>From: Michael Hoover <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] : > >forwarded by Michael Hoover > >> West steps up threats against Yugoslavia >> >> By Tony Robson >> 23 September 2000 >> [World Socialist Web Site, >> http://www.wsws.org] >> >> >> The NATO powers have tightened their military encirclement of the >> Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in the run-up to the presidential >> and federal elections on Sunday. >> >> According to a Croatian news source, two US navy ships carrying 3,500 >> troops are presently stationed at the ports of Split and Dubrovnik. An >> aircraft carrier, the George Washington, is to be deployed to the >> Adriatic from the Persian Gulf by September 30. The British Royal Navy >> aircraft carrier, HMS Invincible, is also stationed off the Montenegrin >> coast. In the words of the British Ministry of Defence, this is to "send >> the right message to Belgrade." >> >> The threat of renewed military action has been coupled with increased >> Western interference in the country's electoral process. Western powers >> are backing the candidacy of Vojislav Kostunica, from the Democratic >> Opposition of Serbia (DOS). This umbrella group of 18 parties has been >> described as "democratic" and "independent" solely because it is seeking >> to unseat President Slobodan Milosevic. >> >> The atmosphere is now extremely tense. At the end of August, Ivan >> Stambolic, a former President of Serbia who had been considering >> standing against Milosevic, was abducted and has not been seen since. >> Milosevic has clamped down on the media and earlier this month three >> members of the student-based opposition movement Otpor were jailed for >> 10 days, for spraying graffiti on walls in the capital. >> >> The Yugoslav government has also staged a war crimes trial of Western >> leaders responsible for organising last years bombing, accusing them of >> crimes against humanity and violating the country's territorial >> sovereignty. The trial, which is due to end immediately before Sunday's >> elections, is expected to hand down "sentences" of 15-20 years on US >> President Clinton, British Prime Minister Blair, former NATO Secretary >> General Xavier Solana and NATO's European commander General Wesley >> Clarke, among others. >> >> At an election rally last week, Milosevic denounced his opponents as >> "rabbits, rats and even hyenas" and accused them of being funded by the >> Western powers. Whilst Milosevic uses such charges to justify his >> clampdown on democratic rights in a bid to retain power, there is no >> doubt that the official opposition is on the payroll of the US and >> European Union. >> >> The New York Times of September 20 stated openly that, "The United >> States and its European allies have made it clear that they want Mr >> Milosevic ousted, and they have spent tens of millions of dollars trying >> to get it done... >> >> "The money from the West is going to most of the institutions that the >> government attacks for receiving it-sometimes in direct aid, and >> sometimes in suitcases of cash carried across the border between >> Yugoslavia and Hungary or Serbia and Montenegro. Most of those >> organisations and news media could not exist without foreign aid in this >> society, which is poor and repressive and whose market is distorted by >> foreign economic sanctions." >> >> The fact that these organisations, publications and media groups are so >> dependent upon US and EU patronage does not prevent the article's >> author, Steven Erlanger, from describing them as independent. >> >> Finance has been channelled to the opposition forces through the >> National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Though routinely referred to as >> a non-governmental organization, the US Congress funds it. The NED, >> which was founded in 1983, serves in practice as an adjunct to the >> CIA-procuring agents and groups in foreign countries to function as >> appendages of US foreign policy. >> >> According a report published by the NED two years ago, the Serbian >> opposition forces have been provided with monies going back as far as >> 1988. Many of the recipients included media outlets described in the >> West as the tribunes of "free speech", such as Radio-92. >> >> Information on recent contributions has not been so forthcoming. Figures >> on grant recipients in Serbia are a matter of public record. Officially, >> however, the NED has refused to release data without a formal request >> under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The protracted >> nature of such proceedings means that such figures would not be >> available until after polling day. >> >> The reluctance to publish this data probably reflects criticisms made by >> opposition forces within FRY that the US has acted too clumsily in its >> support. The way in which opposition leaders have been summoned to >> meetings by US representatives, and the open declarations of future >> financial support in return for political obedience, have compromised >> them in the eyes of the general population. >> >> According to US Congressional hearings into the crisis in Kosovo, in the >> two years preceding the NATO intervention Serbian opposition forces >> received $16.5 million and the President of FRY's smaller republic, >> Montenegro, $20 million. >> >> The DOS has signed up to the platform of the G17, a think-tank of market >> economists again funded by NED. This economic blueprint calls for the >> adoption of the German mark as the main currency for all of FRY, >> following in the footsteps of the Montenegrin republic last year. Other >> proposals include reduction of public spending, ending subsidies on food >> and other forms of social protection. >> >> The continuation of US and European economic sanctions on the FRY is >> being cynically exploited to bludgeon the population into accepting >> these terms as the condition for ending their economic isolation. On >> September 18, EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels stated openly that if the >> voters ditched Milosevic at the polls economic sanctions would be lifted >> forthwith. Javier Solana, who is now the EU's foreign and security >> policy representative, commented, "A change from Milosevic to Kostunica >> would be welcome for all democrats and all citizens of Europe." >> >> The Western media has already made clear that a victory for Milosevic >> will be interpreted as proof of ballot rigging. This would be utilized >> to encourage civil unrest amongst the population and any ensuing >> confrontation could provide the pretext for NATO military intervention. >> >> As recently as August 17, the International Crisis Group (ICG), a >> Western policy think tank funded by the billionaire George Soros, stated >> in a press release entitled "Montenegro 'Right' to Boycott Milosevic's >> Phoney Elections": "Serious doubts remain about the capacity of the >> opposition to mount a credible campaign. United or not, opposition >> leaders are not held in great respect by the majority of Serbian people, >> nor is there any consensus behind one figure as an agent of change and >> an alternative to Milosevic. In the present circumstances, the >> participation of the opposition and of the Montenegrins in federal >> elections runs the risk of handing Milosevic a sham victory. >> >> "The international community should not lend further support to these >> flawed and illegal elections. The West's willingness to endorse phoney >> elections is an act of desperation, which rests on the hope that if >> Milosevic blatantly steals the elections the Serbian people will rise up >> against him." >> >> Now the ICG is calling for Serbs to vote in elections they previously >> denounced as phoney, stating that, "Despite all the reservations >> legitimately felt about the intensely nationalist opposition candidate, >> Vojislav Kostunica, ICG recommends international support for him, and >> full participation in the election by the Serbian people." >> >> The plans of the ruling coalition government of Montenegro, led by Milo >> Djukanovic, to secede from the FRY are also supported by the ICG. It has >> lobbied for the NATO Security Council to pass a resolution committing >> itself to military engagement on the side of the breakaway province in >> the event of hostilities with Belgrade. Joining them, the former leader >> of Britain's Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown wrote in the Independent >> newspaper: "On the military side, it means [the West] drawing up proper >> contingency plans for the various eventualities, including the most >> overtly dangerous one of attempted coup; considering in what >> circumstances we could impose a no-fly zone: immediate judicious >> employment of Western warship units in the Adriatic, etc. >> >> "On the economic front, it means continuing to expand Western economic >> assistance to Montenegro. And doing some very clear but rather small >> symbolic things to show our presence and active engagement in >> Montenegro-the establishment of an EU office in Podgorica, for >> instance." >> >> Already, thanks to Western financial support, the paramilitary police >> forces loyal to President Djukanovic outnumber Federal troops stationed >> in Montenegro by approximately 20,000 to 15,000. Evidence continues to >> grow that this force is receiving training by Western military experts. >> According to the July 30 Independent, Montenegro's Special Police, the >> Spezijani, has received training from Britain's SAS. The newspaper's >> correspondent interviewed an experienced officer named Velibor, who >> explained, "It was great. We learnt a lot. Some of the techniques they >> use are different to ours." >> >> These developments reveal that the Western powers are not interested in >> the democratic process or preventing a new outbreak of war in the >> Balkans. Their support for the oppositionist forces in Serbia and >> secession in Montenegro are merely a means towards an end-destabilizing >> the FRY in order to extend their economic, political and military >> domination of the Balkans. > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
