Esso Australia XOM.N guilty on Longford charges [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- A HREF=aol://4344:30.L100c9fj.5290089.678173747 06/28: Esso Australia XOM.N guilty on Longford charges/A Esso Australia A HREF=aol://4785:XOMXOM.N/A guilty on Longford charges MELBOURNE, June 28 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp unit Esso Australia Ltd was found guilty by a Victorian Supreme Court jury on Thursday on 11 charges linked to an explosion at its Longford gas processing plant which killed two people. Esso faces a maximum fine of A$2.75 million on the criminal charges under the state's Occupational Health and Safety Act, which each carry a maximum penalty of A$250,000. Esso had pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges. Justice Philip Cummins said a separate hearing would begin on Friday to set the penalty. The explosion at the Longford plant in September, 1998 killed two employees, caused others to be seriously injured, left the state of Victoria almost totally without gas for about two weeks and cut crude oil production for several months. Esso Australia chairman Robert Olsen said outside the court the company acknowledged the court's decision and was committed to continuously improving the safety of its operations. Esso deeply regrets this accident, the tragic loss of life and the serious injuries that resulted. The safety and the well being or our employees, our contractors and the nearby community is of the highest importance to this company, he said. This accident marks a low point in the 30-plus year history of operations that we have in this country. Esso has come under fierce criticism in Victoria for a perceived unwillingness to accept responsibility for the accident. The Victorian WorkCover Authority laid the charges against Esso after a Royal Commission inquiry into the blast criticised the company for failing to adequately train its workers. VERDICT BOOSTS CLASS ACTION Esso also faces a potential A$1 billion class-action hearing in the Supreme Court, representing businesses and individuals who suffered financial loss as well as insurance companies seeking to recover policy payouts of A$300 million. Lawyer Nick Styant-Brown, of legal firm Slater and Gordon, said the criminal verdict would assist the class action, which is likely to be go before the courts in the first half of 2002. What it means for the class action is our case for establishing fault against Esso is very strong, he said. Unions representing employees at the Longford plant called for tougher penalties to be introduced for corporations such as Esso, whose parent Exxon Mobil in January reported a world-record annual profit of US$16.9 billion. Australian Workers Union secretary Bill Shorten said Esso should apologise to the Longford plant workers and the Victorian community. Esso can afford to pay any fine in any jurisdiction in the world. Our concern is that Esso will just assume that they can pay the money and they can go on with their business, he said. The Longford plant is operated by Esso and is supplied from Bass Strait oil and gas fields in a joint venture between Esso and BHP Ltd BHP.AX. US$1=A$0.52 01:35 06-28-01 Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
HK China Gas seeks talks on PetroChina pipeline [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- Want to send this story to another AOL member? Click on the heart at the top of this window. HK China Gas seeks talks on PetroChina pipeline By Alison Leung HONG KONG, June 29 (Reuters) - Hong Kong China Gas 0003.HK said on Friday it will soon hold talks with PetroChina 0857.HK on whether to bid for a stake in a massive gas pipeline project on its own or with Royal Dutch/Shell RD.ASSHEL.L. Hong Kong China Gas managing director Alfred Chan also said longstanding plans to invest HK$2 billion ($256 million) in China over the next five years were due for a revision, saying that's an old figure that has been in the market for a year. The estimate, widely reported in Hong Kong newspapers on Friday, was a ballpark figure not based on any solid investment commitments in China, Chan told Reuters by telephone. On Wednesday, PetroChina invited Hong Kong China Gas and the Russian consortium of PJSC Gazprom and PJSC Stroitransgaz to join talks for a 4,200 km west-east pipeline which will transport gas from the western region of Xinjiang to Shanghai. Hong Kong China Gas, known locally as Towngas, has said previously it would team up with Royal Dutch/Shell to bid on the project. At this time we're still in a partnership with Shell, Chan said. The company would decide whether to stay in the partnership after discussing the issue with PetroChina, he added. A senior PetroChina official said Hong Kong China Gas had not formally told the Chinese oil giant it intended to bid jointly with Shell, but PetroChina had no objections. Up until now, Hong Kong China Gas has not formally handed in its joint operation agreement to form a consortium with Shell to bid for the pipeline project, said Liu Kaixin, deputy director general of PetroChina's planning department. If it forms a consortium with Shell, or if they have a joint agreement, PetroChina has no objection to their cooperation, he told a news conference in Beijing. SMALL SHARE EITHER WAY Chan did not reveal how much Hong Kong China Gas would like to invest in the project, but said it would be the same whether the company bid on its own or with Shell. Earlier this month, he said the company would only seek a very small share in the project. A Hong Kong China Gas spokeswoman said the company's major interest lay in the downstream business, or retail distribution of gas in China. We are interested (in seeking) a presence in the mid-stream business, or pipeline business, but we will not make a massive investment there, she said. Earlier this month, PetroChina selected three of the world's top oil majors for talks on building the pipeline, including Royal Dutch/Shell, which initially bid on its own. BP plc BP.L leads a consortium that includes Japan's Mitsubishi 7011.T, Itochu 8001.T, Nissho Iwai 9961.T and Malaysia's Petronas, while Exxon Mobil A HREF=aol://4785:XOMXOM.N/A bid with China Light and Power 0002.HK. Hong Kong China Gas has plenty of cash on hand and is planning to buy back up to HK$4.12 billion in shares starting on July 5. Local newspapers reported on Friday that even after the buyback, the company would still have HK$2.8 billion in cash or cash equivalent. Shares of Hong Kong China Gas closed up 1.03 percent at HK$9.80 on Friday. ($1=7.799 Hong Kong Dollar) (Additional reporting by Bill Savadove in Beijing) 05:00 06-29-01 Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- In a message dated 6/29/01 8:44:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Behind the sudden extradition of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, lies another event: the demise of the fragile coalition in Belgrade. It is clear that the Yugoslav president was locked out of the decision to extradite Milosevic. In Belgrade, Kostunica stands isolated. There is a chorus from a remarkably diverse assortment of throats, including of course Mr. Kostunica himself, but also everyone from Justin Raimondo, an hysterical commentator on the right, to mainstream media, to Straford, to some people on the Left, all saying that Kostunica was not part of the decision to kidnap Milosevic. It occurs to me that it is vital for Washington to preserve Kostunica because he still has work to do: namely, to be a Washington Quisling while maintaining some support among Serbs, enough to diffuse popular anger while the critical remaining task is carried out, namely the destruction of the Yugoslav Army of which he is conveniently the commander. Always best to command that which you are assigned to destroy. As to his innocence, touted on all sides, allow me to ask: If a crime of treason is justified for weeks, if lies are spread saying this crime is needed for the country to survive, if various methods of carrying it out are tried and fail until finally one succeeds, isn't a top leader who participated in all these steps responsible for the crime? If such a leader pretended to care about his country, isn't he all the more guilty? Mr. Kostunica openly participated in every step of the terrible crime of kidnapping of Slobodan Milosevic - including the final step, the deed itself. In the last step, after the kidnapping had been ordered halted by the Constitutional Court, Mr. Kostunica played the vital role. Was he present at the final planning meeting? We don't know. Some report he was. He says he wasn't. But whether he dirtied his hands with the actual details is irrelevant. The important thing, the vital thing, was that he NOT do his job as president. His job as President was to a) command the army and b) protect the constitution. Djindjic announced days before the kidnapping, and so did other leaders, that Milosevic would be kidnapped regardless of the decision of legal procedures. It was then Kostunica's duty to arrest these plotters and order the army to take control of the Belgrade Prison to make sure the publicly threatened action could not occur. That was precisely what Kostunica promised when he told the SPS two days and one day before the kidnapping that he would permit no unconstitutional action. He was like the sheriff of a town who knows the KKK plans to murder a black man and refuses to provide protection. His refusal to do his duty constitutes a crime just as conscious and serious as that of the flunkies who carry out the lynching - the only difference is, his superior position allows him not to dirty his hands. In a sense, perhaps, such a sheriff is worse than the actual lyncher. But in any case: in Washington Kostunica called for extradition and promised to fight for an unconstitutional law to allow it; then he tried to coerce the Montenegrin socialists to vote for the illegal law; then he condoned the illegal decree of the Federal Government; then he falsely promised to prevent kidnapping; and then (assuming he was not also one of the direct planners) he betrayed his oath and looked away while it happened And then - hypocrite! - he expressed shock and blamed everyone but: HIMSELF. This is treason. Mr. Kostunica deserves the most severe punishment possible under Yugoslav law. Jared Israel __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
NYT: Serbs Need To Be Forcibly Deprogrammed [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- The New Yprk Times June 30, 2001 Western governments need to improve the tribunal's profile and credibility in Serbia. They need to provide the funds, and apply whatever pressure is needed, to insure that Mr. Milosevic's trial is broadcast on television and radio in Serbia. Milosevic and the Beginning of Honesty By PETER MAASS When Bob Stewart, who commanded the first regiment of British peacekeepers in Bosnia, was asked by the BBC for his reaction to the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic, he responded with one joyous word: Hallelujah. Across Europe and America, similar words of thanks and astonishment were whispered and shouted by people who did not expect the former Serbian leader to wind up at The Hague so soon after being toppled from power. Yet there he is, behind bars at the United Nations detention center, with a coffee maker in his cell and a war-crimes trial in his future. The time has come, in other words, to look beyond Mr. Milosevic. The trial's usefulness will not be to determine his guilt or innocence even a legal dream team will have a hard time getting him off the hook but to educate Serbs about the crimes he masterminded in their name and with their support. For Serbia, extraditing Mr. Milosevic may be easier than accepting the truth. Serbs have been notably reluctant to admit they were the authors, not the victims, of war crimes. Taking responsibility for these deeds is a condition of reconciliation between Serbs and their onetime enemies. The new Serbian government, under Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, recently began the process of deprogramming. It has publicized the discovery in Serbia of mass graves of Kosovars murdered by Mr. Milosevic's security forces. But that candor may have had less to do with Mr. Djindjic's yearning for truth than with his desire to weaken opposition to Mr. Milosevic's extradition, thus clearing the way for an infusion of Western aid. With Mr. Milosevic at The Hague, Serbs may be tempted to think, Out of sight, out of mind. Most Serbs view the United Nations tribunal as biased, noting that Franjo Tudjman, the late Croatian president, was never indicted, although he was clearly guilty of war crimes in Bosnia. As a result, Serbs have all but ignored The Hague trials so far. Western governments need to improve the tribunal's profile and credibility in Serbia. They need to provide the funds, and apply whatever pressure is needed, to ensure that Mr. Milosevic's trial is broadcast on television and radio in Serbia. They also need to provide Serb journalists with the financial resources to travel to The Hague to cover the trial, which is likely to be lengthy. To the extent it's possible, the goal is to ensure that the verdict is accepted by Serbs. Every effort should be made to include Serb judges on the panel of international jurists who will determine Mr. Milosevic's fate. And if security concerns can be met, part of the trial might even be held in Serbia. There is ample reason for supporters of global justice to whisper hallelujah this weekend, but Slobodan Milosevic's extradition is just a first step. Serbia is only beginning its reckoning with history; deadly and durable myths must be destroyed. Peter Maass is the author of ``Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War,'' his memoir of covering the conflict in Bosnia. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Abduction that will cause of the disintegration of FRY [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- http://www.strana.ru The extradition of Milosevic is an abduction that will cause the disintegration of FRY After Milosevic Yugoslavia may lose Kosovo, Vojvodina and Sandjak The situation in Yugoslavia is commented on for Observer.ru by Andranik Migranyan, vice president of the Reform Foundation In the first place, the present situation shows there is no unity in Yugoslavia itself. This may lead to a further split, to conflicts and to confrontation between President of Yugoslavia Vojislav Kostunica and Prime Minister of Serbia Zoran Djindjic. The Serb Prime Minister in fact has set up the country's President. He showed for everyone to see who is the master in the house and made it clear that he is ready to do anything to satisfy the West. It may also mean that a definite part of the Serb society and some Serb politicians by extraditing Milosevic approve of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. And one more thing. In this way these people are trying to attract Western capital and consolidate their own positions in the country. Besides, it will possibly lead to rapid disintegration in Yugoslavia and to a final separation of Montenegro, and result in graver consequences -the loss of Kosovo, Vojvodina, and Sandjak. As regards Russia, it is not ruled out that after the extradition of Milosevic a question of taking legal action against Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, Russian politicians and military commanders may be raised in an international organization in connection with the war in Chechnya. Such statements have already been made by our human rights champions, in particular by Sergei Kovalyov. So far, it does not work, because Russia is still a nuclear power, but in principle this psychological barrier may be overcome. In this sense the extradition of Milosevic is an alarming signal. © National Information Service Strana.Ru, 2000. RF __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Russian Leaders: Beginning of the end of Yugoslavia itself [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- http://www.russianobserver.com The Russian Observer June 30, 2001 Seleznyov, Stroyev denounce extradition of Milosevic It is the beginning of the end of Yugoslavia itself, the beginning of the end of its statehood. For one can give away a President or Ministers, but then what kind of authority will that country have? Russia Federation Council chairman Yegor Stroyev went on record as saying in Moscow. In his words, each country has the right to deal with its Presidents on its own. In this connection, he claimed support for the point of view of LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who, while commenting on the Milosevic affair, cited as a case in point South Korea, which jailed two of its Presidents, but did not hand them over to the Hague court. Besides, Stroyev fears that this incident is an attempt to create a precedent for Russia in future. He said it was doubtful that Yugoslavian President Vojislav Kostunica had known nothing about the extradition. What kind of a President is that, who does not know what is happening in his country? he queried. State Duma chairman Gennady Seleznyov claimed the Hague Tribunal should judge NATO's supporters and allies, which had bombed that country, not the former FRY President, Slobodan Milosevic. Like many other citizens of Russia, he was struck by the news about the extradition, under the cover of the night, of the former Yugoslavian President. In his view, the move was carried out in an undemocratic way and in violation of the FRY legislation. He stressed in particular that the FRY leaders had taken the decision without advising Vojislav Kostunica as was evident from the statement by the Yugoslavian President himself. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- You're right, Jared. The actions of both Kostunica, whose presidential oath obliges him to preserve his nation and protect its citizens - all its citizens - and the reptilian agent Djindjic are guilty of the worse type of treason. In any other country in the world they would have been arrested and prosecuted for that federal crime ages ago. And it's not just the Yugoslav armed forces they are conspiring to dismantle, it's what remains of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. There is absolutely no question, for example, that Djindjic and the Montenegrin Western agent Djukanovic have plotted the further disintegration of the Republic, splitting Serbia and Montenegro. And who knows what the quislings have promised Hungary and Albania. All part of the NATO/EU plan. They need to be further exposed - and stopped. --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- In a message dated 6/29/01 8:44:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Behind the sudden extradition of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, lies another event: the demise of the fragile coalition in Belgrade. It is clear that the Yugoslav president was locked out of the decision to extradite Milosevic. In Belgrade, Kostunica stands isolated. There is a chorus from a remarkably diverse assortment of throats, including of course Mr. Kostunica himself, but also everyone from Justin Raimondo, an hysterical commentator on the right, to mainstream media, to Straford, to some people on the Left, all saying that Kostunica was not part of the decision to kidnap Milosevic. It occurs to me that it is vital for Washington to preserve Kostunica because he still has work to do: namely, to be a Washington Quisling while maintaining some support among Serbs, enough to diffuse popular anger while the critical remaining task is carried out, namely the destruction of the Yugoslav Army of which he is conveniently the commander. Always best to command that which you are assigned to destroy. As to his innocence, touted on all sides, allow me to ask: If a crime of treason is justified for weeks, if lies are spread saying this crime is needed for the country to survive, if various methods of carrying it out are tried and fail until finally one succeeds, isn't a top leader who participated in all these steps responsible for the crime? If such a leader pretended to care about his country, isn't he all the more guilty? Mr. Kostunica openly participated in every step of the terrible crime of kidnapping of Slobodan Milosevic - including the final step, the deed itself. In the last step, after the kidnapping had been ordered halted by the Constitutional Court, Mr. Kostunica played the vital role. Was he present at the final planning meeting? We don't know. Some report he was. He says he wasn't. But whether he dirtied his hands with the actual details is irrelevant. The important thing, the vital thing, was that he NOT do his job as president. His job as President was to a) command the army and b) protect the constitution. Djindjic announced days before the kidnapping, and so did other leaders, that Milosevic would be kidnapped regardless of the decision of legal procedures. It was then Kostunica's duty to arrest these plotters and order the army to take control of the Belgrade Prison to make sure the publicly threatened action could not occur. That was precisely what Kostunica promised when he told the SPS two days and one day before the kidnapping that he would permit no unconstitutional action. He was like the sheriff of a town who knows the KKK plans to murder a black man and refuses to provide protection. His refusal to do his duty constitutes a crime just as conscious and serious as that of the flunkies who carry out the lynching - the only difference is, his superior position allows him not to dirty his hands. In a sense, perhaps, such a sheriff is worse than the actual lyncher. But in any
Re: KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- On 30 Jun 2001, at 3:21, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > There is a chorus from a remarkably diverse assortment of throats, > including of course Mr. Kostunica himself, but also everyone from > Justin Raimondo, an hysterical commentator on the right, to mainstream > media, to Straford, to some people on the Left, all saying that > Kostunica was not part of the decision to kidnap Milosevic. Dear Jared, I can only speak out for myself and I'll try to explain my thoughts. 1.- Kostunica is and always was a 'symbolic figure'. We all know -- you even wrote about that before-- who was really moving the strings. 2.- The fact that somebody may assume he wasn't aware of the 'transfer' of Slobodan Milosevic doesn't mean they are saying 'he is innocent'. It only helps to prove my previous point: a) Djindjic is the one who has always been the real decision-maker. b) It is a clear evidence of a very important fact: The so-called international community main goal was to provoke the end of Yugoslavia as a nation. Take into account that the US never recognised the FRY as a country, only Serbia *and* Montenegro. c) Milosevic's extradition is only a part of this chess game drawn to finish off the job of destroying what is left of Yugoslavia. d) It doesn't mean Kostunica is 'innocent' of Milosevic's extradition. If he is angry because that move, it is only because he realises how close is the end of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I don't think he is so stupid to want to lose his job. He knows that if that happens, his power is *over*. His complains about Djindjic's move don't have anything to do with that --He-is-a-man-of-principles- and-a-constitutional-lawyer-- story *but* with pure political pragmatism. 3) It is crystal clear for me that what the 'international community' wants is the creation of easily controllable statelets and this is what they are promoting for Serbia (maybe even later, the Vojvodina) and Macedonia. About the latter: that divide-and-conquest and promotion of 'ethnic' divisions is nothing new. I recommend you to read this paper titled "A Brief History of Orangeism in Ireland" (http://larkspirit.com/general/orangehist.html) where you'll realise how similar is what the Brits did to keep Ireland disunited to what is happening today in FYROM. Warmest Regards, Francisco Javier Bernal, List manager PS: I am going to be 'off-line' for a couple of weeks, maybe longer. If any member need to cancel your subscription for any reason, please send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To re-subscribe if ListBot take you off the list because a "bouncing alert" (when your inbox is full and it starts returning messages), send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Milosevic Extradition: No Legitimacy in US-Style International Rule of Law [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- The big powers have been instrumental in first of all dismembering the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the context of their contention for the control of Yugoslavia and the Balkans, as part of their contention for the control of a united Europe under the sway of the monopolies. --- Workers' Daily Internet Edition Year 2001 No.112 Article Index : 1) Milosevic Extradition: No Legitimacy in US-Style International Rule of Law - 1) Milosevic Extradition: No Legitimacy in US-Style International Rule of Law The extradition of Yugoslav ex-president Slobodan Milosevic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague cannot be said to have legitimacy in terms of international law, nor was it sanctioned by the Yugoslav Constitutional Court. The extradition has come about because of blackmail and pressure by US imperialism against Yugoslavia, with the backing of the USâs allies, including Britain. US imperialism and its allies have orchestrated the whole scenario of trying Milosevic for war crimes as part of their justifications for bringing Yugoslavia within the orbit of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE. Despite this, the extradition has been carried out against the will of the present Yugoslav president who replaced Milosevic â Vojislav Kostunica â who has condemned the move as illegal. The big powers have been instrumental in first of all dismembering the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the context of their contention for the control of Yugoslavia and the Balkans, as part of their contention for the control of a united Europe under the sway of the monopolies. Having intrigued, interfered and intervened in the region, including waging the criminal bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, the big powers, led by the US imperialism and backed to the hilt by the British government, are continuing to use humanitarian pretexts to pursue their geo-political aims. Following the bombing of Yugoslavia by the US and Britain, carried out by utilising the pretext of the Serb atrocities against the Albanian population of Kosovo, these same powers