-Caveat Lector- >From NewDawnMagazine http://www.newdawnmagazine.com.au/56b.htm > > The Public Relations of Modern Warfare > Will the Real Nazis Please Stand Up! > > > By SUSAN BRYCE > > For the last seven months we have been fed a diet of propaganda — the public > relations of modern warfare — about Kosovo, that distant and foreign land, a > province of Yugoslavia but now a ‘protectorate’ of the allied forces. A land > where people — white people, doctors, lawyers and scientists — are being > ‘ethnically cleansed’ by a ‘butchering modern day Hitler’. So far, the PR > campaign (the spin as opposed to the facts) goes something like this…. > > Ethnic cleansing practiced by Slobodan Milosevic is systematic and brutal, like > the extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany. Representing the people of the free, > democratic world, America has responded to this grave humanitarian tragedy in a > timely and appropriate manner. With NATO, America has lead an effort to end the > suffering and misery of ethnic Albanians, their torment and distress cannot be > allowed to continue in the civilised 20th century! The air strikes, and the > capitulation of President Milosevic, has proven that the standards and > principles of the free world can triumph over evil. NATO can look proudly upon > its achievements in Kosovo, where ‘Operation Joint Guardian’ will bring peace > and a new humanism to the once war torn province. On the dawn of the 21st > century, we will continue to work with our partners towards the goal of a world > that is safe for all peoples, under the guiding hand of the United Nations….. > > In the final conflicts of the 20th century, public relations has become the > politically correct term for propaganda, and while hundreds of noteworthy > conflicts are being fought around the globe, NATO and US public relations > experts have selectively focused our attention upon the ‘regime’ in Yugoslavia, > and its leader, "that butchering modern day Hitler, Slobodan Milosevic." > > The tactic of comparing the enemies of the US to Hitler, is tried and true. The > Bush administration used it on Saddam Hussein, and before that, they tied the > Nazi fanatic with various Latin American ‘dictators’. During the 1989 invasion > of Panama, American soldiers showed reporters Hitler’s portrait hanging in > Manuel Noriega’s home — a US Army colonel later admitted psychological warfare > experts had planted the Fuhrer’s portrait and a voodoo altar shown to TV > cameras. > > The ghost of Adolf Hitler has been given a thorough airing in the Yugoslav > crisis. The great irony is that those who condemn Milosevic as a modern day > ‘Hitler,’ are themselves using the propaganda techniques that were refined and > employed by the Nazis during World War Two. > > "Propaganda is a weapon, and a frightful one in the right hands", said Adolf > Hitler, in Mein Kampf. Explaining how this ‘weapon’ could be employed to win the > hearts and minds of the masses, Hitler said propaganda must be limited to a very > few points and a slogan, which must be harped upon until the last member of the > public understands the point being made. > > The war in Yugoslavia has been defined by two rallying cries — the slogan — > ‘ethnic cleansing’, and the mantra, ‘humanitarian crisis’. In the mobilisation > of public opinion behind the bombing of Yugoslavia, the Clinton administration > endlessly repeated the phrase, ‘ethnic cleansing’ and NATO dwelled upon the fact > that the only way to eliminate this "systematic, and methodical policy" within > Kosovo, was by endless days of carpet bombing. The principal value of the phrase > ‘ethnic cleansing’ is that it conjures up the image of Nazi Germany. The ‘ethnic > cleansing’ in Kosovo, NATO argued, was the 1990s version of the Holocaust, while > all of Serbia was compared to Nazi Germany. > > Humanitarian crisis, on the other hand, is something that the US, the UK and > NATO helped to create by escalating a serious situation to catastrophic > proportions. The bombings undermined, and maybe permanently destroyed, a > promising democratic movement in Belgrade, which was the best hope of getting > rid of Milosevic. Further, US/NATO actions have caused considerable disruption > and danger in surrounding areas, including the Yugoslavia republic of Montenegro > and also Macedonia. > > Up until the US/NATO bombing on March 24th, there had been, according to NATO, > 2000 people killed on all sides, and a couple of hundred thousand refugees — > indeed, a humanitarian crisis, but also the type of crisis happening all over > the world. It would be an understatement to say ethnic cleansing is a tragedy, > but it is happening, on an equal to or greater extent, in other parts of the > world as well as Kosovo. For example, the crisis in Kosovo is numerically > identical to the US State Department figures last year which showed Colombia > with 300,000 refugees and two or three thousand people killed. > > Hitler said that harping upon "very few points", would call the masses attention > to certain facts, processes and necessities. "The greater the mass that > propaganda is intended to reach, the lower the purely intellectual level of the > propaganda will be." We can see Hitler’s advice is working well: the media > absorbed with over-reporting of the refugee crisis, shuttle diplomacy and the > triumphant movement of NATO ground forces into Yugoslavia. > > During the air war we were told over and over again, morning to night, with > close to 100% unanimity thundering that US/NATO actions were necessary to "save > lives". And thus, many people tended to believe their absurd claims, even > though, with a moments reflection, the absurdity of such claims would be > realised. > > Many important facts have been under reported in the Kosovo crisis. Such facts > include Viktor Chernomyrdin’s dire warning on 27th May that "the world has never > in this decade been so close as now to the brink of nuclear war"; NATO's new > interventionist role; the setback of Russia-US relations; China’s veto of the UN > Security Council resolution on Yugoslavia; and shelving the ratification of the > Russian/US arms limitation