----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 12:34:29 +0000
To: •••@••.•••
From: Elias Davidsson <•••@••.•••>
Subject: German internal official reports belie NATO motives
Internal administrative reports distributed by the German Foreign Ministry
to German Länder (Republics) belie the reasoning provided by NATO that a
"humanitarian intervention" was required. The reports were written and
distributed BEFORE the NATO aggression. They show that not only was there
no reason for intervention but that the NATO aggression in fact created the
humanitarian crisis (in addition to destroying Serbia and undermining
United Nations Organisation and international law).
Here are translations (by me Elias Davidsson) of some of these reports:
1. From the document entitled "Lagebericht des Auswaertigen Amtes" from 18.
November 1998 (z.:514-516.80/3 YUG), page 18:
"The serious humanitarian situation in Kosovo itself relaxed a bit. The
general conditions for providing humanitarian care have improved...Both
parties used military means of combat in Kosovo, whereas the Serb side used
also heavy artillery in order to conquer locations. When reconquering
locations Serb forces in some cases attacked civilians who had stayed
there. Repeated media reports of 'massacres' and reports of 'mass graves'
contributed to frighten the refugees but could not be ascertained by
international monitors."
2. From the administrative report of the German Ministry of 28. December
1998 sent to the High Administrative Court in Niedersachsen (Az.: 514-
516.80/3 Yug):
"According to evidence of the Foreign Ministry, the measures used by the
[Serb] security forces are primarily aimed at combatting the KLA, who
struggle with terrorist means for the independence of Kosovo. According to
some of its spokesmen, their ultimate aim is a Great Albania."
3. Report from the German Foreign Ministry of 12. January 1999 to the
Administrative Court of Trier,
(Az.: 514-516.80/32 426):
"Is it not possible to certify that political persecution of
Kosovo-Albanians is taking place because of their ethnical belonging. The
conflict has not affected the East of Kosovo; civilian life in cities such
as Pristina, Urosevac, Grijilan, etc. has been relatively normal
throughout the time of the conflict....The measures by the [Serb] security
forces [were] not taken against Kosovo-Albanians as an ethnically defined
group, but against the military opponents and their alleged or real
supporters."
4. Report from the German Foreign Ministry of 15. March 1999 to the
Administrative Court of Mainz (Az.: 514-516.80/33841):
"As reported in the Situation Report of 18. Nov. 1998, the KLA has regained
its positions after the partial withdrawal of Serb security forces in
October 1998, and control thereby again large areas in the conflict region.
Also in the beginning of the spring of 1999 skirmishes between KLA and the
Serb forces occurred, though not of the same intensity as in the
Spring/Summer of 1998."
5. Decision of the Administrative Court Baden-Wuerttemberg of 4. Febr.
1999 (Az.: A 14 S 22276/98):
"According to the evidence presented to the Senate regarding the concern
for the humanitarian catastrophe for the Albanian civilians [in
Kosovo]...after the agreement made between the conflicting parties in the
end of 1998, the acute situation could be averted. Both the security
situation as well as the conditions for civil life of the Albanian
population has tangible improved....Life in the cities seems to be turning
to relatively normal, even if tension between the ethnical communities,
because of individual acts of violence, has increased...But in spite of
sporadic cases of excessive violence against civilians, such as at Racak,
which international public opinion attributes to the Serb side and caused
great indignation, the number and frequency of such excesses under these
circumstances do not allow the conclusion that every Albanian must fear for
his life or that every returning refugee is threatened with death or
injury."
