di Milosevic a Castro del 30 marzo 1999


Fonte: G.A.MA.DI. - www.gamadilavoce.it

Roma, 5 ottobre 2007
 
L’Ambasciata di Cuba in Italia, invia il seguente documento d’interesse:
 
-         Testo della riflessione del Comandante in Capo Fidel Castro Ruz, dal titolo “IL 2° ED IL 3° MESSAGGIO A MILOSEVIC E LA SUA RISPOSTA”, del 4 ottobre 2007.
 
Cordiali saluti.
 
Ambasciata di Cuba in Italia


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RIFLESSIONI DEL COMANDANTE IN CAPO

IL 2° ED IL 3° MESSAGGIO A MILOSEVIC E LA SUA RISPOSTA.


Il 2 aprile 1999 inviai a Milosevic, tramite la nostra Missione all’ONU, il secondo messaggio:

“Sarebbe consigliabile non processare i tre prigionieri nordamericani. L’opinione pubblica internazionale è molto sensibilizzata al riguardo e si creerebbe un forte movimento contro i serbi.”

Il 5 aprile 1999 gli trasmisi un terzo messaggio attraverso le nostre Missioni all’ONU ed in Iugoslavia: 

 “Ci congratuliamo per la decisione presa, secondo quanto informano le agenzie di stampa, nei riguardi dei tre prigionieri. È molto intelligente e corretto aver promesso di trattarli bene e di liberarli quando cesseranno i bombardamenti. Ha annullato la manovra che gli Stati Unit stavano realizzando per sensibilizzare contro la Serbia l’opinione pubblica interna, molto divisa nei riguardi dell’aggressione. Gli spietati bombardamenti contro obbiettivi civili e l’eroica resistenza del popolo serbo stanno provocando un impatto all’interno e fuori dell’Europa, anche in seno alla stessa NATO.”

Lo stesso 5 aprile 1999 riceviamo la risposta di Milosevic, per mezzo del suo ambasciatore all’ONU:

"Desidero estendere la mia gratitudine al Presidente ed al popolo della Repubblica di Cuba per la loro simpatia e per la solidarietà veso il nostro popolo ed il nostro paese, vittime dell’aggressione degli Stati Uniti e della NATO. 

“Spero che continueranno i suoi utilissimi sforzi con i capi di stato, in particolare con i leader dei paesi Non Allineati affinché comprendano l’estremo pericolo per le relazioni  internazionali nel loro insieme derivante dal precedente creato dall’aggressione degli Stati Uniti e della NATO contro la sovranità e l’indipendenza di un piccolo paese.  Desidero invitarla e chiederle di inviare un messaggio personale ai presidenti Mandela, Nujoma, Mugabe, Obasanjo, Rawlings e Vajpayee, per chiedere loro di condannare l’aggressione e, nel caso lo avessere già fatto, chiedere di riaffermare tale condanna affinché si continui a respingere l’aggressione allo scopo di mobilitare l’appoggio più ampio possibile dei Non Allineati alla Iugoslavia in questo momento tanto importante. Riceva i miei più sentiti e calorosi saluti. Per quanto riguarda i 3 militari nordamericani imprigionati, apprezzo molto  il suo amichevole suggerimento e desidero informarla che questi soldati penetrarono, abbondantemente armati, in profondità in territorio iugoslavo servendosi di alcuni  blindati. Sono in corso indagini sull’accaduto. Essi sono trattati in modo umano e serio.  Il suo suggerimento è stato capito e praticamente accettato.  Non abbiamo fretta di portare i soldati davanti alla giustizia. Non lo faremo ora.  Forse successivamente, o forse non lo faremo. Non lo faremo in fretta."

Fidel Castro Ruz
4 ottobre 2007
6:23 p.m.