Informazione
"MULTIETNICA" DEL "KOSSOVA"
Giriamo in lista un nuovo contributo apparso sul sito "Emperors
Clothes", che da molti mesi ormai riporta le analisi piu' brillanti e
significative sulla situazione in Jugoslavia e sulla disinformazione a
riguardo vigente nei paesi occidentali.
Nel contributo - che purtroppo e' ancora una volta in lingua inglese:
non riusciamo a tradurre tutto il materiale che accumuliamo, ma se
qualcuno fosse disponibile ad aiutarci ce lo faccia sapere - si spiegano
le ragioni della continua tensione e degli scontri nella citta' di
Mitrovica, a pochi chilometri dalla zona mineraria piu' ricca della RF
di Jugoslavia. Dopo una serie di innumerevoli attentati, comprese bombe
sulle linee ferroviarie e missili sparati contro gli autobus, da qualche
giorno si verificano persino sparatorie tra irredentisti albanesi da una
parte e soldati delle truppe occupanti (essenzialmente francesi, e non
per caso) dall'altra. Che questi episodi continuino, ccme gli attentati
e le violenze a danno della popolazione ortodossa in tutta la provincia,
ed anzi aumentino in presenza della KFOR (cioe' della NATO) appare
strano agli ingenui... Meno strano e' per chi conosce i rapporti
strutturali tra dirigenza UCK (oggi "Corpo di Protezione del Kosovo") e
strutture militari della NATO (specialmente i servizi segreti USA,
tedeschi e britannici), dei quali abbiamo avuto tante volte occasione di
parlare.
L'anomalia di Mitrovica consiste nell'esistenza di un settore
settentrionale, dove insieme alla popolazione serba vivono altre
nazionalita' ed anche tanti albanesi che non hanno mai avuto problemi
con i vicini di casa... Oggi questi ultimi sono bersaglio dell'UCK
insieme ai serbi. Accrescere la tensione serve da una parte a spingere
questa popolazione non secessionista ad andarsene, dall'altra a
giustificare la presenza continua, e magari in forze sempre maggiori,
delle truppe KFOR.
Questa situazione e' trattata spesso in maniera insufficiente sui media,
talvolta i fatti vengono semplicemente capovolti. Ci capita di ascoltare
o di leggere che "gli albanesi del settore nord di Mitrovica hanno
paura" perche' "sono soggetti a minacce e violenze" e "chiedono aiuto".
Naturalmente, la aggressione di UCK e NATO contro la Repubblica Federale
di Jugoslavia, che ha avuto il suo culmine con i bombardamenti della
scorsa primavera, ha determinato ulteriori difficolta' nella convivenza
tra nazionalita' diverse, ed episodi di violenza o ritorsione avvengono
in entrambi i campi; tuttavia, solo un esercizio di estrema malafede
consente di equiparare quello che sta succedendo ormai da giugno 1999
(il repulisti della provincia da parte degli alleati UCK e KFOR a danno
di tutta la popolazione jugoslavista, non solo serba) con pochi episodi
di segno opposto, a danno di albanesi. Comunque, ormai anche i sassi di
Campo dei Merli hanno capito che la menzogna e' uno strumento di guerra,
e che fino alla ulteriore frantumazione della Repubblica Federale di
Jugoslavia, la guerra non sara' finita. CRJ
---
WHY IS THE KLA SHOOTING AT KFOR?
by Nebojsa Malic, Max Sinclair and Jared Israel (2-17-00)
www.tenc.net [emperors-clothes]
What is happening in Mitrovica?
Last weekend the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) launched coordinated
attacks on
KFOR troops in this northern Kosovo town.
You remember the KLA. According to KFOR (NATO in Kosovo) it has ceased
to
exist. KFOR and the UN bureaucrats achieved this miracle by allowing the
KLA
thugs to be Kosovo's police force and government. New title, new uniform
and
voila! - new man.
The regulation targets for KLA snipers have been Serbs, Roma ("Gypsies")
Gorani (Slavic Muslims) Turks, non-KLA Albanians and Jews. But last
weekend
the snipers were shooting at NATO. Why? The KLA and other secessionists
have
been NATO's protégés and wards since the late 1980s. Do they shoot their
Masters?
At first glance, the shooting appears to have unhinged the leaders of
the
NATO establishment. Or perhaps not. Perhaps these gentlemen have simply
chosen to lie.
AN ISLAND OF MULTIETHNIC LIFE
Under NATO occupation, most potential opponents of the KLA have been
driven
from Kosovo. But in northern Mitrovica, thousands remain in their
ancestral
homes. Reinforced by a flood of anti-KLA refugees from elsewhere in
Kosovo,
the forces of the old Kosovo, that is of normal, multiethnic life, have
been
holding their own.
The KLA has no will to fight when people defend themselves. Hence they
have
chosen to avoid a frontal assault on northern Mitrovica. Instead, last
weekend, KLA operatives staged a provocation. They shot at French KFOR
troops
from positions on the non-KLA (that is, northern) side of the Ibar
River, as
if to make it appear that the shooting was the work of Serbs. The KLA
propaganda machine then kicked in with claims that hundreds of Albanians
had
been "ethnically cleansed" from the north.
Based on public statements by KLA leader Hacim Thaqi, the attacks were
not
the work of some rogue faction; Thaqi, who is closely allied with the
U.S.
military machine, warned that if the secessionists didn't get what they
wanted, more and worse attacks would follow.
The KLA is shooting at KFOR? As if that weren't unusual enough, KFOR
shot
back, killing one KLA sniper. Almost fifty more KLA types were arrested.
KFOR
troops fired warning shots to stop KLA supporters from crossing the
Ibar.
Meanwhile the UN actually contradicted and discredited the "ethnic
Albanian
[read: KLA] human rights center" by saying that not one ethnic Albanian
had
registered as expelled from northern Mitrovica last week.
What is going on?
THE NEW MATH: ONE PLUS ZERO EQUALS...2
Commenting on last weekend's firefight, State Department spokesman James
Rubin blamed "both ethnic Albanians and Serbs for incidents in the
city."
[AP, U.S. Condemns Violence in Kosovo, February 14]
Rubin admitted that the snipers were Albanian (read: KLA) yet he
concluded
that: "It should be very clear that the confrontation is coming from
both
sides." In a dazzling display of Slobophobia, Rubin added:
"We need to impress upon the parties their responsibility to deal with
the
hatreds and animosities that have been built up" and stoked by Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade.
"When things go bad, he feels like he had a good day," said Rubin. [AP,
2/14/00]
So according to the State Department, when Albanian secessionists shoot
at
KFOR the blame lies with Milosevich. Hmmm. Is this like original sin?
{James Rubin recently announced his resignation. Hopefully soon.}
Rubin was not the only American who presented the situation in Mitrovica
in a
totally illogical fashion, whether intentionally or due to some
unfortunate
disability. In Tuesday’s New York Times, he was joined by Carlotta Gall,
a
reporter with years of experience portraying the KLA snakes in a
flattering
light.
In her article "Kosovo Peacekeepers Warn That Extremists ‘Want Peace to
Fail’", NY Times, Feb. 15, 2000, Gall blamed faceless "extremists" for
the
fighting. Given the Times' constant attacks on Serbs, readers would find
it
easy to deduce whom Gall means. She cited the fears of senior UN and
KFOR
officials that "ethnic relations will be poisoned permanently."
(EXCERPT BEGINS HERE)
"General de Saqui de Sannes, [French commanding officer] who has blamed
the
violence on both sides, said individuals were instigating attacks
purposely
to escalate the violence and to destroy the last multiethnic town in
Kosovo
where Serbs and Albanians are still living side by side, if uneasily.
'"There are extremists who want the peace to fail,' he said in an
interview
at his headquarters. While the violence consists of 'isolated acts,' he
said,
the strategy is to escalate tensions and intolerance. 'I am worried that
we
may be in the process of an escalation of intolerance,' he said.
'"Some Albanians have wanted to push the Serbs in northern Mitrovica and
beyond out of Kosovo, and some Serbs have wanted to do the opposite—to
push
the Albanians remaining among them south of the Ibar river, which
divides
Mitrovica, in order to create a pure Serbian area in northern Kosovo,'
he
said. 'The people are hostages to this,' he said." (NY Times, Feb. 15,
2000)
(END OF EXCERPT)
Has Gen. de Sannes been on another planet? Back on Planet Earth, it's
too
late for "an escalation of intolerance": approximately 350,000
non-Albanians
and anti-KLA Albanians have already been forced out of Kosovo by KLA
terror.
Were all these people victims of "isolated" incidents? And how does
Albanians
firing on KFOR constitute Serbs trying to create an ethnically pure
zone? And
if they are trying to create such a zone, how come the UN says no
Albanian -
not one - has been forced out of the Northern side of town?
And what does "ethnic relations" have to do with KLA snipers shooting at
KFOR
anyway?
This is all rather dizzying.
Is the man deranged? Or is there method in his madness?
NEVER GIVE A SERB AN EVEN BREAK
Mitrovica is the last multiethnic town in Kosovo for two reasons: the
Serbs
and other anti-secessionists have fought eviction and the French troops
have
actually held the KLA in check. This as opposed to what's happened in
areas
under US, British and Dutch control. For example, British troops marched
into
Pristina alongside the KLA and oversaw the eviction of literally
thousands of
non-secessionist residents. (See Note 1). Similarly, Dutch troops have
given
the KLA free reign to terrorize and control Orahovac. (Note 2)
Clearly, if the Serbs and their allies would just leave Mitrovica, peace
would follow: no Serbs = no ethnic violence. Are Serbs then to blame
because
their very existence frustrates and provokes a faction of Albanians
beyond
endurance?
Along these lines, UN high official Mr. Marcone noted that although
Monday
was a "bad day for the Albanians," some Serbs will soon be arrested as
well.
For what? Since KFOR admits the violence derives entirely from the KLA
side,
is the unnamed crime for which the Serbs are to be punished existential:
"One
is a Serb; one exists; therefore, one is bad"?
Through the fog of misleading writing that is Ms. Gall's hallmark, some
light
filters. Consider the following:
(EXCERPT BEGINS HERE)
"…Thousands flocked today to the burial of the one man killed by French
troops during the fighting Sunday.
"Avni Haradinaj, 35, a former guerrilla fighter of the Kosovo Liberation
Army
and a local hero, was buried with full honors by his former comrades in
arms.
His coffin, draped in the red Albanian flag, was carried up the hill to
the
edge of a wood outside the city, through a crowd of some 3,000 mourners.
"The Albanian mayor of Mitrovica, Bajram Rexhepi, who said he had been a
good
friend of the dead man, said Mr. Haradinaj was unarmed when he was shot
by
French soldiers and was in Mitrovica visiting his sisters. "There were
four
people with him and they explained that he had no weapon at the moment
he was
killed," he said.
"General de Saqui de Sannes insisted that Mr. Haradinaj was armed and
was
shooting at the soldiers when he was shot.
"The general tried to reassure the Albanians of French neutrality. 'If
we
were shot at by Albanians, it is difficult to arrest Serbs,' he said."
(ibid.) (END OF EXCERPT)
The French General is apologetic: he wishes to arrest Serbs, alas they
aren't
doing the shooting. Then why the apology?
WHY WOULD A FRENCH GENERAL APOLOGIZE TO TERRORISTS WHO ARE TRYING TO
KILL HIS
TROOPS?
Therein lies the question. In this world it is customary for people to
kiss
up to those more powerful than they. But why is this General currying
favor
with...the KLA, an organization which never won a battle against the
Yugoslav
Army, an organization which is only good at terrorizing old people,
shooting
farmers from the woods, ransacking apartment buildings and driving out
school
teachers and electrical engineers?
Perhaps the General isn't really bowing before the KLA. But if he isn't
really bowing before the KLA, then before whom is he bowing?
Let's assemble some facts, and let's think it over.
1) Last weekend's fighting was clearly an organized KLA operation. While
snipers shot at KFOR their compatriots tried to cross the Ibar River.
Forty-five Albanians were arrested, all men of fighting age. The KLA
sniper
whom the French troops shot was A. Haradinaj, age 35. Was he one of
Ramush
Haradinaj's five brothers? Ramush Haradinaj is a deputy of KLA boss
Hacim
Thaqi in the Kosovo Peace Corps, set up by…KFOR.
2) On Tuesday, Feb. 15, French KFOR troops found an ambulance abandoned
near
a checkpoint in south Mitrovica, i.e. the KLA side of the Ibar. In it
was a
huge stash of deadly weapons.
"Among the stash were 14 anti-tank rocket launchers, more than 180
high-explosive grenades, and more than 3,000 cartridges for guns,"
(Bergen
County Record, Feb. 16, 2000, from various wire services)
The ambulance had been donated by an Italian aid organization
(Cooperazione e
Sviluppo) to a KLA-controlled town.
3) In a rather surprising move, none less then Gen. Henry H. Shelton,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a statement about the
ambulance.
(EXCERPT BEGINS HERE)
"[Gen. Shelton] said today in Washington that the incident underscored
the
difficulty faced by the NATO-led Kosovo peacekeeping force in stopping
arms
from entering the province illegally.
"Getting weapons in (illegally) is no hard task," Shelton said. "You've
got a
fairly porous border. You've got everything from backpacks to mules that
can
bring in weapons, but you've got Lord knows how many thousands of
weapons
that may have been cached in the local area as (the Serbs) pulled out of
there." (AP Online Feb. 15, 2000) (END OF EXCERPT)
Is General Shelton suffering from some malfunction? First of all, the
administrative border between the Province of Kosovo (legally part of
Serbia)
and inner Serbia is quite well policed by Yugoslav troops. The truly
porous
border is between Kosovo and KLA-infested northern Albania; that border
is
porous precisely because Yugoslav border guards were forced to depart
under
the June peace agreement. So why is Shelton, who is responsible for the
absence of border guards, going on about Serbian weapons?
Indeed, why is he talking about borders and arms caches at all? A KLA
ambulance full of tactical weapons just got seized on its way to arm KLA
forces attacking French troops who are being shot by the KLA. The KLA
are
American proxies. Shouldn't Shelton use this opportunity to say to his
proxies: "We backed you up until now but if you pick on the French
troops and
try to destroy a multiethnic community, you're through!"? He does not.
Instead he talks wistfully about the difficulties of stopping illegal
arms;
he laments; he, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff laments; he
suffers
ennui; he speaks wistfully of mules and the impossibility of trying to
stop
the flow of arms as if it were arms and not the men, the KLA men, who
were
shooting at those French troops.
4) The ambulance full of weapons was driving towards Mitrovica from the
south, from a KLA controlled town. The deadliest weapon in that
ambulance was
a six-shot grenade launcher along with 180 high-explosive grenades,
usable
with devastating effect against, let us say, French troops guarding a
bridge.
That weapon did not come from hidden caches of Serbian weapons. It is
state
of the art. And as the Agence France Presse (but NOT the American
Associated
Press or British Reuters!) pointed out:
(EXCERPT BEGINS HERE)
"Police intercepted a shipment of arms hidden in an ambulance heading
for
Mitrovica, including a US-made "street sweeper" grenade launcher..."
(AFP,
Feb. 156, 2000) (END OF EXCERPT)
U.S.-made.
5) Meanwhile, US-made allies have joined the fray. Dutch and special
British
troops, the so-called Royal Green Jackets previously assigned to Ulster,
arrived in Mitrovica, ostensibly to back up the French. The English and
Dutch
governments are the main US ally in Europe, often opposed by France and
Germany. For example, when Greece, Italy and Germany attempted to relax
the
sanctions that have kept heating fuel out of Serbia in this harshest of
winters, the Dutch and British delegates, acting on orders of the State
department, vetoed the measure. (Note 3)
Perhaps "US ally" is a mistaken way to describe the British, and
especially
the Dutch governments. A more accurate term might be "US servants." The
US
elite does not think along egalitarian lines. By way of illustration,
consider this comment made at a Senate hearing by Michael Short, the US
General who ran NATO's bombing campaign against the Serbs. Referring to
the
difference in status between the U.S. and "allied" forces, Short
testified
that:
(EXCERPT BEGINS HERE)
"Our allies recognize that. They recognize that they are small dogs, but
they
want to have a seat at the table. I would use the Dutch as the prime
example.
A small air force, a proud air force, a competent air force. They have
bought
their own tankers. They have two modified DC-10s with the Israeli system
in
the front with mirrors to allow them to refuel their own airplanes. They
have
lantern pods. You'll remember on the first night of the war, a Dutch
F-16
shot down a MiG-29? A small air force, but a seat at the table.
"And I knew I could send the Dutch anyplace I had to send them and
they'd
salute and say, 'Yes, Boss, we'll be there.' "(Gen. Michael Short,
testifying
at the Oct 21, 1999 Senate Military Hearings) (END OF EXCERPT)
6) While Gen. Shelton was avoiding any criticism of his dear KLA, the
leader
of that non-existent organization, Hacim Thaqi, made his position on the
KLA-French conflict perfectly clear. Here's Thaqi:
(EXCERPT BEGINS HERE)
"Hasidim Thaqi, co-chairman of Kosovo's Temporary Administrative
Council,
also told Koha Jone newspaper that French troops of the NATO-led KFOR
peacekeeping force must shoulder some blame for the gun battles that
erupted
on Sunday because they had allowed Serbs to control half of the town.
'"It is paramount the (U.N.) institutions be more active to solve the
situation in Mitrovica otherwise they will have to face bigger
problems,''
said Thaqi, a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas.
'"`I also cannot exclude that such developments could spread to other
parts
of Kosovo,'' he went on.
"Fighting in Serb-dominated northern Mitrovica drew in Serbs, ethnic
Albanians and KFOR troops. Two French peacekeepers were wounded by
sniper
fire and one ethnic Albanian -- identified by KFOR as a sniper -- was
shot
dead by KFOR troops.
"Thaqi accused international peacekeepers of doing a '`weak job in
Mitrovica
and allowing terrorist groups and Belgrade institutions to function
freely
there.'' '
''These phenomena should be eliminated in order to solve the problem of
the
city as soon as possible,'' he added." ( Feb 15 ,2000, AFP) (EXCERPT
ENDS
HERE)
Conclusion
At first glance the KLA attacks on KFOR seem crazy, suicidal. But the
KLA has
a history of carrying out apparently crazy actions which are not really
crazy
at all but which are coordinated with covert operations by NATO,
especially
the US.
In this case, we think the KLA is acting as a proxy for the US which
cannot
itself attack French KFOR troops. The US (and its British and Dutch
servants)
is engaged in a struggle with the French and German elites - that is,
with
Europe. The US Empire is trying to consolidate its strength in Kosovo to
prepare for further attacks on Yugoslavia, with important geopolitical
goals.
Basically what is at stake here is a) gaining control of the formerly
Socialist East and b) preventing a unified and effectively powerful
Europe
(i.e., competition) from emerging.
To this end, one US goal is to put control of all Kosovo in the hands of
the
KLA, its proxy. The French have been resisting this - not out of any
love of
justice, but because the French elite sees the US as a serious menace.
Hence
the KLA attacks, the "reinforcement" by US servant troops, the official
endorsement of the attacks by Thaqi, with its threat of more unless the
French let the KLA take over northern Mitrovica and get rid of the
Serbian
terrorists (for which read: multiethnic society), the statement by Gen.