agreement START II. > > Hitler maintained that the "power to forget is enormous". Such forgetfulness is > an important propaganda tool in modern warfare. The Balkans, like Iraq, used to > be a ‘friend’ of the United States. In the 1980s Washington looked upon Slobodan > Milosevic with favour to the extent that he initiated market policies and > dismantled state industry in Yugoslavia. But in the 1990s the rules of the game > changed and Serbia became a thorn in the side of US concerns. Milosevic joined > Saddam Hussein on America’s list of "Most Wanted". > > In his recent essay "Kosovo Peace Accord", Noam Chomsky notes that in the > Yugoslav war the marching orders from Washington are the usual ones: "Focus > laser-like on the crimes of today’s official enemy, and do not allow yourself to > be distracted by comparable or worse crimes that could easily be mitigated or > terminated thanks to the crucial role of the enlightened states in perpetuating > them, or escalating them when power interests so dictate." > > The war in Yugoslavia shows that the US has neither permanent friends, nor > permanent enemies, only permanent interests. As our attention is focused upon a > few important points within the current conflict, we forget that two hundred > thousand Serbs were expelled from Croatia in 1995 with US support. (Croatia has > since become a US ally and one of NATO’s "frontline states in the war against > Serbia"). Over the past fifteen years, more than one million Kurds have been > driven from their villages in Turkey, with not only support, but even military > hardware from the US. Turkey, meanwhile, retains NATO membership and endorsed > the bombing of Yugoslavia. > > Had political conditions dictated, the media could have presented the > suppression of the Palestinian intifadah from 1987-91 or the massacres that > unfolded in Beirut in 1982, under the auspices of the Israeli state, in no less > inflammatory terms than the events in Kosovo. And what of the savageries > inflicted by the French on Algeria or the United States on Vietnam, or the > Russians in Afghanistan, or the Indonesians in Timor etc, etc, etc. Such is the > "power to forget". > > Control of the Press > > Propaganda necessarily involves the capitulation or control of the press. > Censorship of the press during the Yugoslav crisis has been open and blatant, > assisting in the reportage of ‘very few points’. While the Nazis employed the > tactic of shutting any domestic press outlet that did not push the party > message, NATO’s goal was to shut down the press inside Serbia, by bombing > television stations, and electricity lifelines. > > Censorship occurred at all levels during the Balkans conflict: from the ability > of journalists to report ‘in the field’, to Pentagon briefings and high level > diplomatic meetings. Many reporters have said access to the war zone was > severely limited by the dominant military force on the ground in Serbia and > Kosovo, and by NATO bombing raids. Travel restrictions in the Balkans war zone > left reporters to cover daily press briefings at NATO headquarters in Brussels, > Belgium, at the Pentagon and the White House in Washington. > > The press corps ‘trapped’ at NATO headquarters, and at the Pentagon, rarely > tried to pin officials down on anything questionable or vague, and NATO > spokespeople would typically obfuscate answers to journalists questions. The Web > magazine GRIDLOCK and LOAD reports one such example from NATO spokesperson Jamie > Shea, noted for his sometimes strange and confounding pronouncements, including > this one made in late May: > > > > I am confident of success because all of those conditions for the defeat of the > Belgrade regime are now in place. I suppose we could say that it is not yet the > end; it perhaps is not yet the beginning of the end. But it is certainly the end > of the beginning — there is no doubt about this — and I think that that decisive > turning point is being reached. > > > > In the arena of diplomatic negotiations, information for the press was tightly > controlled. Following a meeting between Viktor Chernomyrdin, Finnish President > Martti Ahtissari and US Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbott, journalists > were told by Chernomyrdin’s minder: "Perhaps the only thing on which the parties > to the trilateral negotiations showed full unanimity was their desire to > minimise information for the press". > > Cable News Network (CNN) has played an important role in censorship of > information during the Balkans crisis. CNN has been criticised for anti-Belgrade > reporting by its ‘star’ correspondent Christine Amanpour, whose marriage to > State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin is the source of constant speculation > even in Washington of "insider trading" of information. > > Throughout the Balkans conflict, CNN (along with the British Broadcasting > Corporation (BBC)) has been the major source of televised footage aired in news > broadcasts throughout the world. Critics have pointed out that with few > exceptions, only successful and bloodless uses of weapons were broadcast on > television. This censorship ensured that public support for the conflict > continued. If the public saw real weapons killing real people, they might get > squeamish! > > The language of double speak laced the voice overs that accompanied television > footage: when NATO bombed civilians it was a "mistake", while the Serbs carried > out "atrocities." As NATO ground troops entered Yugoslavia, it was interesting > to note the change of televised footage to either troop movements, Serb booby > traps or the "wanton destruction" of whole villages by the retreating Serb army. > The devastation caused by NATO's bombing raids is nowhere to be seen or heard. > > In another blatant example of media suppresson, comments by Russian President > Boris Yeltsin were censored. Speaking to an audience of Russian writers, Yeltsin > described NATO actions as barbaric. He said that the unleashing of war on a > sovereign state without Security Council approval could only be "possible in the > time of barbarism". But Yeltsin's comments were quickly