6. Decision of the High Administrative Court in Muenster of 24. February
1999 (Az: 14 A 3840/94.A):
"...No sufficient evidence exists to prove that there exists a secret
program or a tacit Serb consensus to exterminate, expell or systematically
persecute the Albanian people [of Kosovo]...When the Serb authorities use
force to enforce the law in the face of the recalcitrant and defiant
position of the Albanian ethnic/national minority, the objective aim of
such use of force is not synonymous with a programmed persecution of this
minority...If the Yugoslav [sic) state is attempting to enforce the unity
of the State with consequence and even harshly, and even if a part of the
population reacts to such policies by leaving to other countries, there is
no base to claim that such enforcement policies are aimed in suppressing or
expelling the minority in question. On the contrary, such policies aim at
integrating the minority in the Federal structure of the state." (p. 51)
"Also the events since Febr./March 1999 do not allow to conclude that
persecution on ethnical grounds is taking place. The measures taken by the
Serb armed forces are in the first place aimed in fighting off the KLA and
their presumed supporters." (p. 55).
---------
The above documents were forwarded on the net by the Board of the German
Section of IALANA
(International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Weapons ?)
Marburg, 22 April 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 06:11:17 -0500
To: •••@••.•••, •••@••.•••
From: Mark Douglas Whitaker <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Poison cloud engulfs Belgrade (fwd)
Written polemically, yet informative.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 11:23:50 -0700
From: Phil Gasper <•••@••.•••>
To: •••@••.•••
Subject: Poison cloud engulfs Belgrade
Excerpt
The Times (UK)
April 19 1999
Poison cloud engulfs Belgrade
Nato crippled the Serb oil industry yesterday. Tom Walker reports from
Belgrade
AN ecological disaster was unfolding yesterday after Nato bombed a combined
petrochemicals, fertiliser and refinery complex on the banks of the Danube
in the northern outskirts of Belgrade.
A series of detonations that shook the whole city early yesterday sent a
toxic cloud of smoke and gas hundreds of feet into the night sky. In the
dawn the choking cloud could be seen spreading over the entire northern
skyline.
Among the cocktail of chemicals billowing over hundreds of thousands of
homes were the toxic gas phosgene, chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Workers
at the industrial complex in Pancevo panicked and decided to release tons
of
ethylene dichloride, a carcinogen, into the Danube, rather than risk seeing
it blown up.
At least three missile strikes left large areas of the plant crippled and
oil and petrol from the damaged refinery area flowed into the river, forming
slicks up to 12 miles long. Temperatures in the collapsing plant were said
to have risen to more than 1,000C. Asked about the hazard from chemical smoke,
Nato said there was "a lot more smoke coming from burning villages in
Kosovo"....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 21:11:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Frank Scott <•••@••.•••>
To: pnews <•••@••.•••>,
cyberjournal <•••@••.•••>,
Subject: May column (fwd)
Subject: May column (fwd)
COASTAL POST
(415)868 1600 FAX (415) 868 0502
P.O. Box 31
Bolinas CA 94924
http://www.coastalpost.com
email: •••@••.•••
frank scott
http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/~frank
email: •••@••.•••
225 laurel place, san rafael ca. 94901
(415)457 2415 fax(415)457 4791
May, 1999
Rogue Nation
Commanded by a mentally disturbed president who has lied more often than
he has led, the U.S embarked on its fourth foreign bombing rampage in
less than a year. Now that a bad situation in Kosovo has been transformed
into a horror, we are being steam rolled into acceptance of even more
murderous behavior.
Assisted by its European spear carriers, the US has caused tremendous
damage and displaced or killed tens of thousands of people. The only good
that can come of this idiocy is that it may help put a useless alliance
out of business. NATO is a massive military and bureaucratic nightmare
that exists purely to maintain its payroll and profits. Its past role to
protect Europe from a soviet threat was a soft-core myth; its present
action in creating a real threat to all of Europe and the world is a
hard-core reality.
Only corporate mind management can persuade a decent people to
tolerate a morally indecent foreign policy. In keeping with our past
record, we are told that all this killing is to save lives. During World
War 2, we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in order to save lives.
Three days later we dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, to save even
more lives. Had we possessed more than two such weapons at the time, who
knows how many more lives we could have saved?