Shelton which, by not denouncing the KLA made it clear to the French
that the
US supports the attacks (though of course not publicly) and finally, the
weird statement by Gen. de Saqui de Sannes. At least now we can solve
the
puzzle: why was the General simultaneously resisting the KLA's
aggressive
stance and at the same time kissing up to the KLA? The answer is: he
wasn't
simultaneously resisting the KLA's aggressive stance and kissing up to
the
KLA. He was simultaneously resisting and kissing the ass of the USA.
And after all, isn't that what the French elite always does?
*****
NOTES
Note 1 - For an eye-witness account of British complicity in the KLA
rape of
Pristina this past July, see the interview with Cedda Prlincevic. Mr.
Prlincevic was the chief archivist of Kosovo and President of the Jewish
Community in Pristina. Click on Driven From Kosovo
http://www.emperors-clothes.com/interviews/prlincevic.htm
Note 2 - The Dutch have performed shockingly in Orahovac, where they
have
brought sheer terror to the Serbian and Roma ("Gypsy") communities.
Emperors-Clothes has run a number of articles on this subject. In
chronological order:
Save the Families: the Women of Orahovac Speak
http://www.emperors-clothes.com/misc/savethe.htm
The Women of Orahovac Answer the Colonel
http://www.emperors-clothes.com/interviews/trouw.htm
'Can children be war criminals?' Interview in a Dutch newspaper, Trouw.
http://www.emperors-clothes.com/interviews/can.htm
'Time is so Short' - an Interview with Simca Kazazic
http://www.emperors-clothes.com/interviews/simca.htm
Note 3 - Concerning the Dutch & British government's shameful veto of a
measure intended to alleviate Serbian suffering this winter, see
Europeans
Bow to U.S. Pressure, Extend Yugoslav Sanctions
http://www.emperors-clothes.com/articles/Johnstone/monsters.htm
* To browse articles at Emperors-clothes please go to
http://www.emperors-clothes.com
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------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Is the CIA Murdering Yugoslav Leaders?
> IAC Condemns Bulatovic Assassination
>
> The International Action Center condemns the murder of Yugoslav
> Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic. The minister was gunned down in a
> Belgrade restaurant Feb. 7. The assassination was "part of a chain of
> organized terrorism orchestrated from abroad," Yugoslav Information
> Minister Goran Matic charged at a Feb. 9 press conference. It
> coincided with a new wave of terror against Serbs who have refused
> to leave their homes in the NATO-occupied province of Kosovo.
>
> Over the past three years at least a dozen Yugoslav officials have
> been assassinated. Most were members of the Yugoslav United Left
> or the Serbian Socialist Party. Is this a CIA "executive action"
> campaign to destabilize the government of Yugoslavia?
>
> Last October, at a session of the information committee of the United
> Yugoslav Left, Goran Matic had "warned that subversive and terrorist
> actions are being planned abroad in order to destabilize the country's
> political and economic system," the Yugoslav press agency Tanjug
> reported. He charged that Washington's policy would "increasingly
> rely on destructive and illegal activities ... relying on an existing
> network of secret agents."
>
> During the US-NATO bombing of Yugoslavia last spring, US missiles
> destroyed the bedroom of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic,
> and the Pentagon openly declared Yugoslav political leaders to be
> military targets. This was in brazen violation of the Geneva
> Convention, which prohibits political assassination. To set the stage
> for the bombing, the CIA-backed "Kosovo Liberation Army"
> murdered dozens of Kosovar Albanians, Serbs, Roma and others
> who opposed secession from Yugoslavia.
>
> As well as being Yugoslavia's defense minister, Bulatovic was a leader
> of the Montenegro Socialist People's Party, which wants Montenegro
> to stay part of Yugoslavia. The US and NATO have been
> encouraging a separatist movement in Yugoslavia, as they did
> previously in Slovenia, Croatia. Bosnia and, most recently, Kosovo.
> The Pentagon has gone so far as to warn the Yugoslav government
> not to "interfere" in Montenegro's affairs. Montenegro has been a part
> of Yugoslavia since that country was founded.
>
> >From the 1961 murder of Congo President Patrice Lumumba through
> the repeated attempts on the life of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, from
> Operation Phoenix in Vietnam to the murder of tens of thousands of
> Latin Americans by CIA-supervised death squads, the CIA and
> Pentagon have long used assassination as an instrument of war and
> policy. The CIA overthrow of Salvador Allende's pro-socialist
> government in Chile in 1973 was preceded by a wave of political
> assassinations. Nor can we forget the FBI-CIA domestic
> assassination program—the COINTELPRO murders of members of
> the Black Panther Party, the American Indian Movement and other
> activist organizations in the '60s and '70s. There is evidence that Dr.
> Martin Luther King was among COINTELPRO's victims.
>
> The corporate-owned major US news media have not even raised the
> question of a US hand in the assassinations in Yugoslavia. Ignoring the
> Yugoslav government's statements, they have implied the victims were
> involved in criminal activity—a classic "make 'em look dirty" means of
> blunting outrage-or insinuated the Yugoslav government itself had
> carried out the murders. The media made similar allegation about the
> January murder of anti-NATO Serb nationalist leader Zeljko
> Raznjatovic, popularly known as Arkan.
>
> This is the same corporate news media that uncritically repeated wild
> and now disproven Pentagon allegations of mass murder by the
> Yugoslav army in Kosovo, claims used to justify last spring's
> undeclared war. They have refused to report non-government efforts
> to investigate NATO war crimes in Yugoslavia, such as the
> Independent Commission of Inquiry founded by former US Attorney
> General Ramsey Clark. They have completely censored any news of
> the recent US-orchestrated presidential coup in Ukraine, which
> threatens to bring US troops to Russia's border. This level of media
> complicity with the State Department and Pentagon has not been seen
> since the height of the Cold War in the 1950s.
>
> The Bulatovic assassination and the new attacks on Serbs in Kosovo
> coincide with other bellicose moves by the US toward East Europe
> and the former USSR. The past few weeks have also seen a pro-
> NATO coup against Ukraine's parliament, the US Navy seizure of a
> Russian ship in the Persian Gulf and the State Department's
> declaration of support for anti-government forces in the former Soviet
> republic of Belarus. The Pentagon has also revived its "Star Wars"
> program and is planning NATO military exercises in July in Ukraine,
> Bulgaria and Estonia. For decades the Washington warmakers have
> dreamed of the military conquest of East Europe and what was once
> the Soviet Union. Now they appear to believe they can make this
> dream a reality. They must be stopped.
--
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
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e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
* ASSOLTO BEPPE SINI E LE SUE "MONGOLFIERE PER LA PACE"
> From: "RdB Servizi" <rdbser@...>
>
>
> RAPPRESENTANZE SINDACALI DI BASE
> CONFEDERAZIONE UNITARIA DI BASE RdB/CUB
>
> LEGITTIMO LO SCIOPERO CONTRO LA GUERRA
>
> La Commissione di garanzia sullo sciopero, ha preso in esame gli esposti
di
> vari datori di lavoro in merito allo sciopero indetto dalle RdB in data
> 30/03/99 proclamato per protestare contro la aggressione Nato alla
> Jugoslavia.
>
> Gli esposti di cui sopra chiedevano di dichiarare illegittimo lo sciopero
in
> quanto non era stato rispettato il termine minimo di preavviso pari a 10
> giorni.
>
> La Commissione ha deciso di non dover procedere contro RdB in quanto, il
> preavviso non è obbligatorio se si tratta di "astensione dal lavoro in
> difesa dell'ordine costituzionale, o di protesta per gravi eventi lesivi
> dell'incolumità e della sicurezza dei lavoratori".
> E' un importante vittoria di RdB che immediatamente si mobilitò contro la
> guerra e denunciò la violazione dell'articolo 11 della Costituzione.
>
> Per i lavoratori e tutti coloro che si sono mobilitati contro la guerra
> nella città di Bologna la vittoria è doppia perchè solo due aziende locali
> hanno chiesto di dichiarare illegale lo sciopero RdB: la SEA di Milano e
la
> ATC di Bologna.
>
> Della denuncia fatta dall'ATC presieduta all'epoca dal "pacifista della
> domenica" nonché esponente di spicco della "sinistra DS" Ugo Mazza, si è
> saputo solo ora, a seguito della delibera della Commissione di garanzia.
> Ricordiamo che il "pacifista della domenica" ha perseguitato, con continui
> procedimenti disciplinari, gli autisti ATC che esponevano cartelli che
> riportavano fedelmente il testo dell'aticolo 11 della costituzione:
> "l'Italia ripudia la guerra come strumento di offesa alla libertà degli
> altri popoli e come mezzo di risoluzione delle controversie
internazionali".
>
> Oggi questi autisti, hanno ricevuto dalla nuova dirigenza ATC una
"censura"
> scritta per la loro protesta conto la guerra, sanzione questa "leggera",
ma
> ingiusta ed ingiustificata alla luce anche di quanto deliberato in data
> odierna dalla Commisssione di garanzia.
> Chiederemo quindi, nei prossimi giorni, di annullare anche questi richiami
> scritti.
>
> La delibera, rafforza anche la denuncia contro il Presidente del Consiglio
> D'Alema per violazione della Costituzione firmata anche da esponenti RdB.
>
>
> p. RdB Federazione Bologna
> Massimo Betti
>
>
> RdB/CUB Federazione di Bologna -Via Brugnoli 19/c 40122 Bologna tel.
> 051/523822-fax 523280
> C.F. 96138470586
>
---
Le "mongolfiere per la pace" sono state assolte. La Procura di Pordenone
ha emesso un decreto d'archiviazione in merito al procedimento penale a
carico di Peppe Sini, responsabile del Centro di ricerca per la pace di
Viterbo, per l'azione non violenta attuata mediante minimongolfiere
innalzate a bloccare i decolli da Aviano dei cacciabombardieri impiegati
durante la guerra del Kosovo.
Era l'11 aprile 1999... i pacifisti tentarono di fermare i raid della
Nato cercando di ostruire lo spazio aereo circostante e sovrastante
l'area di decollo della base pedemontana invadendolo con mongolfiere di
carta e palloncini gonfi di elio. Portavano appesi leggeri fogli
metallici adatti a disturbare l'avionica di bordo (una rudimentale forma
di "guerra elettronica")... Il primo maggio l'azione fu replicata... fu
aperto un fascicolo d'inchiesta nei confronti di Beppe Sini... imputato
dei reati previsti e puniti dagli articoli 432 (attentato alla sicurezza
dei trasporti) e 414 (istigazione a delinquere) del Codice Penale.
(Dal Gazzettino di Pordenone del 9-2-2000)
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
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------------------------------------------------------------
Se qualcuno avesse per caso visto un articolo o un trafiletto di
giornale sul colpo di stato avvenuto in Ucraina, o se ne avesse sentito
accennare alla radio o in televisione, e' pregato di farcelo sapere.
( Nei giorni scorsi a Kiev il parlamento e' stato circondato dalle
truppe ed occupato dagli esponenti dei partiti di destra e dalle forze
di polizia. I deputati della sinistra hanno attuato varie forme di
protesta, tra cui lo sciopero della fame. Notizie frammentarie e non
molto aggiornate si possono trovare ai siti:
http://www.iacenter.org/urkrn6.htm - International Action Center
http://www.billkath.demon.co.uk/cw/ukr/ukr.html - Communist Web )
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
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------------------------------------------------------------
ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIA-JUGOSLAVIA
----------------------------------------
>
> SEZIONE ITALIANA DEL TRIBUNALE INDIPENDENTE
> CONTRO I CRIMINI DELLA NATO IN JUGOSLAVIA
> PROPOSTO DA RAMSEY CLARK
> Per continuare le iniziative seguendo il metodo iniziale della nostra
> attivita' si e' deciso di organizzare a Roma cinque iniziative preparatorie
> della riunione finale in cui il "tribunale" italiano processera' gli
> imputati del nostro paese ( D'Alema, Scalfaro, Scognamiglio, ecc.), per poi
> partecipare il 10 giugno alla riunione internazionale di New York promossa
> da Ramsey Clark.
> Le cinque iniziative italiane, che si svolgeranno a Roma presso la libreria
> del Manifesto in Via Tomacelli, avranno il seguente calendario:
> · 25 febbraio ore 17.00 - La violazione del diritto internazionale e della
> Costituzione e delle leggi italiane. Le denunce (circa 30) presentate in
> Italia intervengono R.LaValle , G.Cerminara, A.Bernardini, G.Mattina,
> P.Vilardo
> · 3 marzo ore 17.00 - Crimini contro l'ambiente, l'uranio impoverito, le
> bombe a grappolo. Intervengono C.Pona, F.Grimaldi, M.Saba, Triolo,
> Caffarelli.
> · 17 marzo ore 17.00 - La sovranita' nazionale, le basi militari e la Nato
> in Italia.
> Intervengono F.Accame, L.Morgantini, G Russospena.
> · 7 aprile ore 17.00 - L'attuale situazione nella Repubblica Federale
> Jugoslava, gli effetti dell'embargo sulla popolazione, gli incitamenti alla
> guerra civile, i crimini e la pulizia etnica contro i serbi e le altre
> nazionalità nel Kosmet, l'amministrazione coloniale insediata dalla NATO.
> · 21 aprile ore 17.00 - La disinformazione strategica, la Missione
> Arcobaleno.
> La sessione finale sara' probabilmente il 3 o il 4 giugno.
> Fra le altre iniziative preannunciamo la prossima uscita di una
> pubblicazione del Tribunale Italiano con interventi di Accame, Russospena,
> Grimaldi, Mattina , Cerminara, Bernardini, Vilardo, Pona, ed l'intervento di
> Ramsey Clark all'assemblea di Roma del primo novembre.
> A tutti i compagni e le associazioni che hanno aderito al Tribunale Italiano
> ricordiamo che la quota di adesione necessaria per lo svolgimento delle
> attivita' e' di lire 100.000 per i gruppi, 50.000 per i singoli.
> La cifra con la causale "per il tribunale..." Devono essere inviate al CCP
> 82046004 intestato AD AGINFORM
> Per contattarci
> tel.065181048
> fax 068174010
> s.deangelis@...
> pona@...
>
> in collaborazione con il COMITATO PER LA DEMOCRAZIA INTERNAZIONALE.
---
CONTROINFORMIAMOCI!
"L'INFAME TEOREMA DEL 7 DICEMBRE"
Dibattito libero sulle vicende che hanno portato all'arresto di sergio
Spina e dei suoi compagni
SINTONIZZIAMOCI SU
RADIO CITTA' 103 - BO (FM 103)
VENERDI' 18 FEBBRAIO 2000
ALLE ORE 18.30
---
IRAQ E JUGOSLAVIA:
DUE POPOLI SOTTO EMBARGO
Gli embarghi costituiscono una terribile arma di guerra "a bassa
intensità", utilizzata
quando la guerra dei missili e delle bombe è finita. Essi rappresentano
una sorta di
"punizione", del tutto arbitraria, per le scelte politiche di un popolo
(esemplare il caso di
Cuba), e comportano per il paese colpito la mancanza di generi
fondamentali, a partire
dal cibo, dai medicinali e da tutto quanto è necessario alla
sopravvivenza quotidiana.
Tale "punizione" sta colpendo dal 1991 il popolo iracheno, e ha già
provocato la morte
di circa 1.500.000 persone. Adesso la stessa arma viene usata contro le
popolazioni
della Federazione Jugoslava, dove pure sta mietendo molte vittime,
specie tra anziani,
ammalati, bambini.
Allo stesso tempo, si va estendendo un tessuto di solidarietà che
consente di rompere il
muro dell?isolamento in cui questi paesi sono costretti. Lottare per
l?abolizione degli
embarghi, firmare e diffondere le petizioni e gli appelli a Governo e
Parlamento che
vanno in questa direzione, aderire alle iniziative di "adozioni a
distanza" e raccolta di
medicinali, partecipare a viaggi di conoscenza e solidarietà, sono
altrettanti modi per
dare un contributo concreto alla soluzione del problema.
Per discutere di tutto ciò, nell?ambito di "Galassia Gutenberg" (Napoli,
Mostra
d?Oltremare), sabato 19 febbraio alle ore 10, si terrà un momento di
dibattito e
confronto. Interverranno:
Slobodanka Ciric, portavoce della Comunità serba a Napoli
Fulvio Grimaldi, giornalista, autore di video e reportages su Iraq e
Jugoslavia
Fabio Marcelli, giurista, esperto di Diritto internazionale
Gordon Poole, docente, del Comitato Golfo e della redazione di
"Guerre&Pace"
Francesco Romanetti, giornalista de "Il Mattino"
Saranno proiettati brani dei video di Fulvio Grimaldi:
Iraq: genocidio nell?Eden
Serbi da morire
- Centro di documentazione "Patrizia Gatto" (centrodoc@...)
- Comitato Golfo ? Un ponte per Bagdad (Campagna "Rompere l?embargo")
---
BUSSOLENO
martedi' 22 febbraio 2000, ore 21.00
presso la Sala consiliare di via Traforo 62
Coordinamento Torinese per la Jugoslavia, Centro sociale Meyer-Vighetti
di
Bussoleno, Dialogo in Valle, Gruppo Pace Condove, Comitato Habitat,
Rifondazione Comunista-Circoli di Val Susa e Val Sangone, Commissione
Internazionale PRC
ORGANIZZANO
INCONTRO DI SOLIDARIETA' CON I LAVORATORI DELLA ZASTAVA
DI BELGRADO
Interverranno
i delegati della Zastava di Kragujevac
RAJKA VELJOVIC, SRETEN MILICEVIC, MILAN DONCIC
La guerra in Jugoslavia non è finita: prima i bombardamenti Nato, ora
l'embargo con cui il capitalismo globale cerca di fiaccare la resistenza
e
la dignita' di un popolo, negandogli ogni speranza di vita e di
ricostruzione.
Invitiamo i lavoratori e la popolazione tutta ad intervenire per
ascoltare
la testimonianza dei lavoratori jugoslavi ed esprimere loro fraterna
solidarieta'.
Nel corso della serata si raccoglieranno fondi a favore di un bambino di
sette anni, STEFAN MARIC, di Belgrado: affetto da tumore alla spina
dorsale,
non puo' essere operato in Jugoslavia, perche', a causa dell'embargo,
mancano i mezzi tecnici. L'intervento puo' essere eseguito presso
l'Ospedale
Maggiore di Verona: sarebbe gratuito, ma le spese di degenza ammontano a
15
milioni di lire italiane.
I FIGLI DEGLI OPPRESSI SONO FIGLI NOSTRI!
NO ALL' EMBARGO!
SOSTENIAMO I DIRITTI DEL POPOLO JUGOSLAVO!
---
07/02/2000
ASSIJUG
Associazione Italia Jugoslavia
Via Duranti, 5 - 06125 Perugia - Tel./Fax 075.42686
e-mail:assijug@...