stifled. His minders > went into full ‘damage control mode’. They requested that Reuters, who had > videotaped his speech under a media pool agreement, refrain from distributing > it. Reuters never aired the footage, but provided the US NBC News network with > raw footage. > > NATO’s real character, that of a barbarian force, has also been exposed in > recent revelations by Spanish fighter pilots, who disclosed NATO’s intentions to > level civilian infrastructure. > > Speaking to the Spanish weekly Articulo 20, (No. 30, June 14, 1999) Spanish > fighter pilots admitted that NATO deliberately attacked civilian targets and > that the alliance was destroying Yugoslavia by bombing it with novel weapons, > toxic nervous gases, surface mines dropped with parachutes, bombs containing > uranium, black napalm, sterilisation chemicals, spraying poison on crops and > using other weapons which "even we still do not know anything." > > "The North Americans are committing there one of the biggest barbarities that > can be committed against the humanity. Much and very bad things will be told in > the future about what was happening there, because, by the way, judging by what > we talked about with the British and German officers, it was designed in order > to divide the Europeans and keep us subjected for many decades," one of the > Spanish pilots stated. > > The suspicions that NATO’s repeated bombings of civilian victims and > non-military targets are not the result of war ‘errors’, were confirmed by pilot > Captain Martin de la Hoz: > > > > Several times our Colonel protested to NATO chiefs why they select targets which > are not military targets. They threw him out with curses saying that we should > know that the North Americans will lodge a complaint to the Spanish Army, once > through Brussels and again by the Defence Minister. But there is more, and I > want to tell it to the whole world: once there was a coded order of the North > American military that we should drop anti-personnel bombs over the localities > of Prishtine and Nish. The colonel refused it altogether and, a couple of days > later, the transfer order came. > > > > A Long Range Plan? > > In 1997, the establishment journal Foreign Affairs published an article by > Zbigniew Brzezinski titled "The Geostrategy for Asia". In the article, the > former National Security chief under Carter, outlined the way that NATO > "entrenches American political influence and military power on the Eurasian > mainland." > > Brzezinski argued that a wider Europe and an enlarged NATO would serve the > short-term and longer-term interests of US policy. A larger Europe would expand > the range of American influence without simultaneously creating a Europe so > politically integrated that it could challenge the United States on matters of > geopolitical importance, particularly the Middle East. > > NATO's actions in Yugoslavia may well be the first of many we will see in this > area as the US gears up to implement its "geostrategy for Asia". The possibility > of a struggle for access to the region and control over its raw materials, labor > and markets could outstrip last century’s "scramble for Africa". > > In the wash up of the Balkans crisis, the IMF and the World Bank will assist in > the ‘reconstruction’ of war torn Yugoslavia, which will repay its debt via > abundant mineral resources, that include substantial deposits of lead, zinc, > cadmium, silver and gold and an estimated 17 billion tons of coal reserves. > > US President Bill Clinton has already laid the groundwork for further > intervention in the area. During a recent speech to newspaper editors, he noted > the potential for ethnic conflict in the Ukraine, Moldova, southern Russia, the > Caucasus nations of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and the new nations of > Central Asia. Clinton discussed the fact that ethnic conflicts could pose a > threat to what is "among our most critical interests: the transition of the > former communist countries toward stability, prosperity and freedom." > > The Spin vs the Facts…… > > The UK government and US administration, along with NATO, used lies and untruths > in order to win support for a bloody war in Yugoslavia. Such untruths are the > same as propaganda, used by Hitler during World War Two. Representing key > corporate and institutional interests, NATO waged a war of aggression, without > UN sanction, against an independent and autonomous state. > > The air strikes prove that continual carpet bombing of civilians and vital > national infrastructure will eventually bring the capitulation of the target > country, and this strategy, including the use of depleted uranium weapons, will > be employed in all future conflicts. > > > > Operation Joint Guardian will bring important rewards to the US and our new > friends. Working in partnership with the IMF we will help achieve a fully > monetised economy in the former Yugoslavia. We will create an environment in > which private enterprise can flourish enabling access to natural resources and > an enormous labour force which can produce goods. Our success in Yugoslavia will > provide a springboard so that we can continue to spread capitalism and > consumerism into all states of the former Soviet Union. > > On the dawn of the 21st century, we will work with our partners towards a new > humanism, and a new world order. A world sponsored by our military and corporate > interests, and the selective intervention of NATO and the United Nations. > > > > > > <Picture> > Susan Bryce is an investigative journalist and researcher. Her interests include > democracy and freedom, the technologies of political control, environmental > health and global politics. She can be contacted at PO Box 66 Kenilworth Qld > Australia 4574, or on +61 0754 723060. email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > A<>E<>R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense." --Buddha + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truly vanquished. -Johann Christoph Schiller, German Writer (1759-1805) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." 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