>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: U.S./NATO found guilty of war crimes against Yugoslavia >Reply-to: "International" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >GUILTY! > >On Saturday, June 10, 2000, the International Tribunal on U.S./NATO >War Crimes Against the People of Yugoslavia found U.S. and >NATO political and military leaders guilty of war crimes. At this >people's tribunal meeting in New York, held before over 500 people, a >panel of 16 judges from 11 countries rendered this verdict regarding >the March 24-June 10, 1999 U.S./NATO assault on Yugoslavia. > >Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, the lead prosecutor at >the International Tribunal on U.S./NATO War Crimes Against >Yugoslavia, urged those present and those they represented from the >21 countries participating to carry out a sentence of organizing a >campaign to abolish the NATO military pact. > >Ben Dupuy, former ambassador at large during the Aristide >Administration in Haiti, the Rev. Kiyul Chung of Korea, and auto >worker Martha Grevatt, who heads the AFL-CIO�s official >constituency group Pride at Work, read the three parts of the verdict >(included below). > >Participants taking the witness stand included eyewitnesses, >researchers who visited Yugoslavia, renowned political and >economics analysts, historians, physicists, biologists, military experts, >journalists and lay researchers. (A list of all the judges, and the >witnesses and their topics is included below.) > >Many of these witnesses have in the past 15 months presented to >audiences worldwide a complete picture of the war NATO waged >against Yugoslavia. For the tribunal, however, all limited themselves >to a single area of expertise that made up a single part of the >evidence against the political and military leaders of the United States >and the other NATO countries. > >Taken together, the judges decided, each single part contributed to >construct a proof that beyond a reasonable doubt proved the guilt of >the accused, just as the proper placing of single tiles can build a >mosaic. > >The witnesses described how NATO forces used the media to spread >lies to demonize the Serbs and their leadership in order to prepare >public opinion to prepare for war. Then they showed the real >economic and geopolitical interests of the imperialist powers--the U.S. >and Western Europe�in seizing economic control of the area from >the Balkans to the oil-rich Caspian Sea. > >Finally they demonstrated how Washington rigged the �Racak >massacre� and then used the so-called Rambouillet accord�in reality >an ultimatum demanding NATO's military control of all of Yugoslavia- >-to provoke the war. Taken together this all proved a crime against >peace. > >They also showed the use of illegal weapons, the purposeful choice of >civilian targets and the destruction of the environment and the civilian >infrastructure that add up to war crimes. And the expulsion of >hundreds of thousands of people from Kosovo and Metohija that >prove crimes against humanity. > >The witnesses� presentations were accompanied in many cases by >slides and videos displayed on a large screen on the stage of the >auditorium at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Manhattan. This >screen was easily visible both to the judges, who sat on the stage, and >to the hundreds in the audience, many of whom stayed throughout the >nine-hour day. > >In addition, pictures and videos were on display in the hall outside the >auditorium, and documentary evidence was offered in books or in >research papers. > >The International Action Center, founded by Clark in 1992, organized >this final session of the tribunal. There was also participation by those >who had organized similar tribunal hearings in Germany, Italy, Austria, >Russia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia and Greece, where thousands declared >U.S. President Clinton a war criminal last November in Athens. > >In addition to the witnesses, there were also important guest >presentations from representatives of the governments Yugoslavia >and Cuba. In addition, Ismael Guadalupe from Vieques, Puerto Rico >showed in a powerful speech how the practice runs against his small >island laid the basis for U.S./NATO aggression around the world. > >According to the IAC organizers, total registration, including justices, >witnesses and staff was 511. Invited speakers, witnesses and judges >came from Haiti, Spain, Turkey, Korea, Puerto Rico, India, Germany, >United States, Canada, Italy, Yugoslavia, Russia, Britain, Belgium, >Iraq, Greece, Austria, France, and Portugal. The U.S. government >refused visas to four people from Ukraine, whose message was read >from the stage. > >There were also representatives of the Roma people�often referred >to by the derisive term "gypsy." Shani Rifati, a Roma witness who >was born in Pristina, capital of Kosovo, told how NATO occupation >has led to the expulsion of 100,000 Romas. He pointed out that the >verdict condemned the persecution of Roma people, the first time this >has happened in any international tribunal. > >Five different television crews taped the entire proceedings, including >Serbian television and a three-camera crew from Australia, as well as >alternate media sources in the U.S. like the Peoples Video Network. > >FINAL JUDGEMENT OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO >INVESTIGATE U.S./NATO WAR CRIMES AGAINST THE >PEOPLE OF YUGOSLAVIA > >Final Judgement > >The Members of the Independent Commission of Inquiry to >Investigate U.S./NATO War Crimes Against the People of >Yugoslavia, meeting in New York, having considered the Initial >Charges and Complaint of the Commission dated July 31, 1999, >against President William J. Clinton, Gen. Wesley Clark, Secretary of >State Madeleine Albright, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chancellor >Gerhard Schroder, President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister >Massimo D�Alema, Prime Minister Jose Maria Azmar, the >Governments of the United States and the other NATO member >states, former Secretary General Javier Solana and other NATO >leaders, and Others with nineteen separate Crimes Against Peace, >War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in violation of the Charter >of the United Nations, the 1949 Geneva Conventions, other >international agreements and customary international law; > >Having the right and obligation as citizens of the world to sit in >judgement regarding violations of international humanitarian law; > >Having heard the testimony from Commissions of Inquiry and >Tribunals held within their own countries during the past year and >having received reports from numerous other Commission hearings >which recite the evidence there gathered; > >Having been provided with documentary evidence, eyewitness >statements, photos, videotapes, special reports, expert analyses and >summaries of evidence available to the Commission; > >Having access to all evidence, knowledge and expert opinion in the >Commission files or available to the Commission staff; > >Having been provided by the Commission, or otherwise obtained, >various books, articles and other written materials on various aspects >of events and conditions in Yugoslavia and other countries in the >Balkans, and in the military and arms establishments; > >Having considered newspaper coverage, magazine and periodical >reports, special publications, TV, radio and other media coverage and >public statements by the accused, other public officials and public >materials; > >Having heard the presentations of the Commission of Inquiry in public >hearing on June 10, 2000, and the testimony, evidence and summaries >there presented; > >And having met, considered and deliberated with each other and with >Commission staff and having considered all the evidence that is >relevant to the nineteen charges of criminal conduct alleged in the >Initial Complaint, make the following findings: > >FINDINGS > >The Members of the International War Crimes Tribunal find the >accused Guilty on the basis of the evidence against them and that >each of the nineteen separate crimes alleged in the Initial Complaint >has been established to have been committed beyond a reasonable >doubt. These are: > >1. Planning and Executing the Dismemberment, Segregation and >Impoverishment of Yugoslavia. >2. Inflicting, Inciting and Enhancing Violence Between and Among >Muslims and Slavs. >3. Disrupting Efforts to Maintain Unity, Peace and Stability in >Yugoslavia. >4. Destroying the Peace-Making Role of the United Nations. >5. Using NATO for Military Aggression Against, and Occupation of, >Non-Compliant Poor Countries. >6. Killing and Injuring a Defenseless Population throughout >Yugoslavia. >7. Planning, Announcing and Executing Attacks Intended to >Assassinate the Head of Government, Other Government Leaders >and Selected Civilians in Yugoslavia. >8. Destroying and Damaging Economic, Social, Cultural, Medical, >Diplomatic -- including the Embassy of the People�s Republic of >China and other embassies -- and Religious Resources, Properties >and Facilities throughout Yugoslavia. >9 Attacking Objects Indispensable to the Survival of the Population of >Yugoslavia. >10. Attacking Facilities Containing Dangerous Substances and Forces. >11. Using Depleted Uranium, Cluster Bombs and Other Prohibited >Weapons. >12. Waging War on the Environment. >13. Imposing Sanctions through the United Nations that are a >Genocidal Crime Against Humanity. >14. Creating an Illegal Ad-Hoc Criminal Tribunal to Destroy and >Demonize the Serbian Leadership. The Illegitimacy of this Tribunal is >Further Demonstrated by its Failure to Bring Any Case Regarding the >Oppression of the Romani People, Who Have Suffered the Highest >Rate of Casualties of Any People in the Region. >15. Using Controlled International Media to Create and Maintain >Support for the U.S. Assault and to Demonize Yugoslavia, Slavs, >Serbs and Muslims as Genocidal Murderers. >16. Establishing the Long-Term Military Occupation of Strategic >Parts of Yugoslavia by NATO Forces. >17. Attempting to Destroy the Sovereignty, Right to Self- >Determination, Democracy and Culture of the Slavic, Muslim, Roma >and Other Peoples of Yugoslavia. >18. Seeking to Establish U.S. Domination and Control of Yugoslavia >and to Exploit Its People and Resources. >19. Using the Means of Military Force and Economic Coercion in >Order to Achieve U.S. Domination. > >The Members hold NATO, the NATO states and their leaders >accountable for their criminal acts and condemn those found guilty in >the strongest possible terms. The Members condemn the NATO >bombardments, denounce the international crimes and violations of >international humanitarian law committed by the armed attack and >through other means such as economic sanctions. NATO has acted >lawlessly and has attempted to abolish international law. > >RECOMMENDATIONS > >The Members urge the immediate revocation of all embargoes, >sanctions and penalties against Yugoslavia because they constitute a >continuing crime against humanity. The Members call for the >immediate end to the NATO occupation of all Yugoslav territory, the >removal of all NATO and U.S. bases and forces from the Balkans >region, and the cessation of overt and covert operations, including the >�International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia� in the >Hague, aimed at overthrowing the government of Yugoslavia. > >The Members further call for full reparations to be paid to the Federal >Republic of Yugoslavia for death, injury, economic and environmental >damage resulting from the NATO bombing, economic sanctions and >blockades. Further, other states in the region which have suffered >economic and environmental damage due to the NATO bombing and >economic sanctions on Yugoslavia must also be awarded reparations. >The Members condemn the threat or use of military technology >against life, both civilian and military, as was used by the NATO >powers against the people of Yugoslavia. > >The Members urge public action and mobilization to stop new and >continued sanctions and aggressions by the U.S. and other NATO >powers against Iraq, Cuba, North Korea, the countries of Eastern >Europe and the former Soviet Union, Puerto Rico, Asia, Sudan, >Colombia and other countries. We ask for the immediate cessation of >overt/covert activities by the U.S. and NATO in such countries. > >The Members believe that the interests of peace, justice and human >progress require the abolition of NATO, which has proved itself >beyond any doubt to be an instrument of aggression for the dominant, >colonizing powers, particularly the United States. The Pentagon, the >central and key element of NATO and the greatest single threat to >the people of the world, must be disbanded. > >The Members urge the Commission to provide for the permanent >preservation of the reports, evidence and materials gathered to make >them available to others, and to seek ways to provide the widest >possible distribution of the truth about the U.S./NATO war on >Yugoslavia. > >We urge all people of the world to act on recommendations developed >by the Commission to hold power accountable and to secure social >justice on which lasting peace must be based. > >Done in New York this 10th day of June, 2000 > >TRIBUNAL SCHEDULE AND LIST OF PARTICIPANTS > >10 a.m. Doors open. Registration, if possible, show videos in the >cafeteria or auditorium. > >11:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m Catrin Schuetz and Anya Mukarji-Connolly >introduce judges and prosecutors: List of judges for the International >Tribunal on U.S./NATO War Crimes against Yugoslavia--New York, >June 10, 2000 > >LIST OF 16 JUDGES > >1. Ben Dupuy--Haiti--Former Ambassador at Large for Haiti under >the first government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and currently >secretary general of the Popular National Party (PPN) of Haiti. > >2. Angeles Maestro Martin--Spain--Elected member of Spanish >parliament from Madrid and a leader in the movement to end >sanctions against Iraq . > >3. Cimile Cakir --Turkey; journalist for newspaper serving Kurdish >community and member of Turkish Human Rights Association. >Imprisoned four years in Turkey for human rights activity.. > >4. Rev. Kiyul Chung--Korea--Rev. Ki Yul Chung, chairperson of the >Executive Committee of the Congress for Korean Unification in >North America. > >5. John Nickels--Roma--U.S. representative of the International >Romani Union and also a judge in the Romani community in the U.S. > >6. Jorge Farinacci--Puerto Rico--leader of the Socialist Front of >Puerto Rico and a long-time leader of the independence movement in >Puerto Rico. > >7. Ray Laforest--Haitian-American--labor unionist in the American >Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and a leader of >the Haitian Coalition for Justice, an organization that fights police >brutality in New York. > >8. Uma Cutwal -originally from India, Uma Cutwal is president of >Local 375 of the Civil Service Technical Union District Council 37 of >American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. > >9. Dr. Christa Anders--Germany--doctor of medicine and an >organizer of the German/European Tribunal. > >10. Raniero La Valle--Italy--Former senator who has served 14 years >in the Italian parliament and an anti-war leader in Catholic circles and >spokesperson for the Italian War Crimes Tribunal movement. > >11. Dr. Wolfgang Richter--Germany--Chairperson of the Society for >the Protection of Civil Rights and Human Dignity and a leader of the >War Crimes Tribunal movement in Germany. > >12. Martha Grevatt--United States--National Secretary of the AFL- >CIO for Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans Labor Organization called Pride at >Work, and active in the United Auto Workers. > >13. Michael Ratner--United States--Civil Rights Attorney on the >National Board of the Center for Constitutional Rights and he took the >U.S. government to court for violating the War Powers Act in its >undeclared war against Yugoslavia. > >14. Yole Stanesic--Yugoslavia, Russia--Montenegrin poet and writer >living in Russia, member of the tribunals in Yaroslav, Kiev and >Belgrade. > >15. John Black--United States--retired President of the Health and >Hospital Workers Union in Pennsylvania, responsible for bringing >many thousands of hospital workers into the union. As a teenager in >Germany he was active in the anti-Nazi underground resistance. > >16. Dr. Berta Joubert--Puerto Rico--psychiatrist working in public >health and organizer of Puerto Rican and African American anti- >racist activities in Philadelphia. > >The Prosecutor team: >Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general and founder of the >International Action Center; >Pat Chin--originally from Jamaica, International Action Center >spokesperson for solidarity with Haiti and Yugoslavia and other issues; >Sara Flounders, International Action Center national co-director, >participant in numerous tribunal hearings; >Gloria La Riva, a leader of the Peace for Cuba Committee, producer >of video NATO Targets. >(All were in Yugoslavia either during the war or participating in >seminars or meetings after the war.) > >Short opening remarks by Ramsey Clark, who will be lead prosecutor. > >Opening greetings from Mikhail Kuznetsov of the International >Peoples Tribunal organized from Russia and Ukraine and other >former Soviet countries. > >Part I: Crimes against peace. (11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) > >Our first witness is Lenora Foerstel (Maryland) of Women for Mutual >Security. She has recently edited a book War, Lies and Videotape; >about the control of the media. > >Jared Israel (Massachusetts). Jared Israel produced a film called >Judgement showing how the corporate media distorted a picture to >produce a Big Lie. > >Jean Hatton (Great Britain), from the anti-war movement in Britain. >Spoke of how massacre stories were used to justify the war. > >Christopher Black (Canada), one of a group of Canadian attorney�s >who filed a suit charging NATO with war crimes at what is called the >International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia at the Hague. >Speaks on ICFTY, how the Hague Tribunal was a part of the >preparation for war. > >Monica Moorehead (U.S.) of Millions for Mumia and contributing >editor to Workers World newspaper, an expert on the prison-industrial >complex in the United States. > >Michel Collon, (Belgium) author of two books on the Balkans, Liar�s >Poker, and Monopoly; and contributor to the weekly newspaper, >Solidaire, on the geo-political aims of the war, the Caspian pipelines. > >Kadouri Al Kaysi an Iraqi American who has organized to expose the >impact of sanctions on Iraq. > >Stratis Kounias, vice-president of the Greek Committee for Peace >and Professor at the University of Athens on NATO�s role in Greece >and the Greek anti-war movement. > >John Catalinotto (New York), journalist and researcher who has >represented the International Action Center at tribunals in Vienna and >Belgrade, on Washington�s premeditated plan regarding NATO and >the attack on Yugoslavia. > >Roland Keith (Canada), a monitor for the Observer Mission that was >supposed to maintain the peace in Kosovo in 1998, before the war, on >the real role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in >Europe�s Observer mission in Kosovo and Metohija. > >Preston Wood (California), who participated in hearings in Novi Sad >and who organized opposition to the war in Los Angeles, especially in >the Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans community to present to the tribunal the >truth about the supposed massacre in Racak, Kosovo, used to justify >the attack on Yugoslavia. > >Richard Becker (California), who has written and spoken extensively >on the role of the talks held in Rambouillet, France in February and >March 1999. Rambouillet ultimatum as provocation. > >Gregor Kneussel (Austria), from the Austrian tribunal about the role >of Constitutionally neutral Austria regarding Yugoslavia and in >delivering this NATO ultimatum. > >Part II. War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity > >La Riva, Gloria Prosecutor (California), used the video she produced, >NATO Targets, to show how the U.S./NATO bombs hit civilian >targets, from hospitals to bridges to factories. > >Sarah Sloan (New York), IAC Commission of Inquiry researcher on >NATO claim it tried to minimize damage to civilian facilities in >Yugoslavia. She used a March 15, 2000 Newsweek article that >exposed that NATO hit very few military targets. > >Ellen Catalinotto (New York) is a midwife who has delivered over >1,200 babies to mostly poor women in the New York City. She also >cares for HIV infected women and is involved in research on ways to >prevent the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their >babies. She reported on NATO�s bombing of 33 hospitals including >damage to the maternity ward at Dragisa Micovic hospital in >Belgrade. > >Prof. Ivan Yatsenko (Russia), former Soviet officer and foreign >representative, now teaches law in Moscow. He described damage to >Yugoslav industrial infrastructure and how it cost a half-million jobs. > >Admiral Elmar Schmaehling (Germany), former admiral and leading >spokesperson for the German tribunal movement. He spoke on the >aggressive posture of NATO since the collapse of the USSR and its >illegal attack on Yugoslavia. > >Judi Cheng (New Jersey), IAC researcher. She showed how >unreasonable it was to believe that the bombing of Chinese embassy >in Belgrade was an accident. > >Dr. Janet Eaton (Canada), biologist and environment expert Dr. Janet >Eaton to the stand, on destruction of the environment in Yugoslavia, >especially the damage from attacks on the petrochemical plant at >Pancevo and other industrial targets. > >Dr. Carlo Pona (Italy) A physicist who attended a conference in >Belgrade about depleted uranium and has written about this subject, >Pona explained why DU is dangerous to humans and how it was used >in Yugoslavia. > >Fulvio Grimaldi (Italy), video maker and journalist. Grimaldi, who has >just completed edited a film on sanctions in Iraq and Yugoslavia, >described the combined impact of impact of bombing and sanctions on >the population of Yugoslavia. > >Deirdre Griswold (New York) has recently visited sites of U.S. war >crimes in south Korea, is editor in chief of Workers World >newspaper. She spoke about the pattern of criminal conduct of the >U.S. military and how the 1950 war crimes led to a continuing 50- >year occupation of Korea. > >Shani Rifati (Roma), originally from the Romani community in >Kosovo, publishes an English-language newsletter about Romani >affairs named Voice of Roma. He spoke of the horrors the Roma >people faced in Kosovo under K-FOR and KLA occupation. > >Milos Raickovich Serb-American composer and anti-war activist, >spoke on the destruction of churches and cultural sites in occupied >Kosovo and Metohija. > >Professor Michel Chossudovsky (Canada), an expert historian and >economist, showed the role of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army >and its ties to U.S. and German intelligence services, ties to NATO >and the United Nations Rep. Bernard Kouchner. > >Scott Taylor (Canada), former soldier, who now publishes the Ottawa- >based magazine, Espirit de Corps, celebrated for its unflinching >scrutiny of the Canadian military. He also appears regularly in the >Canadian media as a military analyst. He witnessed the expulsion of >the Serb population from the Krajina in Croatia by an army led by >KLA General Ceku. > >Professor Barry Lituchy (New York), who has recently returned >from a trip to Yugoslavia, described how the NATO occupying forces >known as K-FOR have participated in expelling parts of the >population from Kosovo. > >Professor Greg Elich (United States), has recently visited the >Balkans. He spoke on the un-humanitarian nature of . NATO�s >occupation of Kosovo. > >Gilles Troude (France), on the editorial board of Balkans-Info, a pro- >Yugoslavia, anti-NATO monthly published in Paris, France since >1996. He described France�s role in the war and in suppressing >dissent at home. > >Professor Jorge Cadima (Portugal), a regular contributor on NATO- >related subjects to to Avante, the weekly newspaper of the >Portuguese Communist Party, spoke on the role of NATO in Portugal >since 1949 and on popular resistance to the war. > >5:30-6:15 Messages of solidarity and struggle > >Ismael Guadalupe (Puerto Rico) The Committee for the Rescue and >Development of Vieques on the relationship of Vieques to >Yugoslavia. He showed how the U.S. used Vieques for target >practice to prepare for the war against Yugoslavia, and they do so for >all foreign aggression. > >Representative of Cuban Interest Section, spoke on Cuba�s suit >against U.S. for the costs of the embargo. > >UN Ambassador Jovanovic of Yugoslavia, gave evidence of his own >government�s charges against the U.S. and NATO for war crimes. >His talk was in fact a summary of much of the day�s proceedings. > >Brian Becker, co-director of the IAC, spoke on the need to form a >worldwide movement to abolish NATO. > >Ramsey Clark reiterated some of the main points developed during >the day and stressed the need to come to a unified conclusion that >would find NATO guilty over a broad spectrum of charges�the 19 >charges included in the original indictment�and lead to a struggle to >abolish NATO. > >International Action Center >39 West 14th Street, Room 206 >New York, NY 10011 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.iacenter.org >CHECK OUT THE NEW SITE www.mumia2000.org >phone: 212 633-6646 >fax: 212 633-2889 > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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