Il 5 febbraio scorso si è svolta a Perugia un¹importante
iniziativa pubblica
promossa dall¹Assijug (Associazione Italia Jugoslavia) e dal
Comitato
Umbro Antimperialista. Tale iniziativa è stata tenuta assieme alla
Sezione Italiana del Tribunale Internazionale contro i crimini di
guerra della NATO diretto dall¹ex ministro di giustizia americano
Ramsey Clark che, com¹è noto, si è particolarmente distinto, in
questi
anni, nella denuncia dei crimini di guerra perpetrati dal governo
americano in Iugoslavia.
Stefano De Angelis, uno dei dirigenti nazionali della Sezione
Italiana del
Tribunale Internazionale, nel suo intervento ha posto ben in
risalto gli
scopi del Tribunale medesimo. Come obiettivo in Italia, per il
Tribunale, è
la messa sotto accusa politica e giuridica della Nato, dei governi
alleati,
del presidente Scalfaro e dell¹intero governo D¹Alema. Particolare
risalto
è stato dato alla denuncia della criminale campagna di
disinformazione
perpetrata dai mass-media nazionali e internazionali.
Falco Accame ha esposto chiaramente quali sono state le
responsabilità
abominevoli del governo D¹Alema nell¹aver condotto l¹Italia in
un¹avventura politica ed internazionale al di fuori di ogni
legalità
costituzionale; soffermandosi particolarmente sulle responsabilità
decennali dei governi nazionali di aver accettato un rapporto di
totale
subalternità e servilismo nella concessione di basi aeree e navali
agli Stati
Uniti e alla Nato. Ancora oggi dal 1973 l¹opinione pubblica
nazionale non
è ha conoscenza di quale trattato sia mai stato stipulato tra il
governo
italiano e quello americano per l¹uso militare dell¹isola della
Maddalena
(Sardegna), sulla quale la sovranità è totalmente americana.
Accame ha
insistito molto sull¹atteggiamento criminale di un governo che si
dice di
sinistra, ma che ha commesso reati politici tali che neanche i
peggiori
governi di destra in Italia hanno mai perpetrato.
Purtroppo è venuta a mancare, per motivi di salute, la
partecipazione del
giornalista Fulvio Grimaldi.
L¹iniziativa ha comunque avuto un ottimo successo la sala è stata
riempita (90/100 persone) grazie all¹adesione di molti compagni
che
hanno partecipato attivamente al dibattito con interventi e
domande
rivolte agli ospiti. Tutti sono stati concordi nel dare giudizi
negativi e
severissimi contro il governo D¹Alema e contro l¹intervento della
Nato in
Iugoslavia.
Alla fine dell¹assemblea la presidenza ha fatto chiaramente
riferimento
ad altre iniziative future da effettuare per continuare la
campagna di
controinformazione sulla guerra in Jugoslavia.
ASSIJUG
Associazione Italia Jugoslavia
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
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------------------------------------------------------------
I legami tra i personaggi piu' influenti di HRW ed i centri decisionali
della politica estera statunitense, spiegati con nomi e cognomi.
Dalla lista stopnato@...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who is behind Human Rights Watch?
The backgrounds of the Board members at Human Rights Watch (HRW),
Europe-Central Asia section, with info on HRW and its sources of
funding.
HRW is founded on the idea that the values of the United States are
universal, and that the US must impose them on the rest of the world. As
the largest human-rights lobby, it is partly responsible for the
increasingly expansionist US foreign policy.
---------
No US citizen, and no US organisation, has any right to impose US values
on Europe. No concentration camps or mass graves can justify that
imposition. But Human Rights Watch finds it self-evident, that the
United
States may legitimately restructure any society, where a mass grave is
found. That was always a widespread belief in the United States, but it
is
fast becoming a consensus among the foreign policy elite. Human Rights
Watch itself is part of that elite, which includes government
departments,
foundations, NGO's and academics. It is not a association of "concerned
private citizens". HRW board members include present and past government
employees, and overlapping directorates link it to the major foreign
policy lobbies in the US. Cynically summarised, it is a joint venture of
George Soros and the State Department.
Human Rights Watch is an almost exclusively US-American organisation.
Its
version of human rights is the Anglo-American tradition. It is
"mono-ethical", recognising no legitimate ethical values outside its
own.
(Redistribution of wealth is a well-known example. In the Anglo-American
human-rights tradition, seizure and redistribution of the property of
the
rich is unethical. The tradition recognises no inherent value in
equality,
which could override property rights).
Although I do not believe that ethical values are culturally specific,
it
is true that one ethical tradition has become associated with the United
States. That includes the universal rights set out in its Declaration of
Independence and its Constitution. In a sense the US was "designed" as
an
interventionist power: interventionist human-rights organisations are a
logical result. They express the belief of most US citizens, that their
values are superior to all others.
Human Rights Watch operates a number of discriminatory exclusions, to
maintain its character.
Firstly, it is linguistically racist. Although it publishes material in
foreign languages to promote its views, the organisation itself is
English-only.
Secondly, the organisation discriminates on grounds of nationality. As
the
list below makes clear, non-Americans are systematically excluded at
board
level. The organisation apparently recruits employees only in the United
States, in English. (US readers of this site may be unfamiliar with
multilingual cross-border employment, but it does exist in Europe).
Third, the organisation discriminates on grounds of social class. Again,
the list makes clear that board members are recruited from the upper
class, and upper-middle class. Although I traced almost all the board
members professions, there are none from middle-income occupations - let
alone any poor illegal immigrants, or Somali peasants.
Human Rights Watch can therefore claim no ethical superiority. It is
itself involved in practices it condemns elsewhere, such as
discrimination
in employment, and exclusion from social structures. It can also claim
no
neutrality. An organisation which will not allow a Serb or Somali to be
a
board member, can give no neutral assessment of a Serbian or Somali
state.
It would probably be impossible for an all-American, English-only elite
organisation, to be anything else but paternalistic.
---------
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Helsinki Steering Committee
This is the Europe section of the Board of HRW, which is split into
sections approximately by continent. The section was established in 1978
(in the late 1970's human rights became the main issue in Cold War
propaganda). The unit in the organisation is called the Europe and
Central
Asia Division. It is affiliated with the International Helsinki
Federation
for Human Rights, which co-ordinates the "Helsinki committees". Source:
HRW Board of Directors & Advisory Committees
Jonathan Fanton, Chair
An academic and foundation man. Former Vice President of the University
of
Chicago, in 1982 appointed as President of the New School for Social
Research, now the New School University. He is active in building US
academic contacts with eastern Europe, directed at the new pro-western
elites, see the Transregional Center for Democratic Studies (TCDS) page.
Alice H. Henkin, Co-Vice Chair
Director of the Justice and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, an
elite think-tank.
Note their report Honoring Human Rights: From Peace to Justice proposing
United Nations mission strategies later used in Kosovo.
Peter Osnos, Co-Vice Chair
George Soros' publisher. He is Chief Executive of Public Affairs
publishers.
Morton Abramowitz
A link to the US Foreign Policy establishment, one of several at HRW.
Abramowitz was U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (1989-91) and Assistant
Secretary
of State for Intelligence and Research (1985-89), among other posts: see
his personal details at the Council on Foreign Relations, CFR, where he
is
a Fellow. The CFR is the heart of interventionist US policy since 1921
(and hated by the isolationist right).
He directed the CFR Balkan Economic Task Force, which published a report
on "Reconstructing the Balkans".
Barbara Finberg
A donor of HRW, see the list below. A retired vice president with the
Carnegie Corporation of New York, who donated $1 million to Stanford
University.
Felice Gaer
Human rights specialist at the American Jewish Committee and chair of
the
Steering Committee for the 50th anniversary of the UN Human Rights
Declaration, see this biography:
"Ms.Gaer is Director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the
Advancement
of Human Rights. Author, speaker, and activist, she is a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of Directors of the Andrei
Sakharov Foundation, a member of the International Human Rights Council
at
the Carter Center, ...Vice President of the International League for
Human
Rights."
According to this JTA report, Gaer praised Madeleine Albright for her
"outstanding human rights record".
Felice Gaer was also a non-governmental member of the United States
delegation to a United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting in
Geneva,
where (according to the Voice of America) she denounced Sudan, saying
the
the U.S. "cannot accept those who invoke Islam or other religions as
justification for atrocious human rights abuses." However, more
interesting is this speech at the Geneva meeting, where she suggested
the
UN should no longer investigate prison rapes in the US: "we would urge
the
Special Rapporteurs to focus their attention on countries where the
situation is the most dire and the abuses the most severe."
Michael Gellert
Vice Chairman of the Board at Fanton's New School for Social Research.
Investment manager and Trustee of the Carnegie Institute.
Gellert is a director of Premier Parks Inc., owner of the Six Flags and
Walibi theme park chains. Also a director of:
High Speed Access Corp.,
Devon Energy Corporation,
Humana Inc..
Paul Goble
Director of Communications and political commentator at Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, the Cold War propaganda transmitters that survived
the end of the Cold War. From their website
"Free Europe, Inc., was established in 1949 as non-profit, private
corporations to broadcast news and current affairs programs to Eastern
European countries behind the Iron Curtain. The Radio Liberty Committee,
Inc., was created two years later along the same lines to broadcast to
the
nations inside the Soviet Union. Both were funded principally by the
U.S.
Congress, through the Central Intelligence Agency, but they also
received
some private donations as well. The two corporations were merged into a
single RFE/RL, Inc. in 1975."
It is still funded by the US Government, through Congressional
appropriation.
Bill Green
Former Republican member of Congress, a trustee of the New School for
Social Research (where Fanton is President), with many other public and
business posts: see the biography at the American Assembly, an
academic/political think-tank.
Stanley Hoffman
A pro-interventionist theorist (of course that means US intervention,
not
a Taliban invasion of the US). Professor at Harvard, see his biography.
Note that his colleagues include Daniel Goldhagen, who openly advocated
occupation of Serbia, to impose a US-style democracy: see A New Serbia.
Robert James
Also on the Board of Human Rights in China, another Soros-funded
organisation.
Jack Matlock
US Ambassador to the Soviet Union during its collapse, 1987-1991. Author
of Autopsy On An Empire: The American Ambassador's Account of the
Collapse
of the Soviet Union (Random House, 1995).
Member of the large Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council. The
Atlantic Council is more than a pro-NATO fan club: it supports an
expansionist US foreign policy in general. Note their recent paper (in
format) Beyond Kosovo, a redesign of the Balkans within the framework of
the proposed Stability Pact.
The Atlantic Council list of sponsors is a delight for
corporate-conspiracy theorists. Yes, it is all paid for by the
Rockefeller
foundation, the Soros foundation, the Nuclear Energy Institute, Boeing,
Lockheed, Northrop, Exxon, British Nuclear Fuels, the US Army and the
European Union.
Conspiracy theorists will also be delighted to see that Matlock attended
the 1996 Bilderberg Conference.
Herbert Okun
Career diplomat, former Special Advisor on Yugoslavia to Secretary of
State Cyrus Vance, Deputy Co-Chairman of the International Conference on
the former Yugoslavia. Member of the Board of the Lawyers Alliance for
World Security (LAWS) and its affiliate the Committee for National
Security (CNS) which gives this biography:
Ambassador Herbert Okun is the U.S. member and Vice-President of the
International Narcotics Control Board, and Visiting Lecturer on
International Law at Yale Law School. Previously, he was the Deputy
Chairman on the U.S. delegation at the SALT II negotiations and led the
U.S. delegation in the trilateral U.S.-U.K.-USSR Talks on the CTBT. From
1991 to 1993 Ambassador Okun was Special Advisor on Yugoslavia to
Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Personal Envoy of the U.N. Secretary
General, and Deputy Co-Chairman of the International Conference on the
former Yugoslavia. He also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of
the United States to the UN from 1985 to 1989 serving on the General
Assembly, the Disarmament Committee and the Committee on Peaceful Uses
of
Outer Space. Amb. Okun was also U.S. Ambassador to the former German
Democratic Republic.
He was from 1990-97 Executive Director of the Financial Services
Volunteer
Corps, "a non-profit organization providing voluntary assistance to help
establish free-market financial systems in former communist countries",
see his biography at International Security Studies at Yale University,
where he is also a board member. This Corps is a de facto agency of
USAID,
see how it is listed country-by-country in their report. Although it is
not relevant to Human Rights Watch, this curriculum vitae gives a good
impression of the kind of international elite created by such programs.
Okun is also a member emeritus of the board of the European Institute in
Washington, an Atlanticist lobby. It organises the European-American
Policy Forum, the European-American Congressional Forum, and the
Transatlantic Joint Security Policies Project. Okun is a special advisor
to the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict funded by the
Carnegie Corporation. (It links pro-western international elite figures
advocating a formal structure for control of states by the
"international
community").
Okun was a member of a Task Force (including Bianca Jagger and George
Soros) on war criminals: see their report . Although it also demands "UN
Sanctions Against States Harboring Indicted War Criminals" it is
unlikely
that the Task Force members meant the man quoted at the start of their
report, President Clinton.
A curiosity: this human rights supporter is accused of an attempt to
destroy the right to free speech, in his post at the International
Narcotics Control Board: see A Duty to Censor: U.N. Officials Want to
Crack Down on Drug War Protesters in the libertarian Reason Magazine.
Jane Olson
Also co-chair of the California section of HRW, see this biography. One
of
the few who are simply human rights activists, although her views are
clearly 100% acceptable to the US Government. She was appointed a member
of the U.S. delegation to the 1991 Conference on Security and
Cooperation
in Europe (CSCE) in Moscow.
Again note, that US citizens consider it normal to travel to Europe, to
decide on that continents Security and Cooperation - but there is
absolutely no "Conference on North American Security and Cooperation",
where Europeans arrive to tell Americans what to do.
She is also a member of the Board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation,
one
of many small globalist groups, advocating peace and some vague form of
world government.
Barnett Rubin
Academic and Soros-institutes advisor. Director of the "Center for
Preventive Action" at the Council on Foreign Relations.The center is
funded by the US Government through USIP, and by the Carnegie
Corporation
as part of their program Preventing Deadly Conflict. "Preventive Action"
means intervention.
He is a member of the centers South Balkans Working Group, and edited a
1996 Council on Foreign Relations study Towards Comprehensive Peace in
Southeast Europe: Conflict Prevention in the South Balkans. Rubin is an
Afghanistan specialist, also on the Board of the Asia division of HRW.
He
authored and edited several works on Afghanistan. Rubin apparently has a
curious attitude to the Taliban, seeing them as a bulwark against
Islamic
radicalism . See this letter to NPR, entitled Afghanistan Whitewash:
While the Lyden-Rubin conversation made no mention of US support for the
Taliban, they referred several times to US "pressure" on the Taliban to
now respect human rights. This is a total white wash which distorts the
historical record beyond recognition.
Rubin is on the Advisory Board of the Soros Foundation Central Eurasia
Project. He is an advisor of the Forced Migration Project of Soros' Open
Society Institute, and he is also on the Board of the Soros Humanitarian
Fund for Tajikistan. Perhaps most interesting is that the U.S. Institute
of Peace (a de facto government agency) gave him a grant to research
"formation of a new state system in Central Eurasia".
Barnett Rubin articles on Central Asia
This may be repetitive, but note once again that there are absolutely no
Foundations or Institutes in Central Asia, which pay people to design
"new
state systems" in North America. For people like Rubin "human rights"
mean
simply that the US designs the world: at the same time, the US might
accept the Taliban, if it was a strategic interest. See this article at
the Soros Central Asia site, The Political Economy of War and Peace in
Afghanistan, advocating a de facto colonial government in Afghanistan
financed by oil revenues.
Rubin is also a member of the US State Department Advisory Committee on
Religious Freedom Abroad. The Final Report of this Committee also sums
up
what the United States can do, when it finds religious freedom has been
infringed. The list begins at "friendly, persuasive: open an embassy"
and
ends with "act of war".
Note also that Rubin was also involved in the 1997 New York meeting,
where
the United States attempted to create a unified Yugoslav opposition,
with
among others Vuk Draskovic: see my site on Vesna Pesic or the PER site.
Leon Sigal
NOTE: I can find no website matching this info on "Leon Sigal" to HRW. I
assume it is the same person, although I do not understand why an expert
on Asian issues is on the board for the European division of HRW.
Consultant to the Social Science Research Council, member of the Board
of
Advisors at Globalbeat Syndicate, part of the New York University Dept
of
Journalism. See their article on Lessons From The War In Kosovo.
>From Globalbeat:
He is a former member of the Editorial Board of The New York Times,
where
he wrote frequently on nuclear issues, and is the author of many books
and
articles on both international security and media issues.
Sigal authored Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea
(Princeton University Press 1998). He is a Project member of the
Committee
on Nuclear Policy.
Malcolm Smith
no information yet
George Soros
>From the Public Affairs site, the biography of George Soros, financier of
HRW and of numerous organisations in eastern Europe with pro-American,
pro-market policies.
George Soros was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1930. In 1947 he emigrated
to England, where he graduated from the London School of Economics.
While
a student in London, Mr. Soros became familiar with the work of the
philosopher Karl Popper, who had a profound influence on his thinking
and
later on his philanthropic activities. In 1956 he moved to the United
States, where he began to accumulate a large fortune through an
international investment fund he founded and managed.
Mr. Soros currently serves as chairman of Soros Fund Management L.L.C.,
a
private investment management firm that serves as principal investment
advisor to the Quantum Group of Funds. The Quantum Fund N.V., the oldest
and largest fund within the Quantum Group, is generally recognized as
having the best performance record of any investment fund in the world
in
its twenty-nine-year history.
Mr. Soros established his first foundation, the Open Society Fund, in
New
York in 1979 and his first Eastern European foundation in Hungary in
1984.
He now funds a network of foundations that operate in thirty-one
countries
throughout Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, as
well as southern Africa, Haiti, Guatemala, Mongolia and the United
States.
These foundations are dedicated to building and maintaining the
infrastructure and institutions of an open society. Mr. Soros has also
founded other major institutions, such as the Central European
University
and the International Science Foundation. In 1994, the foundations in
the
network spent a total of approximately $300 million; in 1995, $350
million; in 1996, $362 million; and in 1997, $428 million. Giving for
1998
is expected to be maintained at that level.
In addition to many articles on the political and economic changes in
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Mr. Soros is the author of
The
Alchemy of Finance, Opening the Soviet System, Underwriting Democracy,
and
Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve.
Mr. Soros has received honorary doctoral degrees from the New School for
Social Research, the University of Oxford, the Budapest University of
Economics, and Yale University. In 1995, the University of Bologna
awarded
Mr. Soros its highest honor, the Laurea Honoris Causa, in recognition of
his efforts to promote open societies throughout the world.
Soros Foundations Network
Open Society Institute Staff Directory
Privatization Project
Open Society Institute Budapest
Donald J. Sutherland
Also on the advisory board of the World Policy Institute.
Ruti Teitel
Professor of Constitutional Law at the New York Law School, see his
biography. In the last few years he has specialised in the Constitutions
of eastern European countries, and advised on the new Ukrainian
constitution.
William D. Zabel
George Soros legal advisor, on foundation and charity law. A estate and
family financial lawyer for the rich at Schulte, Roth, and Zabel. His
biography lists his involvement with these Soros Foundations: "Newly
Independent States and the Baltic Republics, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria
and Central European University and Open Society Fund". See this
biographical article originally from the National Law Journal:
When fate knocks, rich ring for Zabel
He is a trustee of Fanton's New School of Social Research, and member of
the Advisory Board of the World Policy Institute at the New School.