engineered the fall of Slobodan Milosevic. As far back as November last year, the US made it clear that in order to receive US assistance and consolidate democracy, Yugoslavia would have to comply with conditions which included co- operating with the ICTY, supporting the Dayton accords in Bosnia and implementing policies which established the rule of law. In other words, the Yugoslav government was given the options, comply with the US dictate or suffer the consequences. Even now, the extradition of Milosevic has taken place over the heads of the Yugoslav government and judiciary. Immediately, donors have pledged their aid to Yugoslavia. At a conference due to be chaired by the European Commission and the World Bank on Friday, June 29, The EC, the executive of the European Union, has set aside 220 million euros in its 2001 budget for Yugoslavia. Germany has said it will provide 153 million marks. Other EU states, as well as the European Investment Bank, are to provide contributions which together could reach three-quarters of a billion dollars. The World Bank will provide nearly $600 million over a three-year period. And the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is expected to provide about $200 million and the United States about $110 million. The consequent stability coupled with this lucrative aid and market reforms will give every reason for finance capital to lick its lips and plunge its claws into Yugoslavia. This is what Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has called Yugoslavia joining the democratic European mainstream. While the British government is gloating that one dictator is to account for his crimes, it is also sending a warning to all dictators that they will not escape justice. In other words, this is gangsterism under the signboard of the international rule of law, that if these countries and their leaders whom the US and the big powers have demonised do not comply with their dictate, then they will continue to suffer at the hands of the might of the big powers. Comply, and they will be showered with their enslaving aid. Not only is the internal democracy of the Anglo-American and EU countries suffering a legitimacy crisis, but this latest move is bound to deepen the crisis of the so-called international rule of law, and underline the urgent need for the democratisation of international relations. The democratic forces must not be taken in by the humanitarian pretexts given by the US and by Britain, but must vigorously condemn the
Greek Leftists Protest Milosevic Extradition [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- He said to me that he wouldn't change his position in jail for a position in a government that bowed to the foreign interests that were controlling the people and the country. Friday June 29 6:05 PM ET Greek Leftists Protest Over Milosevic Extradition ATHENS (Reuters) - Hundreds of Greek leftist demonstrators marched through Athens on Friday shouting ``Out with NATO and the Americans'' in protest at Slobodan Milosevic's extradition to The Hague. The demonstrators, mainly supporters of the Greek Communist Party (KKE), marched to the U.S. and then the Yugoslav embassies, waving banners reading ``Freedom to Milosevic.'' Milosevic was in a jail in The Hague on Friday after being flown to the Netherlands from Serbia. Indicted for crimes against humanity in the province of Kosovo, is the first head of state to be indicted for war crimes while in office. Greece, which has traditional ties with fellow Orthodox Serbia, protested at the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia at the time but stood by its alliance obligations. Communists party members and supporters led opposition protests against the West and the Greek government during the 1999 bombing and tried to block NATO troops traveling through Greece to Kosovo. On Thursday scores of Greek MPs from across the political spectrum signed a petition asking the Yugoslav government not to extradite Milosevic. The socialist government refrained from commenting on the extradition on Friday, saying it was Yugoslavia's internal matter. Communist MP Stratis Kokoras told reporters at the protest that he was one of the last people to see Milosevic on Thursday. He said Milosevic seemed calm. ``He said to me he wouldn't change his position in jail for a position in a government that bowed to the foreign interests that were controlling the people and the country,'' Korakas said. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(no subject) [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebayAleksa Djilas, a Belgrade historian, told The New York Times: "We sold him for money and we won't really get very much money for it. The US is the natural leader of the world, but how [does it] lead? This just feeds the worst American instincts, reinforcing this bullying mentality." To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebayIn a message dated 6/30/2001 12:22:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: If a crime of treason is justified for weeks, if lies are spread saying this crime is needed for the country to survive, if various methods of carrying it out are tried and fail until finally one succeeds, isn't a top leader who participated in all these steps responsible for the crime? If such a leader pretended to care about his country, isn't he all the more guilty? Yes, and I still pity him. The man has no soul. Cynthia To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: NYT: Serbs Need To Be Forcibly Deprogrammed [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebayIn a message dated 6/30/2001 2:32:49 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Milosevic and the Beginning of Honesty By PETER MAASS Ah, Peter better start with himself! To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Russian Leaders: Beginning of the end of Yugoslavia itself [WWW.STOPNAT... [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebayIn a message dated 6/30/2001 3:15:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: He said it was doubtful that Yugoslavian President Vojislav Kostunica had known nothing about the extradition. "What kind of a President is that, who does not know what is happening in his country?" he queried. We have Bush. ;) To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MILOSEVIC IS BEING ATTACKED BECAUSE HE RESISTED THE US - KOSTUNICA IS JUDAS [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- In a message dated 6/30/01 6:45:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: If he [Kostunica] is angry because that move [i.e., the kidnapping of Milosevic], it is only because he realizes how close is the end of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I don't think he is so stupid to want to lose his job. He knows that if that happens, his power is *over*. His complains about Dji My dear Javier, First, thank you for providing this so unusual forum, on which I and others get to read much information that we pass on through Emperor's Clothes and so much of the best thinking in the world. Like air, one takes it for granted. May I respectfully disagree just a bit? FIRST - You assume he is basically what he appears - i.e., that he conceives his job as being president rather being US agent - and proceed from there to conclude the above. Of course nobody knows his thoughts. But we do know this: he a) participated in the receipt of vast bribes - his campaign was impossible without total US support b) Der Spiegel says he was picked in Dec. 1999 at a meeting in Germany presided over by Fischer and Albright c) he has done everything to bring this moment, that you in your kind heart feel he must not like, to pass. If in fact he was MAINLY motivated by desire to hold Yugoslavia together he would have done what he was REQUIRED BY THE CONSTITUTION to do - seize Djindjic and surround the prison. But that of course assumes that he was not at the end one of the conspirators - and I say this: only a fool would have proceeded unless he was sure that Kostunica would stand aside at the crucial time, and Djindjic is not a fool. It reminds me of the assassination of Malcom X.. He had been threatened with death by Louis Farrakan, but at the crucial time, for some reason, his bodyguards were not present... Kostunica was the KEY man in this kidnapping. SECOND - Many people are now saying that the main thing here is not the extradition of Milsoevic it is the assault on Yugoslavia. I am pleased that people say this, but I also have my own view: that the removal of Milosvic was very important to the US because even in jail in Belgrade he could provide critical leadership to the SPS and because he had to be defeated because of what he signifies for people in vast setions of the world - people who DESIRE revolutionary change see him as a great rebel leader against the US empire. That is why hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians signed petitions demanding his release. In my opinion, he has not been defeated. He has been elevated in importance. Let's not shrink from challenging their demonization of him because they demonize him for a reason: in 1990 he led in the creation of a new, broader party that stood up to the U.S./German attempt to destroy Yugoslavia, instead of becoming a US flunky and aiding (with great regret!) that destruction - as Kostunica has done. The US and its puppies have been attacking him ever since. I better finish the transcription of my scribbled notes from the conversation I and others had with him on March 23rd, so that people will understand better why I say this. Warm regards, Jared __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: NYT: Serbs Need To Be Forcibly Deprogrammed [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- Milosevic and the Beginning of Honesty By PETER MAASS MUURDER When Bob Stewart, who commanded the first regiment of British peacekeepers (laughter) in Bosnia, was asked by the BBC for his reaction to the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic, he responded with one joyous sentence, which expressed his pleasure at being back home at his favorite pub, and included a very concrete anatomical description of the appropriate repository for the BBC reporter's information. Across Europe and America, similar sounds of indifference were expressed by the pollees, who were mainly relieved not to be asked what Balkans were. Yet there he is, behind bars at the Marsupial Detention Center, with a coffee maker in his cell and a war-crimes trial in his future. The time has come, in other words, to look beyond Mr. Milosevic. The trial's usefulness will not be to determine his guilt or innocence -- NATO quislings have already done that â but to educate Serbs to see the whole thing in the light that Westerners see it, between showings of Amazing Police Chases. Serbs have been notably reluctant to give up the feeling that it was wrong of the West to bomb their country, kill their sisters and brothers, and damage their vital resources. Instead they tend to think they have been enmeshed in a nightmare made in the US, UK and Germany. Gorana Dokic, speaking over a frothy stein of beer in downtown Belgrade pub, said, I don't know, I'm only a metal worker, but I think NATO's plan is to fragment our country and parcel out the pieces to its bigger members, and feed us into the maw of insatiable capitalist expansion. Her friend Yuri shook his head. Gorana's a bit paranoid. I think this whole business is about competition between the US and Europe. The US is suspicious of Europe's initiatives to develop its own independent military capability. French Mirage jets replacing F-22s, that sort of thing. Europe able to cut a fatter deal for itself in the general plundering of the world. I think that's what's behind the US drive to expand NATO, which it dominates. Gorana said, Well, I don't disagree. The two things aren't mutually exclusive. NATO expansion means sweatshops for us, while at the same time the US puts off the day that Europe is an equal partner in predation. Some Serbs view the criminal United Nations tribunal as biased, noting the inexhaustible list of Western mass-murderers like Kissinger who remain at large. Add to that the coddling of criminals in Yugoslavia who murdered and expelled Serbs and stole their property, and you have the makings of a tad of cynicism. As a result, Serbs have all but ignored The Hague trials so far, as who hasn't? Western governments need to improve the tribunal's profile and credibility in Serbia. America needs to provide the funds, and apply whatever pressure is needed, to ensure that the prosecution portion of Mr. Milosevic's trial is broadcast (with exclusive CNN commentary) on television and radio in Serbia. It also needs to provide Serb journalists with the funds with which to travel to The Hague and hang out in four star restaurants and posh bars with Washington Post reporters and their CIA contacts and courtesans. To the extent it's possible, the goal is to ensure that the verdict is accepted by Serbs. Every effort should be made to include Serb judges (assuming we can find one who defied his colleagues and said the extradition was legal) on the panel of international jurists who will predetermine Mr. Milosevic's fate. Slobodan Milosevic's extradition is just a first step. Serbs are only beginning to learn to recite America's version of history; deadly and durable anti-US sentiment, critical analysis, and independent thought can and will be destroyed. __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: NYT: Serbs Need To Be Forcibly Deprogrammed [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebayToo good, Les. You've truly outdone yourself (which is saying a lot) with this contribution. I've always been convinced that (high) humor and intelligence correlate highly, and if we could fight the obscurantist b*astards with anything other than lethal weapons, their stock in trade, we could beat them hands down. Can you imagine someone compiling a volume of The Wit, Paradox, Irony, Epigrams and Bon Mots of Jamie Shea? James Rubin? Gerhardt Schroeder? General Michael Short? It either wouldn't be terribly long or would prove a far more effective sedative than the white powder NATO's freedom fighters peddle.Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year!http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- I don't think he is so stupid to want to lose his job. He knows that if that happens, his power is *over*. I'm sure he would be given new position somewhere. He seems like 'Open Society' [sic] material. DOQ On 30 Jun 01, at 11:45, Francisco Javier Bernal wrote: STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- On 30 Jun 2001, at 3:21, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: There is a chorus from a remarkably diverse assortment of throats, including of course Mr. Kostunica himself, but also everyone from Justin Raimondo, an hysterical commentator on the right, to mainstream media, to Straford, to some people on the Left, all saying that Kostunica was not part of the decision to kidnap Milosevic. Dear Jared, I can only speak out for myself and I'll try to explain my thoughts. 1.- Kostunica is and always was a 'symbolic figure'. We all know -- you even wrote about that before-- who was really moving the strings. 2.- The fact that somebody may assume he wasn't aware of the 'transfer' of Slobodan Milosevic doesn't mean they are saying 'he is innocent'. It only helps to prove my previous point: a) Djindjic is the one who has always been the real decision- maker. b) It is a clear evidence of a very important fact: The so-called international community main goal was to provoke the end of Yugoslavia as a nation. Take into account that the US never recognised the FRY as a country, only Serbia *and* Montenegro. c) Milosevic's extradition is only a part of this chess game drawn to finish off the job of destroying what is left of Yugoslavia. d) It doesn't mean Kostunica is 'innocent' of Milosevic's extradition. If he is angry because that move, it is only because he realises how close is the end of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I don't think he is so stupid to want to lose his job. He knows that if that happens, his power is *over*. His complains about Djindjic's move don't have anything to do with that --He-is-a- man-of-principles- and-a-constitutional-lawyer-- story *but* with pure political pragmatism. 3) It is crystal clear for me that what the 'international community' wants is the creation of easily controllable statelets and this is what they are promoting for Serbia (maybe even later, the Vojvodina) and Macedonia. About the latter: that divide-and- conquest and promotion of 'ethnic' divisions is nothing new. I recommend you to read this paper titled A Brief History of Orangeism in Ireland (http://larkspirit.com/general/orangehist.html) where you'll realise how similar is what the Brits did to keep Ireland disunited to what is happening today in FYROM. Warmest Regards, Francisco Javier Bernal, List manager PS: I am going to be 'off-line' for a couple of weeks, maybe longer. If any member need to cancel your subscription for any reason, please send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To re-subscribe if ListBot take you off the list because a bouncing alert (when your inbox is full and it starts returning messages), send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ To unsubscribe, write to STOPNATO- [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: NYT: Serbs Need To Be Forcibly Deprogrammed [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- I thought I would count all the lies, cynical remarks and Orwellian spins planted in the 'article' below, just for fun of it. I started counting a hour ago, and I'm still counting. On 30 Jun 01, at 2:31, Rick Rozoff wrote: STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- The New Yprk Times June 30, 2001 Western governments need to improve the tribunal's profile and credibility in Serbia. They need to provide the funds, and apply whatever pressure is needed, to insure that Mr. Milosevic's trial is broadcast on television and radio in Serbia. Milosevic and the Beginning of Honesty By PETER MAASS When Bob Stewart, who commanded the first regiment of British peacekeepers in Bosnia, was asked by the BBC for his reaction to the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic, he responded with one joyous word: Hallelujah. Across Europe and America, similar words of thanks and astonishment were whispered and shouted by people who did not expect the former Serbian leader to wind up at The Hague so soon after being toppled from power. Yet there he is, behind bars at the United Nations detention center, with a coffee maker in his cell and a war-crimes trial in his future. The time has come, in other words, to look beyond Mr. Milosevic. The trial's usefulness will not be to determine his guilt or innocence even a legal dream team will have a hard time getting him off the hook but to educate Serbs about the crimes he masterminded in their name and with their support. For Serbia, extraditing Mr. Milosevic may be easier than accepting the truth. Serbs have been notably reluctant to admit they were the authors, not the victims, of war crimes. Taking responsibility for these deeds is a condition of reconciliation between Serbs and their onetime enemies. The new Serbian government, under Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, recently began the process of deprogramming. It has publicized the discovery in Serbia of mass graves of Kosovars murdered by Mr. Milosevic's security forces. But that candor may have had less to do with Mr. Djindjic's yearning for truth than with his desire to weaken opposition to Mr. Milosevic's extradition, thus clearing the way for an infusion of Western aid. With Mr. Milosevic at The Hague, Serbs may be tempted to think, Out of sight, out of mind. Most Serbs view the United Nations tribunal as biased, noting that Franjo Tudjman, the late Croatian president, was never indicted, although he was clearly guilty of war crimes in Bosnia. As a result, Serbs have all but ignored The Hague trials so far. Western governments need to improve the tribunal's profile and credibility in Serbia. They need to provide the funds, and apply whatever pressure is needed, to ensure that Mr. Milosevic's trial is broadcast on television and radio in Serbia. They also need to provide Serb journalists with the financial resources to travel to The Hague to cover the trial, which is likely to be lengthy. To the extent it's possible, the goal is to ensure that the verdict is accepted by Serbs. Every effort should be made to include Serb judges on the panel of international jurists who will determine Mr. Milosevic's fate. And if security concerns can be met, part of the trial might even be held in Serbia. There is ample reason for supporters of global justice to whisper hallelujah this weekend, but Slobodan Milosevic's extradition is just a first step. Serbia is only beginning its reckoning with history; deadly and durable myths must be destroyed. Peter Maass is the author of ``Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War,'' his memoir of covering the conflict in Bosnia. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: How America Forced Yugoslavia to Trade in Its Most Lucrative Asset [WWW.S... [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- In a message dated 30/06/01 10:39:53 Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: The European Commission pledged $445m (£315m) in addition to pledges from member states and the United States' $182m (£129m). The World Bank promised $150 (£106m) and Switzerland $22m (£16m). According to my count this is less than 780-million...which means that the DOS whores didn't even get full price for selling out their country on the most important day for its majority people __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Russian Leaders: Beginning of the end of Yugoslavia itself [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK][WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- I agree with the journalist that this could be a precedent for Russia and other countries. Don't like Putin's handling of Chechnya? Charge him with war crimes and put an economic embargo on Russia until he is handed over for trial. FWP On Sat, 30 Jun 2001, Rick Rozoff wrote: STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK http://www.russianobserver.com The Russian Observer June 30, 2001 Seleznyov, Stroyev denounce extradition of Milosevic It is the beginning of the end of Yugoslavia itself, the beginning of the end of its statehood. For one can give away a President or Ministers, but then what kind of authority will that country have? Russia Federation Council chairman Yegor Stroyev went on record as saying in Moscow. In his words, each country has the right to deal with its Presidents on its own. In this connection, he claimed support for the point of view of LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who, while commenting on the Milosevic affair, cited as a case in point South Korea, which jailed two of its Presidents, but did not hand them over to the Hague court. Besides, Stroyev fears that this incident is an attempt to create a precedent for Russia in future. He said it was doubtful that Yugoslavian President Vojislav Kostunica had known nothing about the extradition. What kind of a President is that, who does not know what is happening in his country? he queried. State Duma chairman Gennady Seleznyov claimed the Hague Tribunal should judge NATO's supporters and allies, which had bombed that country, not the former FRY President, Slobodan Milosevic. Like many other citizens of Russia, he was struck by the news about the extradition, under the cover of the night, of the former Yugoslavian President. In his view, the move was carried out in an undemocratic way and in violation of the FRY legislation. He stressed in particular that the FRY leaders had taken the decision without advising Vojislav Kostunica as was evident from the statement by the Yugoslavian President himself. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Please , no questions about my war crimes! [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- FAIR-L Fairness Accuracy in Reporting Media analysis, critiques and news reports Why Wasn't Kissinger Asked About War Crimes Charges? June 29, 2001 Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was summoned last month to appear at the French Palace of Justice to answer questions about murders and disappearances in Chile in the 1970s. While the story was carried by major European news outlets, it has received relatively little coverage in U.S. media. French authorities wanted to ask Kissinger, who was visiting Paris, about Operation Condor, the terror network set up by the governments of Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia. Evidence that the U.S. government was aware of and lent support to Operation Condor has been available for years (see The Nation, 8/9-16/99; New York Times, 3/6/01). The French magistrate who summoned Kissinger was particularly interested in what light he might shed on the disappearances of five French nationals who disappeared in Chile during or shortly after the U.S.