Our collective gullibility is understandable, given the sophisticated
assault on our senses. Viewers of generic TV images of fleeing refugees
could be forgiven wondering whether they are from Kosovo, Turkey,
Palestine or Rwanda . But this carefully selective and highlighted view of
suffering has a political purpose. Serbia is important to imperial
capital, so we are being manipulated into feeling that we must do
something to stop the murderous Saddam Milosevic. Or is it Slobodan
Hussein? It's hard to keep track of these individual monsters of the
moment, who force us to destroy entire societies in the name of peace and
democracy.
We are spending billions of dollars on this horror, some of it to help
refugees our deranged policy has created. With taxpayer financed warfare
welfare, the military budget will grow even more, as used weapons are
replaced by bigger and more numerous ones for the next humanitarian
adventure. Who knows where it may be? As long as corporate capital can
keep us busy working, driving and shopping, we will have little
opportunity to think or do anything but accept such madness.
Among the results of this chaos is the revival of a cold war mentality in
Russia, the near destruction of democratic tendencies in Serbia, and the
further weakening of the United Nations. This could mean additional
military spending, with greater profits for global merchants of menace.
But it also means more tension in a world that desperately needs less,
and less democracy in a world that desperately needs more.
One of our armchair butchers may yet call this murderous fiasco an
example of equal opportunity in foreign policy, in that we are now
destroying white people in Europe, as well as our usual target non-whites
in the third world.
Desensitized by relentless propaganda, Americans have difficulty trying
to critically approach the news of horror and atrocity, always by the
other side. We admit to a certain amount of mistakes and "collateral
damage", but rationalize all our other mayhem as precision bombing in
the cause of peace and justice. Horrendous tales of Serbian abuse - some
of them true, most of them provoked by our attacks - are made to seem like
excuses for the massive destruction we are causing the Yugoslavian
society, or what is left of it.
Apparently we are to believe that It doesn't hurt if the bloody remains
of your loved ones are smeared all over your walls, as long as the bombs
that killed them came from the munitions headquarters of the USA. It only
hurts when the explosions are caused by people not cooperative with the
global forces of private profiteering, in what are laughingly called free
markets.
More than a trillion dollars in merger transactions took place in those
markets last year, as capital moved closer to global domination with ever
less competition. This domination is the true story behind our bombing
frenzy, not the humanitarian fairy tale told by the serial killers of the
USA and its NATO lackeys. The former socialist Yugoslavia had no ethnic
cleansing problems, but its post-socialist carve up by global capital has
reduced it to an ethnic strip mall of battling boutiques, and Serbia is
the last holdout from the ravages of the greedy developers from the IMF
and the World Bank .
These are the global bodies that see to it that international finance has
its way, and the Serbs are obstructions for the Bush - Clinton New World
Order. That is why the hearts and minds of our people are being softened
by endless tales of atrocities by the Serbs, and that is why we are in
process of destroying still another society that stands in the way of
market domination by corporate capital.
Uncontrolled imperial power is at work, in defiance of any legality, and
under the guise of humanitarian aims. Those who accept the cover story in
ignorance can be forgiven, but leaders and opinion shapers who allow it
to continue are making a sham of democracy and a fetish of mass murder.
The people of this nation, and of the world, cannot afford to let this
situation go on much longer. Something has to be done to bring the
worldUs most dangerous rogue nation , the USA, under democratic control.
Copyright (c) 1999 by Frank Scott. All rights reserved.
This text may be used and shared in accordance with the
fair-use provisions of U.S. copyright law, and it may be
archived and redistributed in electronic form, provided that
the author is notified and no fee is charged for access.
Archiving, redistribution, or republication of this text on
other terms, in any medium, requires the consent of the
author .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Stephen Brivati" <•••@••.•••>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: cj#916> Kosovo, War Hysteria, and the Liberal Fallacy
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 06:43:33 +0900
Dear RKM/cj,
When you posted an article about a year ago detailing the connection between
drugs and the KLA I thought you were being a tad paranoid. One year on,
having tried to read up on CIA/drugs/imperialism I think you weren't
paranoid enough...