Zabel is a director of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. The
Lawyers
Committee for Human Rights is one of the partners in the "Apparel
Industry
Partnership", a group set up by the Clinton administration and the US
clothing and footwear industries to defuse criticism of conditions in
their factories. The (not particularly radical) US trade union
federation
refuses to co-operate with it.
Zabel is also on the Board of Doctors of the World, the USA branch of
Medecins du Monde, founded by Bernard Kouchner in 1980. Kouchner is now
the UN Representative ( the "governor") in Kosovo. Despite the name,
Medecins du Monde is a purely western organisation, see the affiliate
list.
Warren Zimmermann
US Ambassador to Yugoslavia during its break-up, author of Origins of
Catastrophe: Yugoslavia and Its Destroyers. A Cold-War career diplomat,
long active in US human rights campaigns against eastern Europe. See
this
site for an extreme pro-Bosniac assessment of his book by Branka Magas,
alleging he appeased Milosevic: "In the event, by pursuing Yugoslavia's
unity rather than supporting Slovenia and Croatia in their demands for
either the country's confederal transformation or its peaceful
dissolution, the United States helped ensure its violent break-up". (I
think it is logically consistent with US values and interests, that the
US
supported one policy around 1990 and another in Kosovo. The real problem
is that so many people in Europe expect the US to design their states
and
write their Constitutions. It is because of this attitude, that people
like Zimmermann, and organisations like HRW, can flourish) Zimmermann is
now a professor of Diplomacy at Columbia University. If you think the
"amoral diplomat" is a stereotype, look at his Contemporary Diplomacy
course. This is his assignment for the young future diplomats:
Imagine that you are a member of Secretary Albright's Policy Planning
Staff. She has asked you to write a strategy paper for one of the
following diplomatic challenges:
--Dealing with NATO expansion and with the countries affected;
--Crafting a more energetic and assertive US approach to the Israeli-PLO
deadlock;
--Raising the American profile in sub-Saharan Africa;
--Developing a US initiative to improve relations with Cuba;
--Forging an American approach to Central Asia and its energy wealth;
--Making better use of the UN and other multilateral organizations like
OSCE;
--Weighing the relative priorities between pursuing human rights
and keeping open lucrative economic opportunities;
--Increasing interest in, and support for, US foreign policy among the
American people.
With Barnett Rubin, Zimmermann is a member of the Advisory Board of the
Forced Migration Project at Soros Open Society Institute.
With Felice Gaer, Zimmermann is also on the Board of the
quasi-commercial
International Dispute Resolution Associates. (Peacemaking has become big
business, but IDR is also funded by the US Government through the USIP).
He is a Trustee of the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International
Affairs
---------
HRW DONORS
>From the HRW website, this 1995 list is is the latest available online.
DONORS OF $100,000 OR MORE
Dorothy and Lewis Cullman
The Aaron Diamond Foundation
Irene Diamond
The Ford Foundation
The Lillian Hellman & Dashiell Hammett Fund
Estate of Anne Johnson
The J. M. Kaplan Fund
The Fanny and Leo Koerner Charitable Trust
The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The John Merck Fund
The Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation
Novib, The Dutch Organization for Development Corporation,
The Overbrook Foundation
Oxfam
Donald Pels
The Ruben and Elisabeth Rausing Trust
The Rockefeller Foundation
Marion and Herbert Sandler, The Sandler Family Supporting Foundation
Susan and George Soros
Shelby White and Leon Levy
DONORS OF $25,000 - $99,999
The Arca Foundation
Helen and Robert Bernstein
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
Nikki and David Brown
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Compton Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Davis
The Dr. Seuss Foundation
Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller
Jack Edelman
Epstein Philanthropies
Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de L'Homme
Barbara Finberg
General Service Foundation
Abby Gilmore and Arthur Freierman
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund
Katherine Graham, The Washington Post Company
Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
Hudson News
Independence Foundation
The Isenberg Family Charitable Trust
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation
Robert and Ardis James
Jesuit Refugee Service
Nancy and Jerome Kohlberg
Lyn and Norman Lear
Joshua Mailman
Medico International
Moriah Fund, Inc.
Ruth Mott Fund
Kathleen Peratis and Richard Frank
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
Ploughshares Fund
Public Welfare Foundation, Inc.
Anita and Gordon Roddick
Edna and Richard Salomon
Lorraine and Sid Sheinberg
Margaret R. Spanel
Time Warner Inc.
U.S. Jesuit Conference
Warner Brothers, Inc.
Edie and Lew Wasserman
Maureen White and Steven Rattner
Malcolm Wiener and Carolyn Seely Wiener
The Winston Foundation for World Peace
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
"La Croazia avra' un presidente sorridente, incline alle barzellette,
modesto e alla mano... la cui strategia politica puo' essere cosi'
sintetizzata: migliorare da subito i rapporti con tutti i paesi che
componevano la vecchia Jugoslavia, portare la Croazia nell'Unione
Europea, ripulire la Croazia dalla criminalita' politica e dalla mafia,
salvarla dalla crisi economica..."
(Giacomo Scotti su "Il manifesto" del 9/2/2000)
Stipe Mesic, nuovo presidente della Repubblica di Croazia, appena eletto
ha dichiarato di volersi presentare spontaneamente al Tribunale dell'Aia
a testimoniare contro il presidente della Repubblica Federale di
Jugoslavia. Notoriamente filo-occidentale, Mesic e' un convinto
sostenitore dell'entrata della Croazia nella NATO. Ultranazionalista
croato della prima ora, dovette scontare molti mesi di carcere in
seguito ai fatti della "Primavera di Zagabria", all'inizio degli anni
Settanta. In seguito alla imposizione del suo nome da parte della
Comunita' Europea, Mesic fu l'ultimo presidente della RFSJ - una
esperienza evidentemente indimenticabile, da lui stesso immortalata nel
libro "KAKO SMO RUSILI JUGOSLAVIJU" ("Come abbiamo buttato giu' la
Jugoslavia", recentemente ristampato con il meno compromettente titolo
"Come e' crollata la Jugoslavia" a cura delle edizioni Mislav Press) nel
quale Mesic si vanta della efficacia della sua azione distruttrice nei
confronti della RFSJ.
E' stato tra i fondatori dell'HDZ, il partito di Tudjman, di cui fu il
braccio destro fino al 1994, prima della rottura avvenuta per meri
interessi di potere. Tra i suoi maggiori sostenitori, oltre a tutto
l'establishment politico-militare occidentale (compreso D'Alema, proprio
in questi giorni in visita a Zagabria) Mesic annovera anche Giacomo
Scotti ed il quotidiano antijugoslavo "Il Manifesto".
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
(Coordinamento Romano per la Jugoslavia, febbraio 2000)
La recente uccisione del Ministro della Difesa della RFJ Pavle Bulatovic
e' stata attribuita negli ambienti governativi jugoslavi ad un piano
terroristico di destabilizzazione della RFJ, preparato all'estero.
A titolo informativo abbiamo pensato di riportare una serie di elementi
ed informazioni circolate in passato rispetto a progetti simili, tutti
di matrice straniera e soprattutto mirati alla eliminazione fisica di
Slobodan Milosevic.
Si tratta di piani falliti o mai resi operativi, ma che sono stati via
via presi in reale considerazione da chi intende ridisegnare ulteriormente
i Balcani a proprio uso e consumo. Se comunque si puo' essere scettici
sulla effettiva volonta' di realizzare piani simili da parte delle consorterie
occidentali, e' per gli effetti politici che sortirebbero: togliendo dalla
scena Milosevic, l'Occidente sarebbe posto di fronte al problema di CHI
mettere al suo posto, e non sarebbe un problema da poco visto che il fine
ultimo resta la scomparsa della Repubblica Federale di Jugoslavia dalle
cartine geografiche... Senza Milosevic, costantemente ed universalmente
indicato come un demonio in forma umana, sarebbe certo piu' difficile
criminalizzare un intero paese ed i suoi abitanti, isolarlo per
destabilizzarlo e frantumarlo.
--- IL "RAGNO" FRANCESE
Particolarmente noto e' il caso, scoppiato lo scorso autunno, della rete
denominata "Il Ragno", costruita dai servizi segreti francesi
coinvolgendo uomini dei servizi di sicurezza jugoslavi (alcuni dei quali
arrestati proprio in occasione della scoperta di questo loro
coinvolgimento) e paramilitari serbo-bosniaci.
A proposito di queste "relazioni pericolose" tra serbi della Bosnia e
francesi, bisogna ricordare che mentre i rapporti tra la leadership
serbo-jugoslava (attorno a Milosevic) e la leadership serbo-bosniaca
(attorno a Karadzic) si incrinavano nel 1993-1994, dalle fila serbo-bosniache
emergevano pian piano elementi considerati "affidabili" in Occidente.
Cosi', subito dopo la stipula degli accordi di Dayton, presidentessa
della Repubblica Serba di Bosnia (RS) al posto di Karadzic diventava Biljana
Plavsic, ex braccio destro del suo predecessore, sempre fortemente
criticata da Mira Markovic (moglie di Milosevic) ed appoggiata in
Occidente; un altro personaggio ancora in sella, oggi duramente
contestato a Belgrado, e' il cosiddetto "moderato" Dodik.
Nel 1997 in Francia scoppiava poi un incredibile scandalo per
l'aiuto prestato da settori militari francesi a Karadzic, affinche' non
fosse catturato e consegnato al Tribunale dell'Aia. Una vicenda per la
quale il comandante Pierre Bunel nel 1998 fu prima arrestato, poi
liberato. Su questa strana storia suggeriamo di fare una ricerca con il
nome del comandante sul sito di "Le Monde": http://archives.lemonde.fr/
La piu' recente operazione "Ragno" e' stata a tutti gli effetti
confermata nel momento in cui il responsabile dei servizi francesi e'
stato congedato dopo la scoperta, e dunque il fallimento, del progetto
di assassinare il Presidente della RFJ, come veniva spiegato ad esempio
nel seguente articolo de "Il manifesto" del 24 Dicembre 1999:
> ATTENTATO A MILOSEVIC
>
> A Parigi salta il capo dei Servizi
>
> - R. ES -
>
> Salta la testa del direttore dell'agenzia di spionaggio francese, la Dgse,
> dopo la figuraccia rimediata a Belgrado dove la polizia aveva arrestato il
> mese scorso cinque spie accusate di essere al soldo della Francia e di aver
> pianificato un attentato a Milosevic. Dopo neanche sei mesi di direzione,
> Jacques Dewatre deve quindi andarsene e lasciare la poltrona del Dgse a un
> diplomatico di lungo corso, Jean-Claude Cousseran, ambasciatore in Turchia,
> ex rappresentante della Francia in Iran all'epoca della rivoluzione
> islamica e a Gerusalemme al tempo dell'Intifada.
>
> A Jacques Dewatre, scrive Le Monde, non e' stato perdonato il fallimento in
> Serbia: Li' "l'azione del Dgse era molto discreta, quasi inesistente, a
> parte quei commando spediti furtivamente in Kosovo...". Dopo l'arresto
> delle cinque spie a Belgrado, una delle quali naturalizzata francese, sulla
> stampa transalpina si e' riversata una grande quantita' di rivelazioni
> sull'attivita' del Dgse in Jugoslavia. Il settimanale satirico-investigativo
> Le Canard Enchaîné ha scritto di recente che tre agenti del Dgse che
> operavano in Kosovo sono stati decorati il mese scorso con la Legione
> d'onore. Il settimanale ha poi rivelato che la Francia aveva montato due
> operazioni segrete in Kosovo, una prima, l'altra dopo l'inizio della guerra
> aerea Nato in Jugoslavia. Il portavoce del Dgse si e' difeso dicendo che
> compito di un servizio di spionaggio e' quello di raccogliere informazioni
> riservate in zone sensibili. I commando, quindi, avrebbero fatto il loro
> lavoro, nulla di piu'. Quando a Dewatre la sua destituzione non avrebbe
> nulla a che vedere coi Balcani; questa la versione ufficiale. (...)
--- LA VERSIONE DEL GOVERNO JUGOSLAVO
L'intera operazione "Ragno" veniva invece descritta nella seguente maniera
in Jugoslavia:
> Belgrade, December 10th (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Information Secretary Goran
> Matic late Friday said that the recent arrest in Yugoslavia of the
> Spider intelligence-terrorist group, whose members had committed crimes
> on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, especially in Srebrenica, had
> drawn great attention in the world.
>
> In an interview on Politika RTV, Matic said that the Spider group were a
> gang of professional hit men who served the French Intelligence Service
> ad other similar groupings and contributed with their actions to having
> the war on the territory of the former Yugoslavia treated as a form of
> Serbian aggression and expansionism.
>
Innanzitutto, il Ministro dell'Informazione jugoslavo Matic si scaglia
contro gli arrestati non solo per i loro progetti terroristici a venire,
ma anche per le azioni criminali commesse durante il conflitto in Bosnia
(Matic cita Srebrenica), che hanno pesantemente danneggiato la causa serba
trasformando la guerra civile, agli occhi del mondo, in una aggressione
dei nazionalisti serbi. Tali azioni hanno danneggiato ovviamente anche la
RF di Jugoslavia, sottoposta ad embargo ed isolata a livello internazionale.
>
> Matic set out that the Spider group activities had also helped demonize
> both the Serbian people and Yugoslavia, as a state, and had helped
> impose sanctions against Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav Information Secretary
> said that during the arrest of the Spider group, a series of documents
> were found, which he stressed shed new light on the developments in the
> former Yugoslavia, especially on what underlies the sanctions against
> and pressure on Yugoslavia.
>
> Matic said that arrested member of the group, Jugoslav Petrusic (also
> known as Dominique), hired people from former Yugoslavia for the
> services of the French Intelligence Service and the operations in
> Zaire. "Spider" was a multiethnic formation, which committed various
> crimes on the territory of former Yugoslavia, received money for it,
> mostly provided by the French.
>
> They were a classic legionnaire formation, with contracts specifically
> stating the cost of the elimination, assassination, blowing up vehicles,
> facilities.
>
Le attivita' del gruppo "Ragno", guidato da un tale Petrusic (nome in codice
"Dominique"), in effetti avevano travalicato lo spazio dei Balcani per
estendersi addirittura nello Zaire, sempre al servizio dei francesi,
secondo il classico copione dei mercenari della Legione Straniera. Secondo
Matic, nei Balcani il "Ragno" era in realta' una rete "multietnica" di
spie e terroristi, attraverso la quale i francesi avrebbero cercato
contatti con gli ambienti ultranazionalisti di ogni "etnia", compresi
gli albanesi-kosovari alla vigilia della aggressione del 1999.
>
> Petrusic began his career cooperating with the Muslims. He became a
> member of the French Intelligence Service working initially with the
> Albanian criminals, because the French were searching for a connection
> that would help them enter Kosovo-Metohija and arm a part of Albanian
> population, said the Minister.
>
> "This means that, already than, France tried to create channels for
> escalating Albanian separatism and terrorism in Kosovo-Metohija and a
> connection with the terrorists", said Matic.
>
> He reminded that Petrusic committed a series of crimes in Srebrenica.
> Drazen Edemovic, a Croatian citizen, confirmed everything in his
> testimony during the trial.
>
> Matic estimated that the Hague Tribunal is a blackmailing machinery for
> recruiting such criminals, and, if somebody performs dirty work for
> them, the doors of the European Union open for him widely and he can
> move freely without a passport.
>
> He also stressed that Petrusic committed a series of crimes in the very
> EU.
>
> One of the arrested members of "Spider" group, commander of the prison
> in Vogosca - Vlaco, although at the Hague Tribunal circular, went to
> France without a passport.
>
> The French Intelligence Service exercises organized state terrorism
> against other countries, particularly against Yugoslavia in the past
> several years, said Matic, stressing that the Hague Tribunal certainly
> wouldn't ask for their extradition, because they could reveal who and
> how hired them.
>
Dopo una serie di violente accuse alla Francia, Matic parla della recente
guerra per il Kosovo, durante la quale Petrusic e gli altri sarebbero
scesi in campo commettendo o inscenando crimini ai danni della popolazione
di nazionalita' schipetara, documentandoli e poi "rivendendoli" in Occidente,
arrecando un ulteriore gravissimo danno alla immagine della RFJ e dei serbi.
>
> When the members of "Spider" tried to infiltrate in the Yugoslav
> structures, they planned to form a terrorist group called "Balkan
> Express".
>
> The day before the NATO aggression, Petrusic comes to Yugoslavia in
> order to infiltrate his friends in the Yugoslav Army as volunteers,
> through his acquaintances within the lower ranks. Their task was to kill
> commander Remi in Kosovo-Metohija, but they failed even after 25 days of
> "work", said Matic.
>
> However, it was noticed that Petrusic used cellular phone, and there
> were also guided attacks on Kosmet.
>
> Explaining who the group operated in Kosmet, Matic said that "Spider"
> committed several typical crimes against the Albanians, killing them,
> dressing them in KLA uniforms, photographing them and sending the
> pictures to Sarajevo, claiming that it was allegedly done by the YA.
> They wanted to cause another demonizing of Serbian population.
>
> Furthermore, Matic said that this was the first operation performed by
> the members of "Spider" group. (...)
>
--- LA FIGURA DI DRASKOVIC
In un'altra occasione Matic, ancora prendendo spunto dalla operazione "Ragno",
si scaglia contro Vuk Draskovic, leader del Partito Serbo per il Rinnovamento,
di ispirazione monarchica e liberale ma soprattutto "storicamente" vicinissimo
alla Francia:
> http://www.serbia-info.com/news/2000-01/09/16651.html
>
> Federal Minister of Information: The
> newest NATO goal - Serbs against Serbs
>
> January 09, 2000
>
> (...)
>
> On the celebration that took place in the premises of "Filmske Novosti"
> magazine, a video tape was played, showing recently arrested leader of
> the spy-terrorist group "Spider", Jugoslav Petrusic, who said that he took
> Vuk Draskovic to the French Intelligence Service several times, and that
> Mr. Draskovic asked for money while "Danica was much more talkative".
>
> Stating that Draskovic is "directly talking with the heads of foreign
> Intelligence services, with whom he wants to reach agreements regarding
> certain activities in Yugoslavia", Matic stressed that this way Draskovic
> showed his real and true interests "while a multiple killer, whose
> employers are the French, was taking him to conversations in that
> country".
>
> Federal Minister of Information pointed to the significance of "Filmske
> Novosti" in filing data on who was who in Yugoslavia and who fought to
> defend it from those who attacked its independence and freedom, and
> who secretly offered various services to the aggressors.
Benche' sui nostri organi di informazione la storia di questa rete terroristica
sia stata trattata in maniera frammentaria e non sia stata piu' ripresa
in seguito, va detto che l'eco dello scandalo relativo alla operazione
"Ragno" in Jugoslavia non si e' affatto spento, e non solo dal punto di
vista della polemica politica ma anche nelle sedi giudiziarie.
--- UN ALTRO "ESERCITO DI LIBERAZIONE"...
Ancora il 2 febbraio il notiziario di Radio B92 riportava le accuse
formulate contro un sedicente "Esercito di Liberazione della Serbia" che
sarebbe anche responsabile del fallito attentato proprio contro Vuk
Draskovic. Su quell'incidente stradale dello scorso autunno, nel quale
Draskovic e' scampato per un pelo, si e' scatenata una ridda di ipotesi e
recriminazioni. E' bene pero' ricordare che in Occidente non sono state
certo gradite le prese di posizione di Draskovic contro la aggressione della
primavera 1999, ne' la sua partecipazione al governo della Serbia nei
momenti piu' "caldi" della crisi del Kosmet, ne' la sua continua polemica
contro gli altri settori della opposizione filo-occidentale, da Djindjic agli
ambienti secessionisti montenegrini.
> Serbian Liberation Army members charged with Milosevic murder plot
>
> BELGRADE, Wednesday - The Belgrade Military Court today charged members
> of the Serbian Liberation Army with planning to assassinate Yugoslav
> President Slobodan Milosevic and senior army officer Nebojsa Pavkovic.
> Defence lawyer Borivoje Borovic told media that the defendants were also
> charges with forming a terrorist organisation and attempting to assassinate
> the leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk Draskovic. The Belgrade
> Military Court today remanded the defendants in custody and passed the case
> to the military court in the southern Serbian city of Nis.
--- IL CASO TOMLISON
Ancora pochi giorni prima dell'assassinio di Bulatovic e' stata diffusa la
notizia di un coinvolgimento, stavolta, del servizio segreto britannico in
un complotto per assassinare Milosevic. La notizia, uscita in evidenza sul
"Times" di Londra, veniva riportata come segue sul bollettino di B92:
> The Times: British Secret Service involved in plot to assassinate Milosevic
> (FreeB92, 29/1/2000 - http://www.freeb92.net/)
>
> LONDON, Saturday - Scotland yard have set up an investigation into the
> alleged cooperation between the British Secret Police and a Dutch Art
> smuggler who claims to have been involved a plot to assassinate Yugoslav
> President Slobodan Milosevic, London's daily The Times writes today.
> Michael van Rain was allegedly given the go ahead by the British
> Secret Service to smuggle works of art in exchange for assassinating
> President Milosevic and is now concerned about possible revenge
> attacks since he has not received the money he requires to pay off
> underworld criminals from the Former Yugolsavia who were also involved
> in the plot. According to Van Rain, he demanded the equivalent of the
> fighter Harrier which is valued at around fifteen million pounds for
> his part in the alleged plot.
Questa notizia sembra riecheggiare una vicenda meno nota rispetto a quella
del "Ragno", ma altrettanto imbarazzante per i servizi di intelligence
britannici. Essa viene raccontata nell'articolo che segue, scritto
dall'editorialista del sito ANTIWAR.COM Justin Raimondo subito dopo
l'assassinio di Bulatovic.
> Behind the Headlines by Justin Raimondo - Antiwar.com
> February 9, 2000
>
> WHO KILLED PAVLE BULATOVIC?
> The assassination of Yugoslavia's defense minister, Pavle Bulatovic, by
> gunmen inside a Belgrade restaurant throws the spotlight once again on
> the former Yugoslavia ^Ö and dramatizes the developing crisis. For
> Bulatovic was a key component of Milosevic's ruling coalition of
> Socialists, Radicals, and Montenegrin loyalists, and his sudden violent
> death has thrown the country into a whirlpool of apprehension and even
> panic. As the chief official of the Montenegrin branch of Milosevic's
> Serbian Socialist Party, Bulatovic played a leading role in the effort
> to keep the tiny republic in the Yugoslav federation; he was the
> organizer of quasi-military police units in the northern part of the
> country, and was fully prepared to lead a secession movement if
> Montenegro should finally make its move and break away. As I warned in a
> previous column, the Montenegrin time bomb has been ticking ever since
> the NATO warplanes stopped dropping their payloads on Belgrade. The
> cold-blooded murder of Pavle Bulatovic may be only the first of many
> explosions.
>
> BALKAN GANGSTERS
> Belgrade has been hit by a veritable wave of political violence: first
> the attempted assassination of Vuk Draskovic, the novelist who is also
> the leader of the biggest opposition party, the Serbian Renewal
> Movement; once a member of Milosevic's government, he is the most
> popular and charismatic of the opposition leaders. Then there was the
> killing of Arkan, the notorious leader of Serbian paramilitary outfits
> blamed for most of the prewar killing on the ground in Kosovo, gunned
> down after dinner at one of Belgrade's finer hotels. And now this. It is
> like something out of a grade "B" movie, Balkan Gangsters, in which hit
> men and gun molls frolic through the Weimaresque backdrop of Milosevic's
> Belgrade, strafing the streets with gunfire to the strains of "Cabaret."
> But who are these Balkan gangsters?
>
> THE USUAL SUSPECTS
> While the Serbian police have captured Bulatovic's assassin, the New
> York Times reports that "they say that the organizers of the deed remain
> at large." Who be they? There are several schools of thought on that
> question, best summarized by Radio B-52's very interesting account,
> which quotes a Serbian government official as saying that
> "the murder could easily be the work of the Kosovo Liberation. Other
> speculation went further afield, with the Serbian Radical Party accusing
> US, British and French intelligence services of masterminding the
> murder. The US State Department said today that the murder of Bulatovic
> was new proof that the Belgrade regime was maintaining power by
> spreading fear, crime and violence. State Department spokesman Philip
> Reeker told media that only a democratic Serbia could relieve its
> citizens of the evil which controlled their destiny."
>
> TO FAR AFIELD?
> But why is it too far afield to suggest that Western intelligence
> agencies may have been behind the cold-blooded murder of their declared
> enemies? It was Bill Clinton, after all, who declared in May of last
> year that the US would launch covert operations to overthrow Milosevic;
> since the end of phase one of the Kosovo war, the US has been openly
> supporting the Alliance for Change, a quarrelsome coalition of tiny
> parties with more officials than actual members, and continuously
> declaring that Milosevic and his allies must go ^Ö voluntarily if
> possible, violently if need be. While the Administration denied reports
> that the President's Top Secret executive order would authorize KLA
> operations inside Yugoslavia, no one expected them to admit it.
> Certainly this theory, favored by the Yugoslav government, is more
> credible than the Orwellian explanation put out by the US State
> Department, which expects the world to believe that Milosevic killed a
> loyal henchman ^Ö one who was, moreover, a key figure at the focal
> point of the developing crisis in Montenegro.
>
> THE MURDER OF ARKAN
> The US line on the Bulatovic assassination was meant to echo an
> undercurrent in the reporting of the Arkan murder, in which it was
> widely remarked that perhaps Milosevic was trying to get rid of someone
> who knew too much. But that, too, was not believable. For how did
> Milosevic benefit from Arkan's death? The idea that he was trying to
> silence a witness complicit in war crimes is laughable: in order to
> really achieve this, Milosevic would have to execute each and every
> surviving Serbian paramilitary, in what would amount to a highly
> improbable act of self-immolation.
>
> COLLABORATION OR ANARCHY
> On the other hand, Arkan's death fed into the atmosphere of uncertainty
> and disintegration inside Yugoslavia, and we all know who benefits from
> that development. It was all too predictable that some elements of the
> opposition would use these killings to carry out their role as NATO's
> fifth column, and presenting themselves as the only alternative to
> anarchy. The headline on the Reuters story said it all: "Serbia in
> Chaos, Milosevic Opponents Say." The most immediate beneficiaries of the
> assassination, the government of President Djukanovic of Montenegro,
> solemnly echoed this assessment: "Serbia has become a country of chaos,
> dictatorship and despair,'' said Miodrag Vukovic, a senior official of
> Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists. In this atmosphere, the
> decision to hold a referendum on Montenegro's membership in the Yugoslav
> federation could be implemented as promised by Djukanovic ^Ö without
> the threat of Bulatovic leading a rump loyalist Montenegro in the north.
>
Dopo avere inquadrato le possibili ragioni ed i possibili beneficiari
della eliminazione di Bulatovic, Raimondo ripercorre la storia del
progetto di eliminazione di Milosevic approntato dal MI6 (servizio segreto
britannico) nel 1992.
La dinamica prevista in effetti e' la stessa con la quale sarebbe stata
uccisa a Parigi la moglie di Carlo d'Inghilterra, Diana, divenuta troppo
scomoda alla monarchia britannica anche a causa dei suoi sempre
piu' stretti rapporti (finanche sentimentali) con il mondo arabo.
In pratica, Tomlison, un ex agente dei servizi britannici, parlo' della
questione circa un anno fa, nell'ambito di una serie di rivelazioni sulle
operazioni e sugli agenti dell'MI6. Tra le altre cose, Tomlison rivelo'
pure una azione progettata per uccidere Gheddafi, e diffuse un lungo elenco
di agenti dell'MI6 dislocati in vari paesi nel mondo, che ha avuto larga
circolazione in Internet.
Della vicenda Tomlison e del progetto di assassinio di Milosevic si fa
riferimento anche nel sito http://www.insight-news.ch/Shayler/!milosev.htm
Ma vediamo cosa scrive Raimondo:
>
> MORE EVIDENCE
> It is always good to ask "who benefits?" But we must also have another
> kind evidence, if not straight from the crime scene then from the
> history of the suspects. There is plenty in the known history of Western
> intelligence agencies to verify their ruthlessness, their willingness to
> commit murder, mayhem, and worse. The CIA's assassination attempts aimed
> at Fidel Castro are common knowledge, perhaps because of the comic
> inability of our Covert Keystone Kops to pull off the job ^Ö in spite
> of trying virtually everything, from slow poison to an exploding cigar.
>
> THE TOMLINSON REVELATIONS
> In the case of the former Yugoslavia, however, the evidence we have is a
> bit more solid: the testimony of a former employee of M16, the British
> intelligence service, who says that the Brits were involved early on, in
> 1992, in a scheme to assassinate Slobodan Milosevic. Richard Tomlinson
> caused a sensation last year when he posted the names of M16 agents on
> his website, blowing their cover and bringing the wrath of the British
> and US governments down on his head. Tomlinson's book on his experiences
> in M16 was suppressed by the British government, and censorship was
> imposed on British newspapers and other media in order to prevent them
> from publishing the information, or giving out the address of
> Tomlinson's site. Naturally this edict had the exact opposite of the
> intended effect: in the age of the Internet, the list was soon posted
> practically everywhere you looked in cyberspace, in spite of fruitless
> attempts by the US and British authorities to close Tomlinson down.
> Among his more interesting revelations was of M16's plan to assassinate
> Slobodan Milosevic, a project described by Tomlinson in a letter to his
> lawyer made publicly available. Addressed "to whom it may concern," it
> demonstrates how the Brits ^Ö always the most gung-ho in Kosovo war ^Ö
> would stop at nothing in their effort to overthrow the duly elected
> government of a sovereign nation. Tomlinson writes:
> "From March 1992 until September 1993 I worked in the East European
> controllerate of MI6 under the staff designation of UKA/7. My role was
> to carry out natural cover operations (undercover as a businessman or
> journalist etc) in eastern Europe. The Balkan war was in its early
> stages at this time, and so my responsibilities were increasingly
> directed to this arena.
> "My work thus involved frequent contact with the officer responsible for
> developing and targeting operations in the Balkans. At the time, this
> was Nicholas Fishwick, who worked under the staff designation of P4/OPS.
> We would frequently meet in his office on the 11th floor of Century
> House to discuss proposed and ongoing operations that I was involved in
> and, indeed, many other operations which I was not myself involved in.
> "During one such meeting in the summer of 1992 Nick Fishwick casually
> mentioned that he was working on a proposal to assassinate President
> Milosevic of Serbia. I laughed, and dismissed his claim as an idle boast
> as I (naively) thought that MI6 would never contemplate such an
> operation. Fishwick insisted that it was true, and appeared somewhat
> offended that I did not believe him. However, I still presumed that he
> was just pulling my leg, and thought nothing more of the incident
>
In pratica, Tomlison rivelo' in una lettera di essere venuto a conoscenza
del progetto da Nicholas Fishwick, un altro agente che come lui era stato
destinato al settore dell'Europa orientale proprio nei mesi dello scoppio
del conflitto in Bosnia (marzo 92 - settembre 93).
>
> "A few days later, I called in again to Fishwick's office. After a few
> moments of conversation, he triumphantly pulled out a document from a
> file on his desk, tossed it over to me, and suggested I read it. To my
> astonishment, it was indeed a proposal to assassinate President
> Milosevic of Serbia. The minute was approximately 2 pages long, and had
> a yellow minute card attached to it which signified that it was an
> accountable document rather than a draft proposal. It was entitled "The
> need to assassinate President Milosevic of Serbia". . . .
> "The first page of the document was a political "justification" to
> assassinate President Milosevic. Fishwick's justification was basically
> that there was evidence that Milosevic was providing arms and support to
> President Radovan Karadzic in the breakaway republic of Bosnian Serbia.
> The remainder of the document proposed three methods to assassinate
> Milosevic. The first method was to train and equip a Serbian
> paramilitary opposition group to assassinate Milosevic in Serbia.
> Fishwick argued that this method would have the advantage of
> deniability, but the disadvantage that control of the operation would be
> low and the chances of success unpredictable. The second method was to
> use the Increment (a small cell of the SAS and SBS which is especially
> selected and trained to carry out operations exclusively for MI5/MI6) to
> infiltrate Serbia and attack Milosevic either with a bomb or sniper
> ambush. Fishwick argued that this would plan would be the most reliable,
> but would be undeniable if it went wrong. Fishwick's third proposal was
> to kill Milosevic in a staged car crash, possibly during one of his
> visits to the ICFY (International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia)
> in Geneva, Switzerland. Fishwick even provided a suggestion about how
> this could be done, such as by disorientating Milosevic's chauffeur
> using a blinding strobe light as the cavalcade passed through one of
> Geneva's motorway tunnels."
>
Fishwick avrebbe sottoposto a Tomlison un documento interno dei servizi
contenente una "giustificazione" della necessita' di assassinare
Milosevic e tre ipotesi su come procedere. In particolare, la
terza ipotesi - la meno rischiosa - prevedeva di causare un incidente
automobilistico a Ginevra nel corso di una delle visite di Milosevic alla
Conferenza Internazionale sulla ex-Jugoslavia.
Il piano non ebbe un seguito immediato, e comunque nel giro di due anni
(1995) Tomlison avrebbe rotto completamente il suo rapporto con l'MI6 per poi
incominciare a rendere pubbliche una serie di informazioni. Per questo suo
attuale comportamento da "delatore" gli viene oggi vietato l'ingresso in
tutta una serie di paesi alleati della Gran Bretagna (dallo scorso anno
anche in Svizzera, da dove pure Tomlison aveva rilasciato le ultime
clamorose rivelazioni).
>
> THE FUGITIVE
> Tomlinson goes on to say that "there was no doubt in my mind when I read
> Fishwick's proposal that he was entirely serious about pursuing his
> plan. Fishwick was an ambitious and serious officer, who would not
> frivolise his career by making such a proposal in jest or merely to
> impress me. However, I heard no more about the progress of this
> proposal, and did not expect to, as I was not on its distribution list."
> He published the names on the distribution list, however, and presumably
> further inquiries should be directed at them. As to Tomlinson's
> veracity, one can only surmise that his motives have nothing to do
> either with financial gain or personal ambition: since 1995, when he
> broke with M16 and started making his extraordinary revelations, he has
> been banned from coming to Britain, the US, Australia, and France, and,
> last we heard, was on the run from spooks, having just been driven out
> of Switzerland.
>
> AN EVIL CONTROLLING AUTHORITY
> Tomlinson's testimony is powerful evidence that the "evil" controlling
> Serbia's destiny is not centered in Belgrade, as State Department
> spokesman Philip Reeker would have it, or even in Kosovo, as the
> Yugoslav authorities suspect, but in London, Washington, and Berlin. The
> idea is to create chaos, to destabilize the country to the point where
> even the cowardly collaborators of the US-controlled "Alliance for
> Change" will start to look good ^Ö and seize the opportunity to break
> off yet another slice of Yugoslavia.
>
> WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
> In this context, even the attempted assassination of Vuk Draskovich begs
> to be seen from a new perspective: for he is the only opposition leader
> who has failed to cooperate in any significant way with the NATO-crats,
> insisting on retaining his independence and unequivocally calling for an
> end to the Allied assault on his country. If the attempt on his life had
> succeeded, Milosevic would surely have been blamed ^Ö and a prominent
> obstacle to the US goal of consolidating the opposition under its
> control would also have been achieved. Of course, that's just a
> coincidence ^Ö right?
>
> REMEMBER MUSSOLINI
> The terrorist campaign now being waged against Yugoslav government
> officials is aimed, first and foremost, at Milosevic. Remember that
> hours after NATO bombed his mansion, the Serbian leader was at the
> negotiating table and the war began to wind down. If assassins can off
> Arkan and Bulatovic in the heart of Belgrade, then isn't Milosevic next?
> The Bulatovic assassination is clearly a warning to Milosevic: back down
> or face the consequences. Once again, the NATO-crats seem to be
> underestimating both the Serbians and their leader. Whatever else he may
> be, Milosevic is a survivor: the death of Communism, the dissolution of
> Yugoslavia, the loss of Kosovo, the humiliation and decimation of defeat
> ^Ö after all that, old Slobo is still standing. If the NATO-crats think
> he will turn himself in to the International Tribunal at the Hague, and
> deliver not only himself but his country up to the Allied conquerors
> without a fight, perhaps they are engaging in wishful thinking. Whatever
> course the Serbian leader may take, it would be an error to mistake
> Milosevic for the Serbian people. In the unlikely event that Slobo runs
> up the white flag of surrender, his own people will doubtless string him
> up in its place.
Per concludere, Raimondo ricorda che un tentativo reale, pratico di
uccidere il presidente della RFJ c'e' stato effettivamente: si tratta del
bombardamento della sua residenza a Belgrado, nel quartiere di Dedinje,
completamente distrutta durante un "raid umanitario" la scorsa primavera.
--- L'ARTICOLO DI "ORIGINAL SOURCES"
Per terminare, riportiamo integralmente il recentissimo articolo apparso
sul sito "Original Sources". In esso sono citate altre fonti ancora sul
caso Tomlison e si fa un parallelo con l'assassinio di Salvador Allende,
organizzato dalla CIA nel 1973.
*** Would Clinton Try to Assassinate Slobodan Milosevic?
Will Creating Anarchy in Other Nations Become American policy?
By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources (www.originalsources.com)
February 14, 2000
One of my readers, T.V. Weber, who is very knowledgeable on what has and
is happening in Kosovo, e-mailed me a question:
In your February 8, 2000 article entitled "Is It Democracy or Anarchy that
Clinton and Blair Demand in Europe? America Found About KLA the Hard Way
in Kosovo" you end with the powerful paragraph: "Increasingly, it appears,
if voters in other countries don't vote the way the White House wants them
to vote, they are treated as enemies and either isolated, sanctioned or
bombed. And where does that lead? Quite often to the kind of anarchy that
now exists in Kosovo." My only question is: will this become domestic
policy? I would write myself off as paranoid, however I have several
friends in the mental health profession who insist that I am NOT suffering
from that particular neurosis.