-supported coup there in 1973. But the French courts would learn nothing from Kissinger, who left town the day after being summoned without answering any questions. After the episode in France, Kissinger did a lengthy, one-on-one interview with PBS's Charlie Rose (6/20/01). Kissinger also appeared alone with CNN's Wolf Blitzer (6/21/01) and Fox News Channel's Paula Zahn (6/13/01). None of the interviews even mentioned the French attempt to question Kissinger about human rights abuses. Nor did any of the journalists bring up the question of whether Kissinger might be indictable on war crimes charges, as journalist Christopher Hitchens argued in a two-part Harper's magazine article (2/01, 3/01). Was there an agreement that the interviewers would avoid raising such uncomfortable issues for Kissinger? Charlie Rose was recently accused of making such an agreement with Roger Ailes, the chairman of Fox News Channel. In an interview with the New York Times Magazine (6/24/01), Ailes claimed that he had written assurance from Rose that he would not be asked about politics during his May 22 interview. Yvette Vega, the executive producer for the Charlie Rose Show, told FAIR that she was unaware of any such deal with Ailes. But Kissinger himself seemed to have this kind of agreement with the National Press Club in Washington, DC, where Kissinger spoke on June 21. Noting that none of the questions asked of Kissinger, chosen from written questions submitted by the audience, dealt with war crimes or human rights investigations, journalists Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman asked Press Club moderator Richard Koonce if there was some sort of arrangement to avoid these topics. According to Mokhiber and Weissman, Koonce explained that there was a definite sensitivity to those kinds of questions, and that Kissinger was afraid that if we got into a discussion of that, for the vast majority of people that, it would take so much time to explain all of the context, that, you know, he preferred to avoid that. Which raises the question: If a former Secretary of State receiving a summons about his knowledge of murder, torture and disappearances is not news, then what is? ACTION: Please contact Charlie Rose and ask why he failed to ask Henry Kissinger about the newsworthy issues of human rights investigations and war crimes charges. You might also contact the National Press Club to voice your disappointment that journalists were not allowed to press Kissinger on these matters. CONTACT: The Charlie Rose Show mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: 212-940-1600 National Press Club Melinda Cooke, Assistant to Club President Dick Ryan mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: 202-662-7537 __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Who Will Not Be At The Hague [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- It was Ahmad Boukhari, at the request of a CIA agent named Colonel Martin, who built the steel cauldron into which dozens of dead Moroccan opposition activists were to disappear Sunday July 1, 1:15 AM New revelations on 1965 murder of Moroccan opposition leader PARIS, June 30 (AFP) - The body of Moroccan opposition leader Mehdi Ben Barka, who became a cause celebre after he was kidnapped and tortured to death in France in 1965, was dissolved in a bath of acid after being shipped back to Morocco with French complicity, two newspapers said Saturday. Basing their joint report on testimony from former Moroccan secret service agent, Ahmed Boukhari, the French daily Le Monde and the Moroccan Le Journal said French officials were also involved in the murder. On October 29, 1965, French police officers in central Paris arrested Ben Barka, who had been sentenced to death in absentia in Morocco for left wing activities during the repressive rule of King Hassan II. His body was never recovered. Thanks to French complicity, the car that transported the corpse was able to enter the airport, park on the tarmac beside a Moroccan military plane, and given enough time to place 'the package' on board, the reports said. The conniving of secret services, if not among politicians, ensured that the Ben Barka affair stayed secret, because the crime of state carried out by Morocco on French soil became a crime of states, involving France, Le Monde and Le Journal said. According to the newspapers' investigation, Ben Barka was taken to a villa in Fontenay-le-Vicomte south of Paris, and tortured for several hours before being killed by the then Moroccan interior minister, General Mohammed Oufkir, and his assistant, commander Ahmed Dlimi. Fifty hours after his death, the corpse was transported to Morocco, and placed in a cauldron of acid at Dar-el-Mokri, a torture centre in a suburb of Rabat. It was Ahmed Boukhari, at the request of a CIA agent named Colonel Martin, who built the steel cauldron into which dozens of dead Moroccan opposition activists were to disappear between 1961 and 1967, the report said. Interviewed on Radio France Internationale on Saturday, Boukhari said he was ready to collaborate with those who wanted to learn the truth of what happened to Ben Barka. I am really available. I am ready to face all these policemen, he said. The former secret service agent said he decided to come forward to free his conscience and to help Ben Barka's family and other families whose loved ones disappeared. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Germany Reassures NATO: Will Help Invade/Occupy Macedonia [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- Sunday July 1, 3:52 AM Germany denies report it will not participate in NATO Macedonia force BERLIN, June 30 (AFP) - The German defense ministry Saturday denied a press report that it would not participate in a potential NATO intervention in Macedonia to help disarm ethnic Albanian rebels. The article in (the daily) Welt am Sonntag is wrong, a spokesperson for the ministry and for the head of the German Bundeswehr said in a statement. The head of the Bundeswehr, General Harold Kujat, had reportedly told the Sunday paper that NATO units due to head to Macedonia after a political settlement has been reached had already been designated, and Germany was not part of them. The 3,000 soldiers come mostly from France, Britain, Italy and Greece with support from the United States, he was quoted as saying. The spokesperson said the German government had publicly told NATO its army would participate in an intervention in Macedonia only under strict NATO guidelines, and with parliamentary approval of the mission. Germany's Social Democratic Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had last Thursday offered his country's military support -- with up to 600 German soldiers -- for the intervention force, saying Germany could not remain outside any such operation. Such support will likely create tension within the ruling Red-Green [rather Brown-Black] coalition as well as draw fire from the opposition conservatives. NATO suggested ten days ago that volunteer countries could send troops to Macedonia to establish collection sites in a possible guerrilla disarmament operation. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
From The Citadel Of Human Rights [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- Officers Killed With Impunity In Every Case, Officials Ruled Firing Was Justified By Craig Whitlock and David S. Fallis Washington Post Staff Writers Sunday, July 1, 2001; Page A01 First of four articles By any measure, Prince George's County police have shot and killed people at rates that exceed those of nearly any other large police force in the nation. Since 1990, they have shot 122 people, killing 47 of them. By one standard the number of shootings per officer they killed more people than any major city or county police force in the country from 1990 through 2000. Almost half of those shot were unarmed, and many had committed no crime. Unlike many departments, Prince George's top police officials concluded that every one of the shootings was justified. Among the shootings ruled justified: An unarmed construction worker was shot in the back after he was detained in a fast-food restaurant. An unarmed suspect died in a fusillade of 66 bullets as he tried to flee from police in a car. A homeless man was shot when police mistook his portable radio for a gun. And an unarmed man was killed after he pulled off the road to relieve himself. An investigation by The Washington Post found that over the past decade, Prince George's police miscalculated the threat they faced dozens of times mistaking an object for a gun or a sudden movement for an act of aggression. Moreover, the police department defended shootings by issuing reports that were riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions and half-truths. In many cases, official police accounts were at odds with witness statements and facts contained in autopsy reports, court documents and other records. For example, in 1995, police shot and wounded a man who allegedly tried to run over an officer with a Chevy Blazer. A jury acquitted the man of assault after he and other witnesses testified that the vehicle was not moving and that he had raised his hands to surrender when he was shot. In 1997, police said they shot and killed a distraught college student because he attacked them with a knife. When his family sued years later, the officers admitted under oath that the dead man never touched the alleged weapon which turned out to be a butter knife sitting on a kitchen counter. In 1998, two officers said they fatally shot a Landover teenager in self-defense after he tried to grab their guns. In fact, records indicate he was shot 13 times in the back while he was unconscious and lying facedown on the floor. Encounters that result in gunfire often are more dangerous for police officers than they are for civilians. Police routinely put their lives at risk to protect the public, and most Prince George's officers who have resorted to lethal force did so to protect the innocent or themselves. Officers must make split-second decisions whether to fire, and if they freeze or flinch, they can end up dead. Two Prince George's officers have been shot and killed in the past decade. But in Prince George's County, many of the same officers shoot again and again. Almost 20 percent of the shootings examined by The Post involved an officer who had wounded or killed someone before. One officer killed three unarmed people and fired at two others. Police Chief John S. Farrell said he has ordered the entire 1,400-member agency to undergo retraining in the past year to reduce the use of deadly force. We're not sitting around here in a cheering section for officers who use excessive force, he said. We're spending lots of time and lots of money on training. And I think we've turned the corner. While proper training is critical, law enforcement experts said shooting rates also are shaped by the depth of internal scrutiny and the willingness to discipline officers. They said it was highly unusual for a police department to have as many shootings as Prince George's and find fault with none of them. Since 1990, no officer has been fired or demoted for shooting someone. The Prince George's County Police Department has a history of violence that spans four decades, a period in which the county evolved from a rural expanse east of Washington into a densely populated home to more than 800,000 people. The department has been dogged by controversial shootings and beatings since the 1960s. A succession of county executives and police chiefs have promised reforms, but the problems persist. The Post began its investigation 15 months ago, after a year in which officers shot 10 people, five of them fatally. Eight months later, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it would conduct a comprehensive review of the Prince George's Police Department. Federal investigators are studying the use of deadly force, as well as alleged
Milosevic Derides Tribunal As Political Circus [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- I am not afraid of the Hague tribunal...that is no court but a political circus aimed at jeopardizing the Serb peopleAnd let me tell you one thing - you are not takng me in, you are kidnapping me and you will answer for your crimes. Drop the buffoonery, let's hurry up. June 30, 2001 Report: Milosevic derides tribunal as a 'circus' BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) Before boarding a helicopter to begin his trip to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Netherlands, Slobodan Milosevic reportedly said these words possibly his last on Serbian soil: Brother Serbs, now farewell! Milosevic also derided the international court as a political circus and told tribunal officials who read him his rights, You are kidnapping me and you will answer for your crimes, according to a copyright article published Friday in the weekly Nedeljni Telegraf. The weekly, believed to have close contacts with the Serbian security forces who organized Milosevic's removal to face war crimes charges in The Hague, published a detailed account of the former Yugoslav president's ride from Belgrade's Central Prison. Full-page photographs accompanying the article show a dark-suited Milosevic preparing to board a helicopter, followed by a man in dark glasses and jeans and five uniformed Serbian police, one carrying a small green suitcase and an overcoat. According to the newspaper report, Serbian justice officials arrived at the prison in mid-afternoon with a signed government order for Milosevic's extradition. The warden entered Milosevic's cell and told him to get packing. And where am I supposed to go? Milosevic asked. When told his destination, he said, The Hague? Ridiculous! and repeated the word to himself several times. Guards helped Milosevic pack as he changed into a white shirt and gray suit. All the while, he kept asking: Am I really going to The Hague? the article said. Milosevic, whom guards described as dignified but very perplexed, was put in a blue police van and driven in a four-car motorcade to a state security compound, where U.N. tribunal officials waited with two bodyguards and an interpreter. After shouting that he did not recognize the tribunal set up to try suspects in a decade of conflicts he had a strong hand in starting Milosevic heard his rights read out and settled down, taking off his jacket and smoking a cigarette he asked someone for. I am not afraid of The Hague tribunal ... that is no court but a political circus aimed at jeopardizing the Serb people, Milosevic responded when court officials asked if he had anything to say after hearing his indictment. And let me tell you one thing you are not taking me in, you are kidnapping me and you will answer for your crimes, Milosevic added. The article said he then cut short a series of formal questions by saying, Drop the buffoonery, let's hurry up. Outside by the helicopter, Milosevic turned to a small group of officers standing on the lawn of compound. You have my congratulations on a job well done, he told them sarcastically. Before climbing aboard, Milosevic turned to his escorts and said, Brother Serbs, today is St. Vitus Day, referring to a Serbian Orthodox religious holiday that also marks a historic defeat of Serb forces in Kosovo in 1389. The helicopter took off for the U.S. Army base in Tuzla, Bosnia, where a plane waited to take Milosevic to the Netherlands, where he is to be tried for crimes against humanity during his crackdown on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo in 1998-99. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yugoslavia. Castro Brands Milosevic Detention 'Illegal' [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- [Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 12:59 AM Subject: Yugoslavia. Castro Brands Milosevic Detention 'Illegal' From: mart [EMAIL PROTECTED] Friday June 29 4:49 PM ET Cuba's Castro Brands Milosevic Detention 'Illegal' By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's President Fidel Castro, one of the few world leaders to back ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's government during the 1999 Kosovo crisis, said on Friday his handover to a U.N. war crimes court broke international law. ``The sending of Milosevic over there is illegal, it does not correspond with international laws,'' the communist leader told reporters, stressing, however, that ``it's not my role to judge'' and that he did not know Milosevic personally. Castro, who fiercely opposed NATO-led bombing of Yugoslavia two years ago, added that it was ``madness to concede the right of extra-territorial action for their penal laws and judicial authorities to NATO and the powerful nations.'' He was speaking at the end of a protest rally outside the U.S. diplomatic mission where more than 30,000 state-mobilized Havana residents demanded the freedom of five Cuban agents jailed in the United States on spy-related charges. Castro said Milosevic was ``paying the price for not having resisted three or four weeks longer'' during the NATO bombing ''because that war was planned for seven days ... NATO didn't have plans or calculations for a longer resistance.'' The 11-week-long NATO air campaign came in response to Yugoslav army action against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. ``If he had fought four weeks more, the ground troops would have had to intervene in Kosovo, and the Yugoslav army, the Serb army, was intact,'' Castro added. ``However, this man did not resist the pressures. They squeezed him, they forced him into a sort of surrender, and the war was over.'' The transfer to The Hague of Milosevic, who ruled for more than a decade, delighted many Western nations but displeased some of Belgrade's traditional allies like Russia. Referring to another internationally famous detainee -- Peru's disgraced spy-master Vladimiro Montesinos, who was caught in Venezuela at the weekend and is now in jail in Lima -- -- Castro noted his close links to the United States. CIA LINKS ``Everyone knew his close relations with the CIA and the U.S. authorities,'' Castro said. ``He was the prototype of the efficient official, but he had to flee ... Now, I think, he will occupy a very prominent position in jail.'' Chile's former dictator Augusto Pinochet, who is waiting for a court to decide if he can be tried for human rights' abuses in his homeland, was also a U.S. puppet, Castro said. ``Pinochet is nothing more than a servant of the United States. They accuse him, they capture him, but none of his accomplices appear anywhere,'' he said. Castro himself is also termed a ``dictator'' by his foes, particularly in the fiercely anti-communist Cuban American community in Florida where there have been moves to indict him for alleged ``genocide'' and rights' abuses on the island. The 74-year-old Cuban leader has laughed that off as ridiculous, but warned he will fight to the death if there is ever any attempt to arrest him. He underlined that fighting spirit in his comments Friday, warning President Bush's administration that Cuba will not bow to pressure to reform its socialist system and would resist any military aggression. ``Cuba will never surrender if the country is invaded. Cuba would negotiate only the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the aggressors,'' he said. Although there has been no serious attempt to invade Cuba since the failed expedition by a CIA-backed exile force at the Bay of Pigs in 1961, the ruling Communist Party frequently invokes the possibility of a U.S.-led intervention. ``Cuba would have resisted not just four weeks more, but 40 years more,'' he said, supposing it found itself in a similar situation as the air strikes on Yugoslavia in 1999. ``Many of us would have died. I say it like this because I know the people, and the more these people are attacked, the more they will resist. Their spirit will grow,'' he said. _ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bush Pushes Defense Spending Bill [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- A HREF=aol://4344:3167.bush.21064495.662653175 AOL News: Bush Pushes Defense Spending Bill /A Bush Pushes Defense Spending Bill By SONYA ROSS .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (June 30) - The United States needs a $32.6 billion increase in defense spending to improve training, readiness and quality of life for U.S. troops following a period of neglect, President Bush said Saturday. ``For too many years, our strength has dwindled,'' he said. In his weekly radio address, Bush said the increase he is seeking for the Defense Department is sorely needed. The president said the soldiers of today are sorely underpaid for upholding the same principles as those who gave or risked their lives more than 200 years ago in Revolutionary War battles. ``We owe them the same appreciation that we feel for the soldiers of Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and Yorktown,'' Bush said. ``We owe them fair salaries, first-class health benefits and decent housing.'' Bush's proposal has met skepticism on Capitol Hill, where many lawmakers say it lacks support for grand-scale modernization efforts the president has promised, and that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld blindsided them with some of his proposed cuts - in B-1B bombers flown by Air National Guard units, in MX nuclear missiles and in military bases. Bush did not provide details on his priorities Saturday, beyond ``better pay, better housing and better health care for our armed forces.'' The rest, he said, must await completion of Rumsfeld's top-to-bottom review of the armed forces. ``It's time for fresh thinking and rapid change in our national defense, to prepare for challenges that are changing just as quickly,'' Bush said. ``My budget priorities reflect the pride I feel in the outstanding people who serve and protect us all.'' The administration has proposed a $328.9 billion Pentagon budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. It represents a $32.6 billion increase over this year's budget and is $18.4 billion more than Bush had proposed in February. AP-NY-06-30-01 1409EDT Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bush Supports Koizumi's Economic Plan [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- [This is great huh? One week after the NAS Echelon is busted for spying on Japans Economy (for the last 20 years), All of the sudden Bush has a NEo Ball Buddy?] The 12-minute session began with Koizumi's underhand toss of a hardball to Bush. The president snagged it with one hand and winked at the U.S. press corps. Bush Supports Koizumi's Economic Plan By GEORGE GEDDA .c The Associated Press CAMP DAVID, Md. (June 30) - President Bush blessed Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's tough-medicine economic package in a mountaintop meeting Saturday. Koizumi, in turn, backed off his criticism of Bush's environmental plans. Standing beneath a green dome of oak and poplar trees, the leaders of the world's two largest economies papered over their differences on several other issues at a playful news conference. The 12-minute session began with Koizumi's underhand toss of a hardball to Bush. The president snagged it with one hand and winked at the U.S. press corps. ''There's no question in my mind our relationship will never be stronger than under our leadership,'' Bush said after private meetings in his presidential lodge. A smiling Koizumi said: ''I did not, at the outset, believe that I would be able to establish such a strong relationship of trust with the president in my first meeting.'' Both newly elected and meeting for the first time, Bush and Koizumi came into the session with plenty of ticklish issues on their plate: Japan's faltering economy, global warming, missile defense, Japanese whaling and the sometimes unwelcome deployment of U.S. servicemen in Okinawa. Bush quickly set aside the first issue, declaring, ''I strongly support'' Koizumi's economic policies. The president dismissed suggestions that Japan's slow-growth plans could hurt the U.S. economy. ''I have no reservations about the economic reform agenda that the prime minister is advancing,'' Bush said. ''He talks about tackling difficult issues that some leaders in the past refused to address.'' Bush's endorsement was important to Koizumi after a history of tense U.S.-Japanese relations marked by badgering from U.S. presidents. In his campaign, Bush chastised Democratic President Clinton for harping on Japan to fix its economy. With his prize in hand, Koizumi returned the favor by softening his criticism of Bush for rejecting a 1997 global warming treaty. ''I am not disappointed at the president's position,'' the prime minister said. ''The president is enthusiastic about environmental issues and there is still time to discuss this issue.'' Signaling that differences remain, both governments released a joint statement before the meeting concluded in which Koizumi called the 1997 Kyoto Protocols important. The statement also said Bush welcomed the prime minister's offer to open U.S.-Japanese talks to find common ground on climate change. Koizumi later said he will work ''to the very last moment'' to reach agreement with Bush on the issue, preferring not to act on global warming without the United States. Last week, Koizumi called Bush's rejection of the treaty ''truly deplorable.'' He said he would try to mediate an agreement between Europe and the United States on cutting emissions. Japan, like the U.S. and European powers, has not ratified the treaty. With open collars and no suit coats, the leaders exchanged laughs and compliments in a way reminiscent of Bush's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bush has been accused of going overboard in his endorsement of Putin's integrity. Of Koizumi, the president said: ''He's a courageous leader.'' Bush gave Koizumi the ball and a brown leather jacket. The prime minister gave Bush a picture frame and a digital camera. The Japanese government has taken a neutral stance on Bush's missile shield plans. In the statement, both leaders vowed to ''consult closely'' on the issue, and Koizumi reiterated his understanding of U.S. security concerns. ''The president and prime minister also reiterated the importance of cooperative research on ballistic missile defense technologies,'' the statement said. Less was said about more sensitive issues, such as allegations that a U.S. Air Force sergeant raped an Okinawan woman. Okinawa, 1,000 miles southwest of Tokyo, is home to most of the 50,000 servicemen based in Japan. Local residents have long protested their presence and a series of crimes against civilians by American soldiers. A senior U.S. official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said Bush expressed regret for the incidents without passing judgment on the most recent case. In private, Bush also reminded Koizumi of U.S. opposition to
US offers Ecuador $90 Million for Colombia border security [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- A HREF=aol://4344:30.L100cG3C.5260623.678325566 06/29: AOL News: US offers Ecuador aid for Colombia border security/A Want to send this story to another AOL member? Click on the heart at the top of this window. US offers Ecuador aid for Colombia border security QUITO, Ecuador, June 29 (Reuters) - The United States has pledged to give Ecuador $90 million during 2002 to help it beef up security along its border with Colombia, an Ecuadorean presidential statement said on Friday. The $90 million is part of $750 million earmarked by the U.S. administration for the Andean nation under a regional coca eradication program. The announcement came two days after Ecuador's President Gustavo Noboa and his military leaders urged the commander in chief of the U.S. Southern Command to help expedite delivery of $12 million in promised U.S. military equipment they said they need to defend the 385-mile (620-km) border with Colombia. Forty-five percent of the funds will be destined to reinforce security in the five northern border provinces and the remainder will be spent on the alternative development program, the presidential bulletin stated. The alternative development program refers to initiatives that pay farmers to plant crops other than coca, the source of cocaine. Under former President Bill Clinton, the United States committed almost $1.3 billion in mostly military aid for Colombian President Andres Pastrana's Plan Colombia -- a $7.5 billion plan to destroy the nation's coca fields. Friday's statement did not give details of the kind of security measures covered by the funds although Noboa and his military leaders asked U.S. Gen. Peter Pace at Wednesday's meeting to try to speed along delivery of $12 million in helicopters and other equipment. Colombia's 37-year-old war has claimed 40,000 lives and threatens to spill over into border regions like Ecuador's Sucumbios, Esmeraldas, Orellana, Napo and Carchi provinces. 19:45 06-29-01 Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
US Criticizes Europe on War on Andean Nations [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- he Bush administration has budgeted $882 million in aid for a drug fighting effort targeting several Andean nations in a follow-up program to ``Plan Colombia'' that directs more attention to social and economic programs than last year's military-heavy plan. A HREF=aol://4344:30.L100cCNn.7219585.678230979 06/28: AOL News: US Criticizes Europe on Drug Fight/A Want to send this story to another AOL member? Click on the heart at the top of this window. US Criticizes Europe on Drug Fight .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers and the Bush administration expressed frustration Thursday with the aid European nations have provided so far to help drug fighting efforts in the Andean nations of South America. ``One-third of the cocaine from this region is now headed for Europe,'' said Rep. Benjamin Gilman, R-N.Y., ``and places like Holland, Belgium and others in Europe provide large uncontrolled quantities of the precursor chemicals to the region that help make the drugs, which, in turn, flow back to Europe.'' The Bush administration has budgeted $882 million in aid for a drug fighting effort targeting several Andean nations in a follow-up program to ``Plan Colombia'' that directs more attention to social and economic programs than last year's military-heavy plan. Last year, the United States provided Colombia with $1.3 billion in aid, mostly in combat helicopters and other military assistance. Bordering countries soon sought similar U.S. aid as they detected Colombian narcotics producers moving in and other effects of ``Plan Colombia'' spilling over their borders. So far, Europe has provided $300 million to the effort, said Michael Deal of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Latin American bureau. Deal called the contribution substantial, but disappointing. ``We think they could do a lot more,'' he told members of the House International Relations Subcommittee. However, now that the U.S. has widened its focus from Colombia to the entire Andean region - and shifted from a military emphasis to a more balanced approach - European nations are indicating a willingness to help more, said William Brownfield, a deputy assistant secretary of state dealing with Western Hemisphere matters. ``But I don't wish to understate this case. We had hoped for more. We are disappointed so far,'' Brownfield said. AP-NY-06-28-01 1729EDT Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot Sponsor KOSTUNICA IS A HONEST WHORE, If you know what I mean Mika -Original Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 9:59 AMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Re: KOSTUNICA: JUST AS TRAITOROUS AS DJINDJIC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]STOP NATO: !NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay In a message dated 6/30/2001 12:22:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: If a crime of treason is justified for weeks, if lies are spread saying this crime is needed for the country to survive, if various methods of carrying it out are tried and fail until finally one succeeds, isn't a top leader who participated in all these steps responsible for the crime? If such a leader pretended to care about his country, isn't he all the more guilty? Yes, and I still pity him. The man has no soul. Cynthia To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bush Puts Russia Back at the Center of U.S. Foreign Policy [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- International Herald Tribune June 30, 2001 Bush Puts Russia Back at the Center of U.S. Foreign Policy By Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times WASHINGTON You can imagine what the right-wing Wall Street Journal editorial page would have written had Bill Clinton, in his first meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, declared afterward, as President George W. Bush did, that he had looked Mr. Putin in the eye, got a sense of his soul and found the former KGB boss a remarkable leader an honest, straightforward man . . . who loves his family? The lead editorial would have been titled Soul Brother and begun: For a guy who says he never inhaled, we can't help but wonder what exactly President Clinton was smoking when he met Vladimir Putin the other day. Ah, but that was then and this is now. Mr. Bush's loopy comments about the Russian leader were given a pass by the Republican right - just George's boy getting a little carried away. In fact, Mr. Bush's words need to be taken seriously - not for what they say about Mr. Putin, but for what they say about Mr. Bush and his foreign policy. Why would Mr. Bush - who came into office sneering at the backslapping friendship between Mr. Clinton and Boris Yeltsin and promising not to follow suit - be hailing Mr. Putin's soul and inviting him home to Texas? Answer: Mr. Bush has learned something in his first few months. If he wants his two great projects on foreign policy to succeed - NATO expansion and a missile shield - he needs Russian help. Reason: Mr. Clinton was able to get the first round of NATO expansion through only by promising the Russians could be bought off. Indeed, Mr. Yeltsin was paid well for his wink. The only way the U.S. can now expand NATO all the way to the Russian border, as Mr. Bush has vowed, is if he can win the same acquiescence from Russia. But Mr. Putin will have to be paid with more than praise. Because he can very cheaply counter any NATO expansion by letting the Germans and other Europeans, who are already lukewarm about it, know that he can't tolerate it. Or Mr. Putin can move a few troops to the border, which would do exactly what Mr. Bush must avoid - force the United States to actually pay a price for NATO expansion, which has zero strategic value for the American people - or for the Pentagon, which has no desire to defend Latvia. The same is true for missile defense. The Europeans will support a missile shield only if the United States can agree with Russia on how to modify the ABM Treaty, which now blocks Star Wars defenses. If the U.S. acts unilaterally, Mr. Putin can cheaply overwhelm any U.S. shield by selling missile technology to rogue states. So again, Mr. Putin has a veto, and he will want to be paid. The Bush team has discovered that on their two big foreign policy objectives - NATO expansion and missile defense - it is not enough to just declare it, you actually need support, and it turns out the key player in generating that support is Russia, says the Johns Hopkins foreign policy expert, Michael Mandelbaum. So in other words, the Bush people have put Russia back at the center of U.S. foreign policy and given Putin enormous leverage, because he can block the U.S. on both these issues without much cost or effort. So I hope Republican hawks won't go too hard on Mr. Bush for praising Mr. Putin. Mr. Bush seems to understand some things they don't - that NATO expansion doesn't matter and missile defense doesn't work. If they really were vital, the Pentagon, the public and the allies would support doing both unilaterally - at any price. But since both seem to grow more out of Republican theology than strategy, they can proceed only if the costs are limited. And the man who can most determine those costs is none other than Vladimir Putin. Miroslav Antic, http://www.antic.org/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Letter to the Editor NYT. [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb -- -Original Message- From: Milan Tepavac [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 10:47 AM To: NYT Subject: Letter to the Editor. Sir: I read the June 30 edition of your newspaper, devoted to the Milosevic case, with great interest and said to myself: After all, NYT came to its senses and is no more just one anti-Serbian racist trash. But, reading Milosevic and beginning of Honesty prevented me to jump to that conclusion. This peace of anti-Serbian genocidal garbage is a testimony that NYT remains what it has been last ten years: an instrument of the genocide against Serbian people. The statement The trial's usefulness will not be to determine his [Mr. Milosevic's] guilt or innocence - even a legal dream team will have a hard time getting him off the hook - but to educate Serbs about the crimes he masterminded in their name and with their support. For Serbia, extraditing Mr. Milosevic may be easier than accepting the truth is a Goebellsian sick propaganda. Not a single word that Mr. Milosevic was KIDNAPPED in the center of Belgrade by NATO and their Belgrade traitors on behalf of the so-called Hague Tribunal, the greatest blow to the concept of justice and an instrument of the genocide against Serbian people. The truth is that the Serbs are the greatest victims of a policy divide at impera and of the occupation of the Balkans by NATO, masterminded and executed by the USA, and more then supported by your once upon a time respected paper. Instead educating the Serbs, why don't you educate yourself at least by those Americans who see that if Milosevic is a war criminal then Lincoln is at least a hundred times greater criminal. The philosophy you are pursuing whenever you speak of the Serbs is that a state HAS NO RIGHT TO OPPOSE ARMED SECESSION; it must just succumb to secessionist criminals. But of course you are not so stupid to believe in such a philosophy - it is valid ONLY with regard to the Serbs and their state. Dr. Milan Tepavac, Belgrade, Yugoslavia http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/30/opinion/30MAAS.html THE NEW YORK TIMES, Saturday, June 30, 2001 OP-ED Milosevic and the Beginning of Honesty By PETER MAASS When Bob Stewart, who commanded the first regiment of British peacekeepers in Bosnia, was asked by the BBC for his reaction to the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic, he responded with one joyous word: Hallelujah. Across Europe and America, similar words of thanks - and astonishment - were whispered and shouted by people who did not expect the former Serbian leader to wind up at The Hague so soon after being toppled from power. Yet there he is, behind bars at the United Nations detention center, with a coffee maker in his cell and a war-crimes trial in his future. The time has come, in other words, to look beyond Mr. Milosevic. The trial's usefulness will not be to determine his guilt or innocence - even a legal dream team will have a hard time getting him off the hook - but to educate Serbs about the crimes he masterminded in their name and with their support. For Serbia, extraditing Mr. Milosevic may be easier than accepting the truth. Serbs have been notably reluctant to admit they were the authors, not the victims, of war crimes. Taking responsibility for these deeds is a condition of reconciliation between Serbs and their onetime enemies. The new Serbian government, under Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, recently began the process of deprogramming. It has publicized the discovery in Serbia of mass graves of Kosovars murdered by Mr. Milosevic's security forces. But that candor may have had less to do with Mr. Djindjic's yearning for truth than with his desire to weaken opposition to Mr. Milosevic's extradition, thus clearing the way for an infusion of Western aid. With Mr. Milosevic at The Hague, Serbs may be tempted to think, Out of sight, out of mind. Most Serbs view the United Nations tribunal as biased, noting that Franjo Tudjman, the late Croatian president, was never indicted, although he was clearly guilty of war crimes in Bosnia. As a result, Serbs have all but ignored The Hague trials so far. Western governments need to improve the tribunal's profile and credibility in Serbia. They need to provide the funds, and apply whatever pressure is needed, to ensure that Mr. Milosevic's trial is broadcast on television and radio in Serbia. They also need to provide Serb journalists with the financial resources to travel to The Hague to cover the trial, which is likely to be lengthy. To the extent it's possible, the goal is to ensure that the verdict is accepted by Serbs. Every effort should be made to include Serb judges on the panel of international jurists who will determine Mr. Milosevic's
Milosevic: I'll name British leaders who helped me [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- Milosevic: I'll name British leaders who helped me By Julius Strauss and Philip Sherwell in Belgrade and Joe Murphy in London SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC is planning to embarrass Britain and other Western governments by revealing at his war crimes trial at The Hague the secret deals which he claims propped up his regime during a decade of bloodshed in the Balkans. Milosevic: Lawyers will claim Western Governments propped up his regime Lawyers for the deposed Serbian president will name three former Foreign Secretaries, Lord Hurd, Lord Carrington and Lord Owen, in a strategy designed to implicate British and American diplomatic figures in the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia. They will claim that he was given a green light for many of his most controversial actions, including the use of force, by Western governments. Branimir Gugl, one of Milosevic's lawyers, told The Telegraph yesterday: Mr Milosevic feels that Nato are the real criminals and that will be part of his defence. Milosevic will argue that the British peers, along with Foreign Office diplomats, were involved in negotiating peace deals that were designed to maintain him in power despite his record. Lord Hurd's later role as a director of National Westminster Bank in striking a lucrative deal with Milosevic to refinance the Serbian economy is likely to be highlighted during the trial. Milosevic is expected in court on Tuesday. The former president, nicknamed the Butcher of Belgrade for his pitiless treatment of ethnic minorities, is said to feel betrayed by Western negotiators. A Senior Foreign Office official said: We will not be surprised if Lord Hurd's dealings with Milosevic are raised during the trial but in fact our hands are clean, we have nothing to hide. The French government may well be nervous about its own friendly relationship with Milosevic right up to 1999 being brought up. Lord Hurd, who aroused controversy by opposing American plans to lift the arms embargo on Bosnia's Muslims, later became the deputy chairman of NatWest Markets and brokered a deal to privatise Serbia's telecoms service. At a secret business breakfast with Milosevic, he was accompanied by Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, formerly Britain's most senior woman diplomat, who had also joined the bank. The French are believed to have maintained communications with the Serbs during the Nato bombing campaign which was beset by leaks of targets. Serbs claimed that Gen Bernard Janvier, a French former UN commander, secretly promised to veto air strikes in 1995 provided that they released 300 UN hostages. A month later, the Bosnian Serb army attacked Srebrenica, killing 7,000 Muslims in Europe's biggest war crime in 50 years. Milosevic's lawyers plan to call former peace envoys to give evidence. These include Lord Carrington, the chief negotiator for the European Union in 1991-92, Lord Owen, who co-brokered the 1993 Vance-Owen peace deal, and Richard Holbrooke, the American who brokered the Dayton accord on Bosnia. They, in turn, are likely to explain that whatever their misgivings about Milosevic, his position as strong man in the region meant that they could not ignore him. Officials in The Hague, where Milosevic has been held since Thursday, say they expect to broaden his charges to include genocide. Milosevic was under close supervision last night; his parents committed suicide and there are fears that he might try to do the same. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=002549632124328pg=/et/01/7/1/wslob01.html Miroslav Antic, http://www.antic.org/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Extradition Causes Rift In Belgrade [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
Title: STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorExtradition Causes Rift In Belgrade Cabinet Members Quit in Protest _Special Report_ Milosevic on Trial Full Post coverage of Milosevic's fall from power and the efforts to try him in the Hague. _Multimedia_ Post reporter R. Jeffrey Smith reports from Belgrade about Milosevic's handover to the Hague _Post Editorial_ The Yugoslav Model (6/28/01) _Indictment_ Excerpts: Major Charges Against Milosevic Full Text: Indictment Against Milosevic _Timeline_ Chronology of Milosevic A look at his rule in Yugoslavia and efforts to try him in the Hague. E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Version Subscribe to The Post By R. Jeffrey SmithWashington Post Foreign ServiceSaturday, June 30, 2001; Page A01 BELGRADE, June 29 -- Yugoslavia's prime minister and five other top federal officials quit today to protest former president Slobodan Milosevic's abrupt extradition to face U.N. war crimes charges. The resignations forced the dissolution of the cabinet and threatened to alter the direction and pace of political reforms in the post-Milosevic era. But Western governments signaled their enthusiastic approval of the Thursday night transfer of Milosevic, quickly pledging more than $1.28 billion in reconstruction aid during a meeting in Brussels today. That was slightly more than Yugoslavia had requested. All over Yugoslavia today, the gloves came off as the public and political leaders began to digest the rapid-fire sequence of the extradition, carried out by the government of Serbia, Yugoslavia's largest republic, in defiance of a federal court order putting the extradition on hold. Thousands of Milosevic supporters rallied for a second night to protest, parading in front of parliament with pictures of the man who had ruled the country's communist party and government for more than a decade before being ousted from office by a lost election and popular uprising last October. Demonstrators beat several journalists. Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic, explaining his decision to quit, called the extradition a "humiliation" and an assault on Yugoslav dignity. Critics saw the transfer as a surrender to Western governments' demand for Milosevic in return for aid. The resignation of Zizic, a member of a party based in Montenegro, Yugoslavia's other republic, severs an important tie between the country's two political units. Montenegro has flirted with declaring independence, a move Western officials oppose as likely to foster other secessionist movements in the Balkans. At the same time, the tumult has widened divisions in the 18-party Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition that forced Milosevic from power and took control of the government. Today, factions were sniping at each other, raising doubts as to how long the diverse group can stay together. Officials said it is unclear whether a new coalition will emerge from political negotiations or whether the government will have to call new federal elections this year. Serbian officials said the extradition plan was approved at a closed meeting of Serbian government leaders that lasted 15 minutes and that its backers took various measures to counter possible interference by security forces loyal to Milosevic -- including delaying an official announcement until the helicopter carrying the former president had left Yugoslav airspace.
How America Forced Yugoslavia to Trade in Its Most Lucrative Asset [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
Title: STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ListBot SponsorHave you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today.http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay Published on Saturday, June 30, 2001 in the Independent / UK How America Forced Yugoslavia to Trade in Its Most Lucrative Asset by Andrew Buncombe and Vesna Peric Zimonjic Justice, honesty, the rule of law and order and, of course, lots of money. The decision to hand over Slobodan Milosevic to be tried for war crimes had more to do with the prospect of massive aid payments than it did with an overwhelming desire among his countrymen to deal with the former dictator. That much became clear yesterday at a donors' conference in Brussels where 44 nations donated a total of $1.28bn (£0.9bn) to help to rebuild Yugoslavia after 13 years of Mr Milosevic's rule. "We did it. Now it's your turn," Yugoslavia's Deputy Prime Minister, Miroljub Labus, told the conference in a clear reference to the handover of Mr Milosevic. "We promised a clear cut-off from the past. We are on that way." The European Commission pledged $445m (£315m) in addition to pledges from member states and the United States' $182m (£129m). The World Bank promised $150 (£106m) and Switzerland $22m (£16m). At a meeting in Washington last month, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, told the Yugoslav President, Vojislav Kostunica, that America would boycott yesterday's conference if Mr Milosevic was not handed over. Mr Powell spoke twice in the past week with the Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, reiterating that message, and Mr Djindjic spoke with William Montgomery, the US ambassador, on Tuesday. The final decision to hand over Mr Milosevic to the international body was not, however, made until late on Wednesday evening at a meeting of the DOS the government alliance. The only group to abstain was the Democratic Party of Serbia, led by Mr Kostunica, who was opposed to the handover. Just hours after the meeting, Mr Powell announced that America would attend the donors' meeting. Serbia had little option but to do whatever was needed to ensure the promise of aid. After 13 years of Mr Milosevic's economic mismanagement, Nato sanctions and the 78-day bombing campaign of 1999, the country currently suffers from an inflation rate of 150 per cent. Unemployment stands at about 50 per cent, while foreign debt is estimated to be $12bn (£8.5bn). That Serbia was "economically blackmailed" was not lost on observers. Aleksa Djilas, a Belgrade historian, told The New York Times: "We sold him for money and we won't really get very much money for it. The US is the natural leader of the world, but how [does it] lead? This just feeds the worst American instincts, reinforcing this bullying mentality." Johannes Linn, the World Bank president, said the organization would give priority to helping Yugoslavia balance its budget, rebuild energy networks and clear the Danube of wreckage left over by the NATO bombing, as well as focusing on reconstruction and social programs. © 2001 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd ### Miroslav Antic,http://www.antic.org/ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
How guilty was the West over Milosevic, asks British press [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- ListBot Sponsor -- Have you visited eBayTM lately? The Worlds Marketplace where you can buy and sell practically anything keeps getting better. From consumer electronics to movies, find it all on eBay. What are you waiting for? Try eBay today. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay -- How guilty was the West over Milosevic, asks British press LONDON, June 30 (AFP) - On first learning that Slobodan Milosevic had been handed over to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, the British press unanimously hailed the move as a triumph for justice, branding the ex-Yugoslav president a monster and evil tyrant. But by Saturday, some national newspapers were questioning whether Western leaders, who saw Milosevic as a stabilising force in the Balkans before 1998 and negotiated with him, now had hands flecked with blood. Milosevic was handed over late Thursday on the decision of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and will face charges over his role in atrocities committed across the Balkans in Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II. He will be the first head of state to be tried by an international tribunal. The current indictment issued by the war crimes tribunal links Milosevic to the atrocities committed by the Serbian forces in Kosovo in 1998, said Saturday's Daily Mail. Why not the earlier period when Milosovic's proxies were carrying out genocide in Bosnia? It is difficult to escape the conclusion that a widening of the charges to cover Bosnia and Croatia might embarrass NATO, given its almost friendly attitude at the time towards Milosevic. The right-wing tabloid added: To an extent the West was a partner in crime with Milosevic... to talk about partnership in crime may sound extreme... but while Milosevic pursued his aims in Croatia and especially Bosnia through puppets like (Bosnian Serb leader) Radovan Karadzic, the West continued to do business with him. NATO is very far from being whiter than white... How can we celebrate when our own hands are, if not stained, at least flecked with blood? The right-wing Daily Telegraph said that extending the indictment against the former Yugoslav strongman may well also embarrass Western statesmen who have negotiated with Milosevic over the past decade, some of whom would find that their own conduct does not stand up to scrutiny in the witness box. Meanwhile, the left-leaning Guardian pointed out that there are human rights abusers in Jerusalem and Ramallah, Tehran and Baghdad, Beijing and Moscow, and who would declare London and Washington guiltless in the past? The credibility of the tribunal in The Hague depends on the possibility that, one day, agents or principals from the big, rich western nations might themselves be arraigned, the newspaper added. Email this story http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010630/1/17b3u.html Miroslav Antic, http://www.antic.org/ __ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