My two strongest feelings re the Balkans right now are a) how flaccid the
response of so many people I would have classed at least 'liberal' has been
I.E. They can't accept the bombing is simply wrong and b) frustration at
the perpetual claim that the situation is so complex it really isn't
possible to do anything other than shrug one's shoulders and reach for the
checkbook.
The former point does seem to stem from the latter, a phenomenon I have
found rather depressing - it represents a kind of victory for the dumbing
down of the public by what is apparently 'information' but is really
ideological propaganda. We are compelled to look holistically at this
situation as through a series of snapshots of one big, unholy mess.
However, it seems to me that there are some relatively simple questions
which can be viewed discretely and then the picture can be reconstructed as
a kind of synthesis. These factors are the ones that the media/polity is
skirting around and for me at least include:
1)The KLA drug connection.
2)The role of the IMF
3)The effects of sanctions.
4)NATO as big business- a showcase for guns.
5)Legal issues (boring but fundamental!)- Ramboiullet was illegal, the
bombing is illegal and so on.
6)Clear comparisons with well documented and researched invasions- history
has a purpose.
I am hoping that by focusing on issues like these the picture will somehow
remain fairly clear and it will be easier to move forward. I have a feeling
that many of us have succumbed to an essentially racial line that 'those
deep rooted tribal differences are such a hassle.' A similar case is
Northern Ireland , I suspect: not so much to do with religion , but
poverty. Pilger has been one of the few journalists with the courage to say
that.
In Solidarity,
Stephen Brivati. (Japan International Peace Movement)
----------------
EDUCATE, AGITATE, ORGANISE
homepage http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/5118/index.htm
message board http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb349664
STOP THE EXECUTION - FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 19:59:27 +0200
From: Tomislav Krsmanovic <•••@••.•••>
To: •••@••.•••
Subject: Re: cj#916> Kosovo, War Hysteria, and the Liberal Fallacy
I agree with your points of view, I would add some my reflexions.
There are no culprits here, there are victims ( Albanians, Serbians, etc). I
mean ,it is contraproductif approach to look who is more guilty, that approach
creates new emotions and tensions, (and it becomes endless and sterile
quarrel). Instead that, let us give the word to scientists who ought study
in an
objectif way everything that burdens the mutual relations. Albanians and
Serbians should be assisted to reach dialogue, instead demagogy ,and poor
judgements, they should look for the common interests and cohabitation with the
differencies, and in search of the similarities that are abundant. Albanian and
Serbian interrelationship should be based on the scientific facts,
international
law and universal moral principles. Respecting these requests they could reach
result acceptable for both sides, what could satisfy on the best, and only
way,
their common interests, need for space and power.
Unfortunately, instead this objectiv approach, we had till now
"manipulations"
from both sides, finaly, both sides were manipulated (and abused)..
Statist approach to this matter should be replaced by libertarian one. This is
just a moral, philosophic ideal, but power does recognise only logic of power,
and its moral is based only on its power.
In this moment most important is to start peace iniciative and negotiations, to
stop war. There is responsability of international community, Kingdom of
Yugoslavia and Albania were formed in order to stop balkanization process,
these
countries were necessary as such at the time, today these countries are no
longer necessary ,as it was the case before .Therefore, the Balkan peoples need
to be assisted in their adaptation to the new circumstances that have been
imposed on them and which have not been their personal choices.
Tomislav Krsmanovic
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 13:06:28 -0500
From: Little Joe <•••@••.•••>
To: "Moore, Richard K." <•••@••.•••>,
Cyberjournal <•••@••.•••>
Subject: RKMoore0416.html
Dear Richard,
Methinks you are getting a little too paranoid in your worldly
posturing.
We admittedly have our share of nefarious plotters of world domination but
you give them too much credit for brains and organization. They are sort
of like a bunch of gang members whose goal is to kill off every contender
so that "they" can become king of the pack. It ain't happening.