My sister Roberta has a little saying about paranoia. "If someone really
IS out to get you, you are not being paranoid for thinking someone is out
to get you." We have this huge organization called the Central
Intelligence Agency which has a budget of nearly $27 billion. We don't
know how many people are employed there, nor do we know much about what
the people there do. It's a secret. Would the CIA do things that might
lead to anarchy in other countries, like assassinating people elected
leaders of other nations, for instance? Would any NATO country do such a
thing, do you suppose?
Well, spying and spies may be changing since the fall of the Soviet Union,
since the reason for the very existence of the CIA, which was created in
1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Truman,
was to coordinate the nation's intelligence activities. It was primarily
concerned with the threat of Communism and the Soviet Union. For the last
decade, of course, it has had to find other goals to justify the
expenditure of that $27 billion. The British intelligence agency has had
much the same problem.
What appears to have happened is an expansion of intelligence activity in
all kinds of areas and some of those areas have really bothered some of
the spies working in the agencies. Richard Tomlinson, a former British
Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) agent who had tried to tell the people
of Great Britain what some of their money was being used for. In 1998 he
said, in part, in an affidavit which was posted on the Internet to the
horror of the intelligence community:
(http://www.anaserve.com/~wethepeople/tomlin3.htm)
In 1992, as the civil war in the former Yugoslavia became increasingly
topical, I started to work primarily on operations in Serbia. During this
time, I became acquainted with Dr Nicholas Bernard Frank FISHWICK, born
1958, the MI6 officer who at the time was in charge of planning Balkan
operations. During one meeting with Dr Fishwick, he casually showed to me
a three-page document that on closer inspection turned out to be an
outline plan to assassinate the Serbian leader President Slobodan
Milosevic. The plan was fully typed, and attached to a yellow "minute
board", signifying that this was a formal and accountable document. It
will therefore still be in existence. Tomlinson named names, dates and
places and added: "This plan contained a political justification for the
assassination of Milosevic, followed by three outline proposals on how to
achieve this objective." Last week the latest in a series of
assassinations or near assassinations took place in Belgrade when the
federal minister of defense Pavle Bulatovic was gunned down by someone who
was able to "shoot with precision with an automatic rifle." The Bulatovic
assassination came only three weeks after the murder in similar style of
Zeljko Raznatovic, a militia leader and Milosovic supporter known as Arkan
in the lobby of Belgrade's plush Intercontinental Hotel. In early October,
on a lonely road south of Belgrade, a truck loaded with sand plowed into a
convoy carrying Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic and four others to
a Sunday picnic. Only Draskovic survived. Draskovic supported Milosevic
throughout the bombing and was critical of other minority party leaders
for taking money offered to Milosevic opponents.
Of course, the spin put on all these assassinations and assassination
attempts is that they are all Milosevic's fault. For some reason we are
all supposed to believe that Milosevic would hire assassins to kill his
supporters and cabinet officers in highly public mafia style executions.
Would our beloved CIA do such dastardly deeds? Well, apparently even the
New York Times has its suspicions. In a front page story yesterday,
entitled, "U.S. Victims of Chile's Coup: The Uncensored File" the Times
reports that documents recently declassified by Clinton "make clear for
the first time that the State Department concluded from almost the
beginning that the Pinochet government had killed the men, Charles Horman,
31, and Frank Teruggi, 24." Horman and Teruggi were Americans who
supported the socialist government of Salvador Allende. Those documents
indicate that the CIA and the Pentagon of collaborated with General
Augusto Pinochet, who is now being accused of human rights violations, to
get the two men killed.
The Times reported: "U.S. intelligence may have played an unfortunate part
in Horman's death," said one newly declassified memo. "At best, it was
limited to providing or confirming information that helped motivate his
murder by the government of Chile. At worst, U.S. intelligence was aware
the government of Chile saw Horman in a rather serious light and U.S.
officials did nothing to discourage the logical outcome of government of
Chile paranoia." In 1980 the Government was forced to release these
documents through the Freedom of Information Act. However, they were
heavily censored in black ink, and appeared to clear the American and
Chilean governments of any responsibility. Now that Clinton has released
the total document, it is increasingly apparent that the CIA was involved
in helping the Pinochet regime find the Americans, who were summarily
executed by Pinochet's uniformed troops.
On April 23, 1999 when three laser-guided bombs landed in Milosevic's
bedroom, living room and dining room, the Serbs called it an
"assassination attempt." Kenneth Bacon, Pentagon spokesman, when asked if
the bombing of Milosevic's home was an assassination attempt, said that
assassination of foreign leaders was not "US policy."
I wrote in an analysis of the event
(http://www.originalsources.com/OS4-99MQC/4-23-1999.1.html), "Of course,
the reporter didn't ask what US policy is. He asked if the purpose of
bombing Milosevic's home was to kill him. Bacon didn't answer that
question. However, it is doubtful that the decision was made to bomb
Milosevic's bedroom and living room to improve his health."
So, to answer T.V.'s question, do I think Bill Clinton and Tony Blair are
capable of adopting a policy which is DESIGNED to create anarchy in other
countries? Yes. They are. I don't know if it is through sheer stupidity or
by design, but it sure is obvious to me that Clinton's expressed
determination to "get rid" of Slobodon Milosevic has simply moved from
bombing his bedroom in April of 1999 to trying to create fear, distrust
and internal wars among the Serbs who haven't figured it out yet.
To comment: mmostert@...
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
"Il vero coraggio consiste nel denunciare i crimini commessi dalla
propria parte, non quelli commessi dall'avversario"
"Le véritable courage consiste à dénoncer les crimes commis
par son propre camp, et non ceux commis par l'adversaire."
Bertrand Russel
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
nei fatti e nelle parole" riguardante la situazione dei diritti umani in
Kosmet nel periodo ottobre 1998 - ottobre 1999 (i documenti OSCE si
trovano alla URL: http://www.osce.org/kosovo/index.htm ):
- UN COMMENTO DI CHOSSUDOVSKY da "Emperor's Clothes"
- LA POSIZIONE DEL GOVERNO DELLA RFJ
*** Riepilogo delle violazioni della Risoluzione 1244 del Consiglio di
Sicurezza dell'ONU al 10 gennaio 2000 (Min. Esteri RFJ -
http://www.mfa.gov.yu/ oppure http://www1.mfa.gov.yu/)
---
Cooking the books -
NATO's ethnic cleansing claims challenged
by
Michel Chossudovsky (Revised 2-10-00)
Emperors Clothes - www.tenc.net
NATO's justification for bombing Yugoslavia on humanitarian grounds has
been refuted by the Western alliance's own official figures and
documentary evidence. The recently released OSCE report entitled "As
Seen, As Told: Analysis of the Human Rights Findings of the OSCE Kosovo
Verification Mission" suggests that the allegation of mass deportations
is a fabrication. 1
Although heavily slanted in its main conclusions, the OSCE figures
suggest that there were proportionately more Serbs (as a percentage of
population) fleeing Kosovo than ethnic Albanians which puts an obvious
question mark on NATO's assertion that organized mass expulsions of
ethnic Albanians were taking place.
According to OSCE numbers and Kosovar Albanian sources on population
size and distribution, an estimated 45.7 percent of the Albanian
population and 59.5 percent of the Serb population had fled Kosovo
during the bombings (i.e. from 23 March to 9 June 1999).2
The OSCE report summarises the balance-sheet of ethnic Albanian refugees
as numbering 862,979. In a secluded footnote at the bottom of the main
table, the report nonetheless acknowledges that: "In addition [to the
862,979 ethnic Albanian refugees], more than 100,000 Serb IDPs
[Internally displaced persons] are estimated to have left Kosovo and to
have been registered in Serbia and Montenegro". 3 Whereas ethnic
Albanians (including those who fled to Montenegro) are categorized as
"refugees", Serbs who fled Kosovo during the same period are casually
identified as "Internally Displaced Persons". The figures for ethnic
Albanians are very precise in contrast to those indicated for the Serbs
in the footnote. The number of refugees belonging to other ethnic groups
who fled the province during the bombings is not even acknowledged.
According to Kosovo Albanian sources, the Province had a total
population of 2.1 million of which 90 percent are ethnic Albanians, 8
percent Serbs and 2 percent are other ethnic groups.4 Based on these
figures (which are accepted both by NATO and the post-conflict KLA
provisional government) there were an estimated 1.89 million ethnic
Albanians and 168,000 Serbs in Kosovo.
In accordance with the above population breakdown, the exodus of Serbs
(as a percentage of population) was larger than that of the ethnic
Albanian population. According to OSCE numbers (from UNHCR sources), it
is estimated that 45.7 percent of the Albanian population and more than
59.5 percent of the Serb population fled Kosovo during the bombings
(i.e. from 23 March to 9 June 1999).
In other words, Serbs --who ostensibly were not the target of "ethnic
cleansing perpetrated by the Serbs"-- had also fled the theatre of the
war in Kosovo. If there had been a deliberate and cohesive policy of
ethnic cleansing and massacres directed against ethnic Albanians, the
percentages would have been markedly different and this is something
which NATO was cautious not to reveal to public opinion while the
bombings were ongoing.
The above estimates depend on the veracity of the OSCE-UNHCR refugee
figures as well as on the reliability of the data on population size and
distribution. In estimating these percentages, we have accepted official
OSCE-UNHCR refugee numbers at face value, namely that the OSCE Report
has not artificially "inflated" the number of ethnic Albanian refugees
nor has it "deflated" the number of Serbs who fled Kosovo during the
bombings with a view to vindicating NATO's claim of ethnic cleansing. We
have also taken Kosovar Albanian assumptions pertaining to population
size and distribution. In other words, the percentages are derived from
their numbers! Moreover, it should be emphasised that the percentage of
Serbs who left Kosovo estimated at 59.5 percent is based on the 100,000
figure given by the OSCE. Yet the OSCE report states that the number of
Serbs who fled Kosovo during the same period is "more than 100,000".
Accounting for biases in the OSCE-UNHCR figures and margins of error in
the data on population, the estimates do not support NATO's allegation
of a policy of mass deportation directed against ethnic Albanians.
Ironically, the OSCE Report rather than using Kosovar Albanian sources
on population, acknowledges the assumptions of Belgrade's 1991 Census
data (also in a discrete footnote) which indicates the ethnic Albanian
population at 82 percent of total population. Yet the Census was
boycotted by ethnic Albanians and the figures were never recognised by
the parallel provisional government of Kosovo. Why does the OSCE
acknowledge Belgrade's 1991 Census when NATO and KLA statements
repeatedly indicate that the ethnic Albanian population is at 90
percent? Evidently, the use of the 1991 Census data by those who have
rejected it, is in this case to their political advantage. Based on the
1991 Census figures, the estimated percentage of each population group
which fled Kosovo would be 53.7 percent for the ethnic Albanians and
more than 51.5 percent for the Serbs.5 Yet even in this case, NATO's
claim of mass deportations is not borne out.
The refugee crisis, we were told repeatedly during the War was limited
to ethnic Albanians. According to the Western media, Serb civilians had
been protected by the Serb police and Armed forces. The large scale
exodus of Serbs from Kosovo prior to June 9, 1999 (acknowledged by the
figures contained in the OSCE Report) was simply not mentioned. To
reveal the numbers would have discredited NATO's main justification for
launching its "humanitarian war".
FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH
Other documentary evidence including an official report of the German
foreign ministry published prior to the War, confirms that there was no
evidence of "ethnic cleansing" in Kosovo in the months immediately
preceding the bombings. Who is lying? German Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer had justified NATO's intervention pointing to a "humanitarian
catastrophe", yet the internal documents of his own ministry stated
exactly the opposite: "Even in Kosovo an explicit political persecution
linked to Albanian ethnicity is not verifiable. The East of Kosovo is
still not involved in armed conflict. Public life in cities like
Pristina, Urosevac, Gnjilan, etc. has, in the entire conflict period,
continued on a relatively normal basis. The actions of the security
forces [were] not directed against the Kosovo-Albanians as an ethnically
defined group, but against the military opponent [KLA] and its actual or
alleged supporters."...6
Moreover, a report of the United States Committee on Refugees (USCR)
confirms a significant reduction in the number of refugees and
internally displaced persons in the period following the signing of the
October 13, 1998 agreement between U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke
and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) President Slobodan Milosevic.
According to USCR, the overall refugee situation had improved with the
entry of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM). The USCR report
also confirms that "KLA ethnic cleansing of ethnic Serb civilian
population pockets intensified in December [1998]" substantiating the
results of the German Foreign Office intelligence report. But we were
told time and again that the Serbs rather than the KLA had been
responsible for ethnic cleansing in the months leading up to the War...
7
The OSCE-UNHCR figures on the number of refugees rather than supporting
NATO's main justification for waging the war, suggest that more than
half the Serb population had also fled Kosovo during the war. This
tendency could be explained by the fact that the KLA had been
responsible for relaying intelligence to NATO pertaining to potential
targets in the bombing operation. Moreover, a history of the war also
suggests that the massacres and atrocities directed against the Serbs by
the KLA Military Command (amply documented for the period after June 9)
had already commenced prior to the arrival of KFOR forces in Kosovo.
NATO'S TWO "HUMANITARIAN PREMISES" INVALIDATED
NATO's pretext for bombing Yugoslavia on humanitarian grounds rests on
two central premises: 1) the alleged indiscriminate mass killings of
Albanian civilians (premise number one); 2) the implementation of a
deliberate policy of mass deportations or "ethnic cleansing" (premise
number two). Both these premises have now been refuted by NATO's own
evidence and documentary evidence
The alleged indiscriminate mass killings of Albanian civilians had
earlier been invalidated by the FBI and European forensic teams working
under the auspices of the Hague Tribunal (ICTY) casting doubt on NATO's
justification for waging the war. The forensic and police investigators
had uncovered several hundred bodies in grave sites in Kosovo as opposed
to the 10,000 to 100,000 civilian massacres claimed by NATO and Western
governments as a pretext for waging the War. British Prime Minister Tony
Blair had announced that President Milosevic was "set on a Hitler style
genocide equivalent to the extermination of the Jews during World war
II".8 " "Genocide is starting," stated German Defense Minister Rudolf
Scharping.10...
The Hague Tribunal (ICTY) (while upholding the war crimes indictment
against members of the Yugoslav government), has acknowledged the
exhumation"the allegations of indiscriminate mass murder, rape
camps,...crematoriums, mutilation of the dead have not been borne out"
by the police investigations and forensic evidence. 12
NO REMAINING LEG TO STAND ON
Since the release of the forensic reports
--which have invalidated premise number one--, the policy of mass
deportations against ethnic Albanians (premise number two) is now being
upheld by NATO and the Western media as "a sufficient justification" for
launching the war. In the words of Madeleine Albright "opposing ethnic
cleansing is central to our values... We are reaffirming NATO's core
purpose as a defender of democracy, stability and human decency on
European soil."13 Yet NATO's claim of mass deportations has now also
been refuted by the figures contained in the OSCE report. NATO has no
remaining leg to stand on. Official documentary evidence (including the
forensic reports and the data on the number of refugees) unequivocally
refute NATO's two central postulates for waging the war. What then was
the justification for the humanitarian bombings? What was the hidden
agenda? Ultimately the truth must prevail, public opinion must be
informed and those who are responsible for waging this criminal war must
be brought to trial.
NOTES
1. OSCE, Kosovo/ Kosova, As Seen, As Told, An analysis of the human
rights findings of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission, October 1998 to
June 1999, Warsaw, 1999.
2. Ibid
3. Ibid.
4. Figures for 1993. See Albania Worldwide Web, GOTOBUTTON BM_1_
http://www.albanian.com/main/. See also Musa Limani, Pristina, The
Association of Lawyers of Kosova, 1992. Kosovar Albanian estimates place
the population of Kosovo at 2.3 million for 2000.
5. The Government of Yugoslavia 1991 Census data for Kosovo identified a
total population of 1,956,196 of which 82.2 % are Albanians, 9.9 % Serbs
and 7.9 % other ethnic groups. The Census was boycotted by the ethnic
Albanian population. During the 1990s, the evidence suggests that
Kosovar Serbs left the Province in large numbers.
6. Intelligence Report from the German Foreign Office, January 12, 1999
to the Administrative Court of Trier.
7. See USCR GOTOBUTTON BM_2_
http://www.refugees.org/world/countryrpt/europe/yugoslavia.htm
8. Quoted in Peter Gowan, Kosovo; the war and its aftermath, Labour
Focus on Eastern Europe, no. 64, 1999, p. 26.
9. CBS , May 17, 1999.
10. Quoted in Peter Gowan, op. cit.
11. Reuters, 10 November 1999.
12. Wall Street Journal, 31 December 1999.
13. Quoted in Time Magazine, May 17, 1999, p. 25-26.
C Copyright by Michel Chossudovsky, Ottawa, February 2000. All rights
reserved. Permission is granted to post this text on noncommercial
community internet sites, provided the essay remains intact and the
copyright note is displayed. The text can also be photocopied for
non-commercial distribution. To publish this text in printed and/or
other forms contact the author at chossudovsky@... or fax:
1-514-4256224.
Copyright, Michel Chossudovsky, Ottawa, February 2000
* Recent articles by Michel Chossudovsky:
"Seattle and Beyond: Disarming the New World Order"
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/chuss/seattle.htm
"NATO's Reign of Terror in Kosovo"
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/chuss/chossnato.htm
"The KLA: Grim Origins"
http://emperors-clothes.com/articles/chuss/kla.html
---
POSITIONS AND COMMENTS
of the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia concerning the
OSCE
Report "Kosovo/Kossova As Seen, As Told" on the situation of human
rights
in Kosovo and Metohija in the period from October 1998 to October 1999
After careful examination of the OSCE/ODIHR Report "Kosovo/Kossova As
Seen, As Told", Parts I and II, on the human rights situation in Kosovo
and
Metohija from October 1998 to October 1999, certain questions inevitably
arise, questions that have not been answered by its authors. There is,
first of all, the question of the purpose and justification of resorting
to
an armed aggression against a sovereign country, in violation of all
norms
and principles of international law, and secondly the question of the
respect for the fundamental principles of the OSCE.
OSCE reports have received great attention in the world public and media
and have again raised serious doubts as to the reasons and consequences
of
the NATO aggression as well as to the real record of performance of the
international administration and the military presence in Kosovo and
Metohija. The Federal Government considers that the data cited and the
methodology used in collecting and presenting information need a
critical
analysis and evaluation, both from the point of view of the truthfulness
of
the statements and data presented and the method of selecting them, but
also from the point of view of the (political) effects wanted to be
achieved by them.
A one-sided presentation of facts in the report, which does not at all
make use or mention of the findings of the authorities in the FR of
Yugoslavia regarding events that are being reported on, represents an
attempt at justifying the NATO aggression against the FR of Yugoslavia
after the event. The very publication of the report by the OSCE
represents
an abuse of that organization already instrumentalized for political
purposes, for the second time (the KVM presence in Kosovo and Metohija
being used to prepare for the NATO aggression). Such abuse has most
seriously undermined the credibility of OSCE, which may have
unforeseeable
consequences on its prestige and possibilities for future activity.
1. Although it was not the intent of the report, it revealed in a
documented fashion that there was no humanitarian crisis in Kosovo and
Metohija before NATO aggression, and that problems in this Serbian
province
were at least not that serious to provoke the most brutal interference
in
the internal affairs of a sovereign State, a gross violation of its
sovereignty and territorial integrity and disrespect of the basic OSCE
principles.
It is clear from the report that prior to NATO aggression there was no
violence against Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija (except actions
against
the terrorists of the so-called KLA). These actions of "the army and
paramilitary units were confined to the areas where the so-called KLA
had
its bases". It is also clear from the report that the activities of the
Yugoslav authorities in Kosovo and Metohija were directed against a
terrorist and separatist organization which openly advocated "an armed
struggle until liberation". It documented illegal activities carried out
by
Albanian separatists (establishment of parallel institutions and
administration, boycotting of elections and the establishment of the
so-called KLA which is being described as "a paramilitary group of
Kosovo
Albanians whose purpose is separatism through armed struggle").
Consequently, legitimate reactions of the authorities in the Province
against terrorist and separatist activities cannot be described as
"repression against the Albanian population". The assertion is not true,
either, that "human rights violations were the cause and effect of
conflicts in Kosovo and Metohija", because it was well-documented that
the
terrorist activities of the so-called KLA commanded appropriate
legitimate
response of the authorities, aimed at their suppression.
The cited information clearly proves that the tragic plight of the
Kosovo
population followed "the NATO humanitarian intervention", i.e. the armed
aggression against the FR of Yugoslavia, in which thousands of people
were
killed and there was a mass exodus of the population fleeing the bombs.
In
other words, the "military intervention" was directly responsible for
the
wave of the ethnic cleansing. Instead of being prevented it is going on
to
the present day in the presence of UNMIK and KFOR.
2. The relevant authorities of the FR of Yugoslavia kept the
international
public and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office regularly informed of the illegal
actions by terrorists and separatists in Kosovo and Metohija (See the
set
of documents delivered to the CiO, Mr. Knut Vollebaek, Norwegian Foreign
Minister, on 1 March 1999.).
The terrorist actions of Albanian separatists in Kosovo and Metohija,
prior to the consent of the FRY to accept an OSCE Mission in its
territory
as a sign of its good will, had assumed such proportions that they
required
energetic measures by the authorities. In a one-year period, from 1
January-31 December 1998 alone, in Kosovo and Metohija there were :
- more than 1,885 terrorist attacks, in which 288 persons were killed
and
561 wounded;
- 1,129 terrorist attacks against police personnel and facilities, which
left 115 police officers dead and 403 wounded;
- the remaining 756 attacks were made against civilians, with 173 people
killed and 158 injured.
- During the same period, 308 persons (293 civilians and 15 policemen)
were abducted. Of this number 31 civilians and 3 policemen were killed,
while 143 abducted civilians and 9 policemen are still unaccounted-for.
Following the deployment of OSCE verifiers to Kosovo and Metohija,
terrorist activities did not cease. Only in the period from 13 October
1998
-20 March 1999 (after the agreement reached by the President of the FRY
S.
Milo{evi} and US Special Representative Ambassador R. Holbrooke), a
series
of terrorist attacks, murders and abductions took place in the presence
of
KVM, namely:
- 1,048 attacks (371 against civilians and 677 against police);
- 154 people (127 civilians and 27 policemen) were killed;
- 148 (81 civilians and 67 police officers) sustained serious injuries;
- 100 persons (93 civilians and 7 police officers) were kidnapped (16
killed:14 civilians and 2 policemen and the fate of 37 civilians and 4
policemen is yet unknown);
- 56 terrorist attacks on VJ forces (2 soldiers killed, 9 seriously and
21
slightly injured).
3. Since its deployment in Kosovo and Metohija in October 1998, the OSCE
Kosovo Verification Mission openly defended the separatist movement and
the
terrorist KLA there and adopted a benignant and uncritical attitude
towards
it. This is evidently the reason why the above information was left out
of
the report, because it will clearly show that there was an increase in
terrorist actions during the presence of KVM; that roadblocks were set
up
hindering freedom of movement; that kidnappings and arms smuggling were
frequent occurrences. Moreover, strategically important facilities were
marked in this period. In this way, the OSCE and its Mission were
grossly
abused and they played a role contrary to the goals of this
Organization.
The report singles out, as the most glaring illustration of the alleged
repressive policies of the government before the aggression, the
previously
overmagnified and overexploited "events" in the media in the villages of
Ra~ak, Rakovina and Rogovo (that are referred to as "executions"). In
these
villages, according to the report, there were mass killings of "Kosovo
Albanians by the Yugoslav/Serbian forces". The report made by the team
of
independent forensic experts did not confirm the accusations levelled by
KVM Head W. Walker.
The evidence of the crimes that had allegedly been committed in Kosovo
and
Metohija before the aggression, was taken as "eye-witness" statements
from
refugees in camps in Albania and Macedonia. In view of the fact that
this
part of the report contains most serious accusations levelled at the
actions taken by "police, paramilitary and the military" against the
civilian population - mostly those of Albanian nationality - (torture,
rape, missing persons, arbitrary detention, wanton destruction of
property
and looting, use of civilians as human shields, forced expulsions,
etc.),
it would be logical that it also contains findings of Yugoslav
authorities
concerning the events in question, considering that they were timely
presented and submitted to KVM. Instead, the drafters of the report have
confined themselves to "interviewing eye-witnesses on the ground" and
making public their statements as testimonies of "witnesses for the
prosecution", thus ignoring the reports of the legitimate authorities, a
fact which is both essentially and methodologically unacceptable and
cannot
help get an objective picture of events.
4. One may rightfully raise the question of the credibility of the
so-called "evidence of the crimes" committed by police, VJ and
paramilitary
forces in the period during the aggression, from 24 March to 9 June
1999,
since KVM withdrew from Kosovo and Metohija on 20 March 1999, i.e.
before
the onset of the aggression and was not present there while it was on.
It should be noted that the report did not at all keep track of the
crimes
committed by the NATO alliance in Kosovo and Metohija in that period,
although they were widely reported in international media and
well-documented by the competent Yugoslav authorities (See the White
Paper,
Part I and II).
The list of crimes and irreparable losses caused by the aggression is
endless:
- More than 2,000 civilians died. This figure is not final given that
the
identification of all victims has not been completed;
- More than 7,000 people were wounded and in most cases they will remain
permanently disabled;
- Eighty-two bridges were damaged or destroyed;
- 422 school facilities (school buildings, university colleges, student
dormitories, etc.) were knocked down or damaged;
- 48 health institutions (hospitals, out-patient clinics, health
stations,
etc.) were damaged or destroyed;
- 74 TV transmitter, relay and repeater sites were demolished or
destroyed;
- Essential infrastructure (power plants, transformer yards, power
distribution system, oil installations, numerous factories, traffic
routes,
etc.) were destroyed or severely damaged, as well as great many other
civilian facilities (See the White Paper);
- Over 2.5 million citizens of the FR of Yugoslavia have remained
without
the basic means of subsistence;
- Total material losses due to the aggression amount close to US$ 100
billion.
- Total quantifiable losses (due to the sanctions imposed by the
international community, due to the secession of the republics of the
former SFR of Yugoslavia as well as those due to the NATO aggression) in
the period 1991-2010 have been estimated at US$ 200 billion. It is worth
noting that the sanctions, as a flagrant violation of the basic human
rights, have not been devoted any attention in the OSCE report.
Negative effects on the overall development of the FR of Yugoslavia and
the standard of living of its population will be felt for decades to
come.
5. Regrettably, the OSCE report does not at all deal with the
consequences
of the aggression on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights of the
entire population of the FR of Yugoslavia. Contrary to NATO's propaganda
machine, which sought to create a picture of mass human rights
violations
and vulnerability of the Albanian population in Kosovo and Metohija
prior
to NATO aggression, the report, nevertheless, clearly indicates that
following the start of "air strikes", there was chaos, uncertainty and
fear
(of the bombing) and the population fled in massive numbers, which is
something that the Yugoslav authorities cannot, obviously, be blamed
for.
Civilian losses inflicted by the NATO aggressors have been completely
marginalized. Even if they are mentioned, they are justified by the
well-known NATO logic of blaming again the Yugoslav authorities for
using
"human shields" to protect facilities and equipment. Thus, massive
deaths
among the Albanian civilian population, references to which could not be
avoided, were also blamed on the "Serbian forces" and not attributed to
the
fact that this was the region where the largest number of bombs had been
dropped since the end of the Second World War. During the aggression
against the FR of Yugoslavia:
- 35,000 sorties were conducted, involving more than 1,000 aircraft and
206 helicopters;
- More than 10,000 cruise missiles were launched;
- 79,000 tons of ordnance (156 cluster bombs containing 37,440
bomblets).
The report makes no mention of the documentary evidence on the aerial
bombardment nor material losses caused by it. There are no photographs,
either, of the aftermath of the strikes and we are talking here about
the
proportionately most bombed region in the history of warfare. Even the
published photographs are not authentic, as evidenced by the bombing of
the
"Prizren League" building, which was struck down in the aggressors'
attack
on 28 March 1999 (White Paper, p.p. 227 and 228). The report wrongfully
pointed out that the building was "destroyed by the Yugoslav security
forces in March 1999" (Report, p. 334). Such examples make all other
cited
information seen in a relatively different light whose credibility may
be
brought into question.
Consequently, the OSCE report, which would otherwise make NATO
responsible
for the serious crimes against civilians and for breaches of the Geneva
Conventions, was grossly abused as a tool to justify the aggression. Its
purposes were even defined in NATO language ("preventing Yugoslav
military
and security forces from continuing repression of civilians and
deterring
their further military actions against their own population"), in
contravention of all OSCE principles which were not referred to therein.
Rather than condemning NATO aggression, the report deliberately omitted
any references to it, using the NATO terms for it such as
"intervention",
"bombing" or "air strikes" or "air campaign". Most often, only certain
dates (before or after 24 March 1999) are mentioned, thus suggesting
that
the brutal murders of the civilian population and massive destruction of
civilian facilities are the result of the same "repressive policy"
continued by other means. An impression may be gained, therefore, that
NATO
bombs killed no one (but they actually killed 2,000 people) and that
Serbian security forces were responsible for all casualties during the
"air
strikes", which was why they were targeted by NATO.
The report also lacks what UNMIK and KFOR obviously do not want to talk
about, and that is a politically devastating record of the war, because
this region is now less secure than it used to be; the ethnic cleansing
is
going unhampered and local administration is not functioning.
After UNMIK and KFOR took responsibility, massive human rights abuses by
Albanian terrorists and terrorist gangs take place, which is extremely
worrying. Between 10 June 1999 and 6 February 2000 alone, in their
presence,
- a total of 4,249 terrorist attacks were made;
- of this number 4,030 were against Serbs and Montenegrins;
- and 126 against other ethnic communities;
- 93 against Albanians;
- 889 persons were killed;
- 784 persons were wounded;
- 834 were abducted and missing (75 killed, 6 escaped, 31 released, 722
still unaccounted-for);
- more than 350,000 were expelled;
- more than 50,000 homes were burned down; and
- over 80 churches and monasteries were demolished.
At the same time, more than 200,000 criminals and looters from
neighbouring Albania were allowed to enter this Serbian province
illegally
(See the Memorandum of the FRY Government of 3 November 1999).
7. Despite its efforts to prove the contrary, the OSCE cannot conceal
an
evident conclusion that the tragic plight of the Kosovo population is a
direct consequence of the NATO aggression; that thousands of people were
killed during the aggression and not before it; and that an unimpeded
ethnic cleansing of the Province of its Serbs, Roma, Muslims, Turks,
Goranci and other non-Albanians is now under way, in the presence of
UNMIK
and KFOR.
While the report blames the Yugoslav authorities for all problems in the
past, it is clear that no one bears responsibility for the current
situation there, characterized by a climate of impunity. Terror, ethnic
cleansing, organized international crime, drug and arms trafficking,
human
smuggling, money laundering, abuse of humanitarian aid, etc. continue.
Concurrently, there is a lack of action to prevent such crimes, the lack
of
an effective system of protection of the population as well as of the
functioning of local administration. The report does not point, as it
has
done in Part I, to the responsibility of office holders in Kosovo and
Metohija (i.e. UNMIK and KFOR) or blames them for the present situation.
As
a result, there is a continuing spiral of crime; an ineffective
protection
of the basic human rights of non-Albanians and non-functioning local
government. In this part, the report only takes note of human rights
violations (ranging from murders to expulsions, harassment,
intimidation,
arson and looting).
The report reveals a number of problems arising out of inoperation of
the
military and civilian missions in Kosovo and Metohija, notably
non-fulfilment of the mandate under UN Security Council resolution 1244
(1999). Instead of taking energetic steps and applying existing laws of
the
Republic of Serbia and those of the FR of Yugoslavia, UNMIK reacts by
issuing appeals, statements and regulations that are not either enforced
or
are not in conformity with the above-mentioned resolution. The lack of
vigorous action by the relevant representatives of the international
community makes them accomplices in the crime of ethnic cleansing that
is
under way. The conclusion to be drawn is that the only thing that
members
of the international community are seriously concerned for is their own
safety and security.
Part II of the report, covering the period following the take-over of
responsibility by UNMIK and KFOR, may lead to the conclusion that the
current violence against Serbs is massive and systematic in all parts of
Kosovo and Metohija, apparently with the intent to scare off the
non-Albanian population and create a mono-ethnic Kosovo and Metohija.
The
key elements of UNMIK's and KFOR's mandates, as defined in Security
Council
resolution 1244 (1999), have not been implemented, i.e. to create a
secure
environment in which all refugees and displaced persons can return home
in
safety, to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all
inhabitants of Kosovo and Metohija, to maintain a multi-ethnic and
multi-confessional character of the Province, as well as to demilitarize
the so-called KLA. KFOR and UNMIK have failed to ensure free movement in
Kosovo and Metohija and also, with their tolerant attitude towards the
terror of the so-called KLA, are accessory to the blockading and
ghettoization of segments of the Serbian and other non-Albanian
populations
herded into several enclaves in Kosovo and Metohija (Orahovac,
Gora`devac,
Kosovo Polje). The report failed to point to the responsibility of those
who have undertaken to establish law and order and guarantee security
for
all citizens. They will not take the consequences for such failure,
either.
Thus, the recognition that UNMIK has been incompetent (or unwilling) to
halt the final stages of the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and Metohija and
to
establish civil administration, is revealed in all its devastating
brutality.
Belgrade, 7 February 2000
---
VIOLATIONS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244 (1999)
OVERVIEW
1. Affirmation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FR of
Yugoslavia: United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)
unambiguously confirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the
FR
of Yugoslavia in Kosovo and Metohija (preambular para 10; Annex 2 para
8).
The Resolution limits the mandate of the international security (KFOR)
and
civilian (UNMIK) presence to the establishment of conditions for an
unimpeded return of all refugees and displaced persons (paras 1 and 5,
Annex 1; paras 1 and 4, Annex 2), safe environment (op. para 9 c),
preservation of the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional and multi-cultural
character of Kosovo and Metohija and of the basic civilian and
administrative functions (operative para 11 b), with a view to ensuring
conditions for a political solution on the basis of the establishment of
a
substantial autonomy within the FR of Yugoslavia (operative para 10).
2. Security of citizens: The Government of the FR of Yugoslavia notes
with
concern that KFOR and UNMIK have not fulfilled their obligation
to guarantee security to all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija and to
ensure
a safe environment for the return of all refugees and internally
displaced
persons (op.para 9 c; Annex 1 para 5, Annex 2 para 7).
KFOR and UNMIK, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative B.
Kouchner in particular are, since they ignore the mandate they have been
entrusted to and grossly violate UN SC resolution 1244 (1999), directly
responsible for the lawlessness and chaos prevailing in the Province,
for
massive crime, usurpation of the State and private property as well as
for
terror, killings, abductions and ethnic cleansing of Serb and other
non-Albanian population.
3. Genocide and ethnic cleansing: Since the deployment of KFOR and
UNMIK,
on 12 June 1999, more than 350,000 non-Albanians, primarily Serbs,
Montenegrins, as well as Roma, Muslims, Turks, Goranci and others have
been
forcibly driven out of the Province. As many as 768 Serbs were killed
and
673 abducted. Not a single perpetrator of these serious criminal acts
has
been arrested or brought to justice, which clearly demonstrates the
efficiency of UNMIK police and their protective attitude towards
Albanian
terrorists. Most of these serious crimes have been committed by the
members
of the so-called KLA, later absorbed into the so-called Kosovo
Protection
Corps (KPC).
The remaining Serbs in the Province have been subjected to constant
terror and provocation, herded into few enclaves. KFOR and UNMIK lack
any
serious willingness and readiness to protect the remaining Serbs and
members of other non-Albanian ethnic groups in Kosovo and Metohija,
exposed
to constant terror and pressure to leave the Province, whereby KFOR and
UNMIK became direct accomplices in ethnic cleansing and genocide in the
southern Serb Province. A telling example of this is a several
months-old
blockade of Orahovac by Albanian terrorists, who have virtually turned
this
town into a first Nazi ghetto in post-war Europe.
4. Destruction of cultural monuments: In their genocidal campaign of
wiping out all Serb heritage, Albanian terrorists so far destroyed or
damaged more than 80 monasteries and churches of the Serb Orthodox
Church,
some of which date back to the XII century and represent a part of not
only
Serbian but world cultural heritage.
5. Tolerant attitude and support to terrorists: By their tolerant
attitude
towards a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide against
Serb
and other non-Albanian population, KFOR and UNMIK bear sole
responsibility
for the violation of the provisions of UN SC resolution 1244 (1999) on
the
preservation of a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional and multi-cultural
character of the Province. KFOR and UNMIK's failure to implement UN SC
resolution 1244 (1999) or gross violations thereof, represent the cause
of
lawlessness and chaos in the Province.
6. Violation of the UN Security Council mandate: UNSG Special
Representative and Head of UNMIK B. Kouchner with his arbitrary and
unilateral decisions continuously and flagrantly violates the mandate
set
out in UN SC resolution 1244 (1999) and related documents. B. Kouchner
has
issued 25 regulations so far, all of which have no basis in UN SC
resolution 1244 (1999), and are aimed at severing all ties of the
Province
with the Republic of Serbia and the FR of Yugoslavia, i.e. at completely
separating the Province from the constitutional, legal, economic,
customs,
monetary and banking system of the FR of Yugoslavia and the Republic of
Serbia, which is in direct contravention of UN SC resolution 1244 (1999)
and related documents, reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the FR of Yugoslavia in Kosovo and Metohija.
Kouchner has illegally seized all legislative, executive and judicial
power in the Province (Regulation 1999/1 of 25 July 1999). By his
regulation 1999/3 of 31 August 1999, he established a separate customs
service. By his regulation 1999/4 of 2 September 1999, Kouchner
illegally
transferred monetary functions to local authorities and introduced the
German Mark as a legal tender. With regulations 1999/16 and 1999/17 of 6
November 1999 and regulations 1999/20 and 1999/21 of 15 November 1999,
he
introduced a "Central Banking and Payments Authority", i.e. a separate
banking system in Kosovo and Metohija.
- By Kouchner's regulation 1999/5 of 4 September 1999 on an Ad Hoc Court
of Final Appeal, de facto a supreme court of the Province, was actually
established, while regulations 1999/6 and 1999/7 of 7 September 1999
regulated the administration of justice and prosecution in the Province,
favouring Albanians, with a large number of KLA members including among
judges. Disastrous consequences are evident: so far, no terrorist has
been
brought to justice or convicted of serious crimes against the Serbs and
other non-Albanian population.
- Entrusting the regulation of the importation, transportation,
distribution and sale of petroleum products regime to illegal local
authorities controlled by KLA, otherwise a prerogative of the State
sovereign rule (regulation 1999/9 of 24 September 1999), constitutes a
gross violation of UN SC resolution 1244 (1999).
- The same situation prevails concerning the control of payments and
services, post and telecommunication services, granting permits for the
establishment of financial institutions and registration of vehicles,
all
of which are uniformly regulated in the entire territory of the FR of
Yugoslavia (regulations 1999/11 of 13 October 1999, 1999/12 of 14
October
1999, 1999/13 of 16 October 1999 and 1999/15 of 21 October 1999).
- UNMIK has been illegally issuing personal documents (vital statistics
records, intention to issue personal IDs) to citizens, without the
official
FRY State symbols, on the pretext that Albanians would not accept
documents
with official symbols of the FR of Yugoslavia and the Republic of
Serbia.
The policy of giving in to the Albanians is also in evidence in
connection
with the registration of the population.
- The FRY State property has been illegally transferred to foreign legal
persons (taking control of "Beopetrol" and "Jugopetrol" companies,
forcible
seizure of "Beobanka" branch offices, assigning mobile telephone network
service to French "Alcatel").
- By Kouchner's decision, Kosovo and Metohija has been taken out from a
single power supply system of Serbia and the FR of Yugoslavia and
connected
with the power supply systems of Albania and Macedonia, grossly
violating
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY.
- By preventing the activities of media outlets in Serbian and forcible
seizure of their premises and equipment, favouring at the same time the
media in Albanian, not only has destroyed a single media system of the
FR
of Yugoslavia and Republic of Serbia but encourages discrimination based
on
ethnicity, contrary to the basic intentions of the SC Resolution on the
preservation of the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-confessional
character of the Province.
- Without prior approval of the competent FRY authorities, KFOR and
UNMIK
have established international transport between the Province and some
States, including those with which the FR of Yugoslavia does not have
diplomatic relations. The establishment of local air, railway and other
transport between the Province and other parts of the single FRY
territory
has been prevented, which is particularly unacceptable.
7. Establishment of illegal organs of administration: By a fait
accompli
tactic, without consulting legal representatives of the Republic of
Serbia
and the FR of Yugoslavia, Special Representative Kouchner has illegally
established the so- called Interim Administration Council, de facto
provincial "Government", comprised exclusively of Albanians, mostly
leaders
of the terrorist so-called KLA and Albanian separatist political
parties,
in an attempt to legalise an ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija,
contrary
to UN SC resolution 1244 (1999).
8. Blocking a political settlement: UNMIK and B. Kouchner do not accept
dialogue and co-operation with representatives of the Governments of the
FR
of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia on questions of interest for
the
stabilisation of the overall security, economic and political situation
in
the Province.
The contact between UNMIK and the Government of the FR of Yugoslavia
concerning substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo and
Metohija
(Resolution op.para 11 a; Annex 1 para 6 and Annex 2 para 5) has not
been
established. UNSG Special Representative Kouchner persistently continues
to
ignore repeated requests of the Government of the FR of Yugoslavia
addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council to start
negotiations on substantial autonomy in Kosovo and Metohija (op.para 11
a;
Annex 2 para 8) between the legitimate representatives of the Republic
of
Serbia and the FR of Yugoslavia and the representatives of all ethnic
communities in Kosovo and Metohija.
9. Control of the State border: KFOR and UNMIK do not carry out their
obligation to control the State border of the FR of Yugoslavia towards
Albania and Macedonia (op.para 9 g), which is why more than 200,000
foreigners came to the territory of the FRY, including a large number of
the terrorists of the so-called KLA and criminal gangs, especially the
narco-mafia, illegal arms and white slave traders, etc., whereby Kosovo
and
Metohija has become the centre for the expansion of organised crime
throughout Europe. Illegal entries to the FR of Yugoslavia have not
stopped
despite the assurances by KFOR and UNMIK that they consistently
implement
their obligations arising from the Resolution, regarding the
safeguarding
of the FRY international border.
10. Return of the Army of Yugoslavia (VJ) and police: The return of the
agreed number of members of VJ and Serb police in Kosovo and Metohija is
still unjustifiably prevented and delayed (Annex 2 para 6), which
additionally encourages Albanian terrorists to continue with their daily
terror against the Serb and other non-Albanian population with a view to
completing the ethnic cleansing of the Province.
11. Demilitarisation and disarming of the so-called KLA: Terrorist so-
called KLA has not been disarmed or demilitarised, which represents one
of
the most serious examples of gross violation of UN SC resolution 1244
(1999) (op.para 9 b and op.para 15). Only a token quantity of antiquated
arms were surrendered. Secret arms caches of terrorists are being
revealed
every day. The border with Albania and Macedonia has not been closed,
whereby KFOR and UNMIK continue to enable the entry of armed terrorists
and
large quantities of arms in the Province. This has been testified to by
daily armed attacks of Albanians on Serb enclaves, buses and other means
of
transport carrying Serb and other non-Albanians as well as against their
houses, land and other property.
12. Transformation of the so-called KLA: The establishment of the so-
called Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), which is made up of members of the
terrorist so-called KLA (in Albanian translation "corps" means "force"),
has actually legalised this terrorist organisation as well as its former
leadership and enhanced its combat organisational structure. While the
leadership of the so-called KPC has retained a wide authority through
"transformation" - its members publicly carry light weapons and they
hide
their heavy weapons in hide-outs whose location is known to KFOR. At
the
same time, "KPC" leadership or the former leaders of the terrorist
so-called KLA publicly state that "KPC", as a parallel structure of the
so-called KLA, represents a model for the future "Kosovo Army".
13. Security and freedom of movement for international representatives:
Passive attitude of KFOR and UNMIK towards several-months long Albanian
blockade of the deployment of a Russian KFOR contingent in Orahovac,
confirms their protective stance towards Albanian terrorists and
represents
an open violation of UN SC resolution 1244 (1999) on security and
freedom
of movement of KFOR and UNMIK, as well as other international
organisations
(op.para 9 h).
14. Legal status of the UN peace-keeping mission: Proceeding from the
fact
that Kosovo and Metohija is part of the sovereign territory of the FR of
Yugoslavia, the Government of the FR of Yugoslavia, as the host, has
initiated, since the deployment of international security and civilian
presence under the auspices of the United Nations in Kosovo and
Metohija,
the conclusion of an appropriate agreement with the United Nations
concerning the legal status of this mission, which did not take place
due
to the refusal on the part of the United Nations.
15. Para-diplomatic missions and visits by foreign officials: UNMIK has
allowed the illegal establishment of para-diplomatic missions of some
countries in Kosovo and Metohija, in a gross violation of the principle
of
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FR of Yugoslavia.
Despite the repeated official protests by the Government of the FR of
Yugoslavia addressed to the Security Council, the Secretary-General and
KFOR and UNMIK, an illegal practice continues of establishing
"diplomatic
offices" of foreign States in Kosovo and Metohija, which constitutes a
drastic violation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) and Article
2
of the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations, as well
as
a hostile act towards a receiving country whose sovereignty is
flagrantly
violated, because it is done without its prior consent.
Ignoring the warnings and overriding the official protests by the FR of
Yugoslavia an unacceptable practice is being continued of not notifying
the
visits of foreign officials to Kosovo and Metohija, thus violating the
provisions of SC resolution 1244 (1999) and Annex 2 paras 5 and 8, and
the
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the existing Yugoslav visa
regime.
The Government of the FR of Yugoslavia insists that this illegal
practice
be immediately terminated and that the behaviour of all factors in the
Province be strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Resolution
and the applicable international conventions and practice.
16. Responsibility of KFOR and UNMIK: KFOR and UNMIK are responsible for
disturbing developments in the Province. By failing to comply with the
clear responsibilities under SC resolution 1244 (1999) and the relevant
documents or by interpreting them arbitrarily as well as by an
inadmissibly
tolerant attitude towards Albanian terrorists, KFOR and UNMIK bear full
responsibility for the crimes of genocide and systematic ethnic
cleansing
that are being perpetrated against Serbs and other non-Albanian
population
in their presence, thus using the UN peace-keeping mission as a smoke
screen and actually becoming accomplices in these serious crimes.
17. Responsibility of the UN Security Council: Under SC resolution 1244
(op. paras 19 and 20), the Security Council guarantees its
implementation.
In view of the tragic situation in Kosovo and Metohija and systematic
violations of all crucial provisions of UN SC resolution 1244 (1999) and
the Military Technical Agreement, the FR of Yugoslavia demands that the
Security Council undertake without delay most energetic steps and
measures
for their consistent implementation and prevent all attempts at
departing,
postponing to carry out or arbitrarily interpreting the provisions of
this
Resolution.
In that context, the Government of the FR of Yugoslavia energetically
demands that the Security Council rescind, without delay, all illegal
decisions of UNSG Special Representative B. Kouchner and take other
measures, as may be necessary, to have the situation in Kosovo and
Metohija
restored to its previous state.
All decisions of KFOR and UNMIK which are contrary to the Resolution and
related documents imply either their gross violation or arbitrary
interpretation, particularly regarding strict respect for the
sovereignty
and territorial integrity of the FR of Yugoslavia in the southern Serb
Province, are considered by the Government of the FR of Yugoslavia null
and
void and cannot have any legal effect.
Belgrade, 10 January 2000
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
Ci giunge notizia che finalmente anche Gregorio Piccin, l'ultimo dei
cinque compagni arrestati lo scorso 7 dicembre ad essere ancora
trattenuto in carcere, e' stato trasferito nella sua abitazione, dove e'
sottoposto agli arresti domiciliari.
Ovviamente questo non ci consente di abbassare la guardia: la campagna
di solidarieta' deve andare avanti per ottenere quantomeno
* la fine immediata della manovra diffamatoria avviata sui mezzi di
dis-informazione, per la quale sono gia' state sporte alcune denuncie;
* il decadimento delle accuse piu' insensate (art. 270 e 270bis);
* la liberta' di movimento dei compagni.
A questo proposito diffondiamo il comunicato giuntoci dal Comitato per
la liberta' di Sergio Spina, alle cui proposte noi ADERIAMO come
iniziativa di controinformazione sulle questioni internazionali e della
guerra imperialista. CRJ
>
> Vi inviamo il documento elaborato dal Comitato per la libertà di
> Sergio Spina (v. arresti 7 Dicembre 1999), pregandovi di diffonderlo.
> Vi invitiamo, inoltre, ad aderire alle future iniziative che verranno
> via via proposte dal comitato stesso.
> Per informazioni e adesioni: comitato.libero@...
>
>
> COMITATO PER LA LIBERTA? DI SERGIO SPINA
>
>
>
> Questo documento si propone di riavviare, in seguito all?arresto di
> Sergio Spina e dei suoi compagni, una discussione politica che abbia
> il compito di porre, all?attenzione di tutti, i temi che tale vicenda
> ha riproposto con forza.
>
> Siamo dell?idea che i punti evidenziati debbano trovare un ampio
> consenso da parte di uno schieramento, il più vasto possibile, che
> abbia a cuore la difesa dei diritti della persona e le garanzie delle
> regole democratiche per tutti i cittadini.
>
> Riteniamo che, pur nella condanna netta di ogni forma di terrorismo
> come strumento di contrapposizione antagonista, tuttavia non
> ripeteremo l?errore commesso in passato, per cui la condanna netta del
> terrorismo ha impedito un?analisi seria su un movimento che in modo
> legittimo rivendicava la possibilità di costruire una società diversa.
>
> Pensiamo sia giunto il tempo di stabilire che l?antagonismo sociale
> sia l?espressione che raccoglie il disagio di tanti, e che governo,
> magistratura e forze dell?ordine debbano smetterla di riproporre il
> teorema secondo il quale l?antagonismo sociale diventa unicamente
> veicolo di reclutamento per organizzazioni terroristiche.
>
> A nostro avviso, sono quattro i punti prioritari per avviare una seria
> discussione che permetta di fare chiarezza sulle garanzie di libertà
> del cittadino in una democrazia come quella italiana.
>
> 1) NEGAZIONE DEI DIRITTI DELLA PERSONA
>
> L?arresto di Sergio Spina e dei suoi compagni evidenzia a nostro
> giudizio due questioni principali: la prima riguarda l?uso della
> carcerazione da parte dei magistrati inquirenti, non come forma di
> prevenzione di presunti atti terroristici, bensì come strumento di
> pressione - là dove non si hanno idee chiare - che porti gli arrestati
> a collaborare facendo i nomi di tutti coloro che hanno conosciuto nel
> loro percorso politico, nella speranza di arrivare per tentativi a una
> qualche "verità".
>
> La seconda questione, certo non meno grave, riguarda la diffamatoria
> campagna di stampa che ha visto, via via, Sergio Spina indicato prima
> come "cattivo maestro", poi "mente" del gruppo, in quanto più anziano;
> in seguito, punto di raccordo con organizzazioni terroristiche
> collegate all?omicidio D?Antona; infine, il grande salto che ipotizza
> collegamenti con il terrorismo internazionale, sia islamico che
> europeo.
>
> Tutto questo ha prodotto, e continua a produrre, un evidente disparità
> tra chi diffama e chi è diffamato: Sergio Spina, infatti, nella sua
> condizione di totale isolamento, sia pure agli arresti domiciliari,
> non è messo nelle condizioni di difendersi.
>
> 2) NO ALLA GUERRA
>
> Riteniamo essenziale esprimere il più profondo e convinto NO alla
> guerra.
>
> L?aggressione della Nato all?ex -Jugoslavia non solo non ha conseguito
> il risultato di portare la democrazia e la pacifica convivenza tra
> Serbi e Kossovari, ma, al contrario, ha seminato morte, distruzione ed
> accrescimento dell?odio.
>
> Tutto ciò ha prodotto giustamente una reazione del movimento pacifista
> internazionale, che ha visto - soprattutto in Italia - lo svolgersi di
> innumerevoli manifestazioni democratiche e di massa contro la guerra.
>
> È utile far notare che, mentre nessun processo è stato istituito per
> giudicare crimini di guerra - dei quali si è macchiato anche il nostro
> paese, in palese violazione della Costituzione Italiana - assistiamo
> per contro alla volontà del governo di strumentalizzare piccoli
> episodi (come il danneggiamento avvenuto nel settembre scorso ai danni
> di una ditta che lavora al progetto Aviano 2000) per sfuggire a quelle
> che sono le proprie responsabilità.
>
> In questo contesto si inserisce l?ambiguità della magistratura, che da
> un lato dichiara marginali gli episodi in questione, escludendo nello
> stesso tempo collegamenti con gruppi terroristici, e dall?altro
> continua ad applicare un regime fortemente restrittivo, assolutamente
> sproporzionato alle accuse.
>
> 3) LEGGI SPECIALI
>
> Riteniamo anacronistico, a distanza di oltre vent?anni dall?entrata in
> vigore delle leggi speciali, nate dalla presunta necessità di
> contrastare il terrorismo dilagante in quegli anni, il fatto che esse
> non solo non vengano rimosse, in quanto l?emergenza terrorismo è
> finita da un pezzo, ma vengano utilizzate in modo spropositato per
> colpire, oggi, cinque persone - ci chiediamo quante domani -
> lasciandole marcire in carcere per anni, là dove - in una condizione
> di democrazia "normale" - sarebbero state condannate al massimo per
> pochi mesi.
>
> Tutto ciò ci impone una riflessione comune sulla necessità di una
> grande mobilitazione che costringa il parlamento italiano a cancellare
> quelle norme, restituendo ai cittadini il diritto-dovere di essere
> giudicati in proporzione ai reati commessi secondo la normativa
> ordinaria.
>
> 4) A CHI GIOVA?
>
> Non possiamo davvero pensare che la strategia tesa a criminalizzare
> tutti i movimenti antagonisti, sia alla guerra che alle tante forme di
> ingiustizia con cui ci si scontra quotidianamente, sia da attribuire
> al caso.
>
> Tutto ciò è frutto, a nostro giudizio, della volontà precisa di
> tacitare ogni forma di antagonismo, per andare in modo spedito verso
> quell?odioso progetto, denominato "pensiero unico".
>
> A conferma che quanto diciamo non sia frutto di un teorema, ci
> soccorrono commentatori di importanti quotidiani nazionali, i quali,
> pur precisando che è legittimo opporsi, fanno comunque notare che la
> partecipazione a qualunque forma di antagonismo fa sì che le
> organizzazioni terroristiche traggano risorse umane per scardinare
> l?ordine democratico.
>
> Insomma, un invito non tanto velato a rimanere tutti a casa.
>
> Noi non solo non rimarremo a casa, ma invitiamo tutti ad uscire dalla
> condizione di isolamento nella quale ciascuno di noi si trova, per
> costruire ovunque comitati, gruppi di iniziativa e quant?altro possa
> concorrere al ristabilimento della civiltà del diritto e della libertà
> di manifestare il dissenso.
>
>
>
> Bologna, 9 Febbraio 2000
>
> IL COMITATO PER LA LIBERTA?DI SERGIO SPINA
>
>
>
>
>
> Per informazioni ed adesioni: comitato.libero@...
Insieme a Jeorg Haider, anche il Presidente del Consiglio italiano
Massimo D'Alema ritiene la Risiera di San Sabba il luogo piu' indicato
per un pellegrinaggio riparatorio. Alcuni giornali di oggi 12 febbraio
2000 riportano infatti con enfasi la scelta di D'Alema di trascorrere il
25 Aprile prossimo in quello che fu l'unico campo di sterminio tedesco
su territorio oggi italiano. In questa maniera D'Alema prosegue nel
tentativo di farsi riabilitare e riaccreditare come leader antifascista
e democratico, dopo la sua partecipazione alla marcia pacifista
Perugia-Assisi.
Massimo D'Alema, nei confronti del quale sono state presentate 30
denunce penali per attentato alla Costituzione nata dalla Resistenza,
figura tra i mandanti dei bombardamenti sul petrolchimico di Pancevo,
delle bombe sulle colonne di profughi kosovari, della ri-occupazione
coloniale della Grande Albania, della pulizia etnica oggi in atto in un
settore di questa (il "Kosova"), dell'istigazione alla secessione e
ri-occupazione coloniale anche del Montenegro, del respingimento dei
profughi di razza politicamente scorretta dalle coste italiane nonche' -
a proposito di lager - dell'istituzione sul territorio italiano dei
lager per stranieri privi di documenti.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
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