-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the May 25, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
U.S. WAR CRIMES:
NEWSWEEK: "BOMBING CIVILIAN TARGETS WORKED BEST"
By John Catalinotto
[The writer was in Belgrade in March for the anniversary of
the start of last year's 78-day U.S./NATO bombing campaign
against Yugoslavia.]
Even when the big-business media here get around to
reporting some of the truth about last year's war against
Yugoslavia, they draw conclusions that serve their
paymasters.
Newsweek magazine got hold of an internal U.S. Air Force
report showing that only 58 of NATO's so-called high-
precision strikes hit their military targets. This compares
with the 744 NATO claimed at the end of the bombing
campaign.
A special investigation team from the United States and
other NATO air forces searched Kosovo on foot and by
helicopter.
U.S. top officers had boasted that NATO forces had
disabled "around 120 tanks," "about 220 armored personnel
carriers" and "up to 450 artillery and mortar pieces" in 78
days of bombing.
The investigators reported instead that NATO had hit just
14 tanks, 18 APCs and 20 artillery and mortar pieces, less
than one-10th of NATO claims.
These figures are quite close to the losses Yugoslav
forces reported at the end of the war. NATO spokespeople
had dismissed the Yugoslav report as "disinformation" at
the time. It was NATO that was lying.
The investigators found out that U.S. and NATO high-
altitude air power was effective chiefly against civilian
targets. It was the bombing of cities and power stations
that most damaged Serbia.
Newsweek reported this in its May 15 issue. The article
deduced from this that it was NATO's strikes against
civilian targets that forced the Yugoslav government to
allow the occupation of Kosovo.
And it concluded from these facts that the Pentagon will
now be able to use this precedent--bombing the civilian
infrastructure without taking casualties--to impose
Washington's will on most of the world.
In no way did Newsweek show the human suffering of the
Yugoslav people. Nor did the article mention that purposely
bombing civilian targets is a war crime under conventions
the U.S. government has signed.
WHAT CHOOSING CIVILIAN TARGETS MEANS
It would have been easy enough to do a story on that
suffering. Anyone in Belgrade this spring could see the
buildings hit by U.S. missiles. They could see the bombed
bridges across the Danube in Novi Sad further to the north.
Or they could arrange a visit to Dragisa Misovic, one of
the major hospitals serving Belgrade. There, hospital
spokesperson Spomenka Stojicic would show them the damage
caused by two bombings in May 1999.
The first missiles struck on May 19. It hit the Neurology
Center directly. This building was completely destroyed
together with the first-aid station and outpatient clinic
within the Special Children's Pulmonary and Tuberculosis
Hospital.
In the Maternity Center nearby, one woman had just
undergone a Caesarian section. She and her newborn escaped
serious physical injury despite the trauma of the
explosion.
Seven buildings suffered irreparable damage. Four others
would require serious reconstruction work.
In all, two-thirds of the hospital was put out of service
by the bombing. Much of it is still out, said Stojicic.
Some services have been moved to existing buildings and
must share facilities. And a few have been rebuilt with
foreign contributions.
"The ongoing embargo against Yugoslavia," said Stojicic,
"hurts us because we lack the ability to earn the money to
pay for the repairs. In addition, it makes everything much
more expensive. We are limited to doing emergency care in
many areas."
The Swiss Red Cross had helped begin rebuilding the
Maternity Center. The German anti-NATO peace movement had
just made a contribution. But it still isn't near the $7
million needed for repairing or rebuilding the buildings.
This was not the most gruesome civilian target. It didn't
embody the horror of a strike at a bus or a train with
their many civilian casualties. Yet this example of damage
to the civilian infrastructure is typical of many across
Yugoslavia that add to the ordeal of the population.
Stojicic asked one of the visitors for his button showing
a bird on a blue background, a logo for the German movement
to bring NATO to trial for war crimes against Yugoslavia.
And she asked another for a Free Mumia Abu-Jamal button for
her son.
There are both German and U.S. movements to try NATO
leaders for such crimes.
PUT U.S./NATO LEADERS ON TRIAL
New revelations that NATO's high-altitude bombing of
Yugoslavia was far less successful than claimed at the time
are "further proof of U.S. war crimes against Yugoslavia,"
said Sara Flounders, national co-coordinator of the
International Action Center.
"This will provide additional evidence for the
International War Crimes Tribunal we will hold in New York
June 10 to try U.S. and NATO political and military leaders
for war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against
peace," Flounders said.
"The claim of high accuracy with little harm to
civilians," said Flounders, "was just another in the long
line of lies NATO spokespeople used to justify massive
attacks on civilian targets in Yugoslavia."
Flounders noted that the report, submitted last summer,
had never been made public. A second study, which reported
hits closer to NATO and the Pentagon's boasts, was used.
"The Newsweek article avoided the implication that the
U.S. and NATO commanders violated the rules of war by
striking civilian targets," said Flounders. "Instead, it
pointed to the efficacy of striking the civilian
infrastructure of a country, which in the case of
Yugoslavia includes hundreds of schools, dozens of
hospitals and almost every major industry. In effect it
advocated new war crimes."
Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark drew up the
original charge sheet against NATO leaders, with 19
charges. Charge number 9, said Flounders, was: "Attacking
Objects Indispensable to the Survival of the Population of
Yugoslavia."
This includes "depriving the population of Yugoslavia of
food, water, electric power, food production, medicines,
medical care and other essentials to their survival, [by
engaging] in the systematic destruction and damage by
missiles and aerial bombardment of food production and
storage facilities, drinking water and irrigation works for
agriculture, fertilizer, insecticide, pharmaceutical,
hospitals and health-care facilities, among other objects
essential to human survival."
"The NATO commanders, fearing the complete failure of
their campaign against the Yugoslav military, concentrated
on hitting civilian targets," said Flounders. "This is
clearly a war crime, and we will prove this before the
world on June 10."
- END -
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