This is not to say that our freedoms are safe from the wolf pack
without appropriate safeguards. It is a constant struggle that will never
be entirely won.
---<snip>---
After 8 long years, NATO has been finally coaxed into doing
something about this genocidal maniac for three reasons: 1, Stop another
dictator; 2, Stop Serbian imperialism; 3, Return Kosovo to autonomous
government.
Richard, you have been listening to too many wild-eyed paranoiacs that
chase their own shadows. We have to be more realistic to win the minds of
people in support of reforms.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 23:10:38 -0700
To: •••@••.•••
From: Oscar and Mary Priem <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: cj#916
Right on, Richard. Glad you're back. Thanks for hitting the bulls eye.
After reflecting on some of the things Michele Chossudovsky has said, it's
easy to imagine that once the Serbs are subdued the whole of the Balkans
should become fairly docile.
Then when economies are totally ruined, currencies trashed, factories blown
up and Balkan nations all are flat broke (not that they are far from it
now); then the Lone Ranger will ride out of the West to their rescue.
He'll put on his ten gallon IMF hat and deal out our tax bucks, generous
loans for reconstruction. If any social services are still available in
those lucky nations, they'll need to be eliminated so that the debt
payments to your friendly western bankers can be structured properly.
And then all of these big biz tycoons, international banks and TNCs will
discover that the Balkans are rich in untapped oil reserves and minerals
just waiting for development. *And* they will find investment bargains
among the broken local businesses.
Or did they know this before NATO began its conquest? You don't suppose
NATO went to all that trouble just to give a little help to their corporate
friends, do you? Or was it just the munitions folks and the makers of war
machines that NATO was trying to help?
Hmmmmmmm
Money, power and greed for the same; that's the name of the capitalist game.
Oscar
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 14:24:22 +0000
To: •••@••.•••
From: Elias Davidsson <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: cj#916> Kosovo, War Hysteria, and the Liberal Fallacy
Dear Richard,
Your analysis of Kosovo, war hysteria, etc. ist just SUPER ! Go on, brother !
Elias
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Mike" <•••@••.•••>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: cj#916> Kosovo, War Hysteria, and the Liberal Fallacy
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 07:18:31 -0600
RKM:
You claim the West is presenting carefully tailored allegations motivated by
ideological and economic imperatives -- but you give no proof.
I am not a knee-jerk "liberal", or knee-jerk anything else, for that matter.
I'm simply a person who wants and needs proof before making a decision. Give
me some, and I'll listen.
Kojeday
-------
Dear Kojeday,
Have we made any progress re/proof?
rkm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 09:15:42 -0400
From: Kathleen Geathers <•••@••.•••>
To: •••@••.•••
Subject: Re: cj#916> Kosovo, War Hysteria, and the Liberal Fallacy
Dear Richard,
I have not corresponded for a while, but I am one of the people who
abhor what NATO is doing. When NATO murders people, it is humane. It is
only wrong when other people kill.
What Iraq and Kosovo offer is a chance to test new weapons. This is
dangerous. The supportive attitude of people, who would be critical, but
feel that they should support NATO's actions, and the action of
President Clinton, add to the dangerous missions undertaken by nefarious
governments.
Kathleen
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
•••@••.•••
a political discussion forum.
crafted in Ireland by rkm
(Richard K. Moore)
To subscribe, send any message to •••@••.•••
A public service of Citizens for a Democratic Renaissance
(mailto:•••@••.••• http://cyberjournal.org)
Non-commercial reposting is hereby approved,
but please include the sig up through this paragraph
and retain any internal credits and copyright notices.
Copyrighted materials are posted under "fair-use".
To see the index of the cj archives, send any message to:
•••@••.•••
To subscribe to our activists list, send any message to:
•••@••.•••
Help create the Movement for a Democratic Rensaissance!
A community will evolve only when
the people control their means of communication.
-- Frantz Fanon
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful
committed citizens can change the world,
indeed it's the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead
Share: