Freedom Socialist Party
STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA
CONTACT: Alison Thorne, 03-9386-5065
For release: Immediately
April 1, 1999
US Power Grab Behind the Bombing of Yugoslavia
The Freedom Socialist Party condemns the NATO assault on Yugoslavia as
the very opposite of the humanitarianism in which it is cloaked. The US
government is falsely claiming a concern for the rights of Albanian
Kosovars as a cover for advancing its economic and geopolitical
interests. As its missiles rain down on Yugoslavia - including Kosovo
itself - the cost is massive bloodshed and destruction throughout the
region.
The attack against Yugoslavia which began on March 24 is similar to the
continuing US bombing of Iraq. In both cases, the Clinton administration
is callously using national minorities - the Kurds in Iraq and the
Albanian Kosovars in Yugoslavia - as a pretext for asserting control over
a strategic region. This hypocrisy is underscored by the recent CIA
hounding of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan into the hands of the
repressive Turkish government.
US President Clinton and the Pentagon are not interested in peace and
liberty. They are out to protect corporate profits by expanding the
domination of US-led NATO as a global police force that will intervene
with impunity anywhere on the globe. And they want to test their military
technology in action.
Speaking of military technology, it's important to expose the lies of the
Australian government, which claims that there is no aggressive role for
this country's armed forces. The command and control centre at Nurrungar
in Western Australia is indispensable when it comes to the tracking of
Serbian forces and the pinpointing of targets for US cruise missiles and
NATO aircraft. Prime Minister Howard has just as much blood on his hands
as Clinton.
Since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in 1991, the US has
especially demonised Milosevic and Serbia. Now, defending the current air
strikes, Clinton compares Yugoslav President Milosevic to Hitler. This is
absurd propaganda, ignoring the war crimes and anti-democratic actions of
Croatian President Tudjman, a friend of the West.
As Milosevic's imposition of martial law demonstrates, the bombing of
Yugoslavia only strengthens his hand. Internal protest by feminists,
unionists, writers and leftists - who support the rights of Yugoslavia's
national minorities but vehemently oppose military intervention and
embargoes by outside governments - are being crushed. The FSP joins with
those opponents of Milosevic who call for the voluntary reunification of
Yugoslavia's former republics and provinces on the basis of equality.
We support the right of the Kosovar Albanians to self-determination. But
we also believe that the only way that all the peoples of the former
Yugoslavia will be able to coexist is if the goal of socialism that
motivated them during their period of greatest harmony once again becomes
a common aim. Otherwise, they will each continue to be at the mercy of
larger, competing capitalist countries that have long demonstrated that
their only interest in the Balkans is exploitative.
Freedom Socialist Party
PO Box 266 West Brunswick
Victoria 3055 AUSTRALIA
Phone/Fax 61-3-9386-5065
e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<www.socialism.com>
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