Another voice of protest on Kosovo. As before, it is from Znet
http://www.lbbs.org/Zmag/kosovo.htm
CONFESSION OF THE BOMBS
By Eduardo Galeano
The United States and its NATO allies are discharging a
torrent of missiles on Yugoslavia, or on what is left of
what was once Yugoslavia. According to the official reports,
those attacking are moved by the rights of the Kosovo
Albanians, victims of a "war of ethnic cleansing" unleashed
by Milosevic�s Serbian forces. According to President
Clinton, the western democracies cannot stand by and allow
this "inadmissible human catastrophe."
The worst "war of ethnic cleansing" and the most
"inadmissible human catastrophe" in the history of
the Americas in the twentieth century took place
not that long ago in Guatemala, above all in the
decade of the eighties. Guatemalan indigenous peoples
were the principal victims of this massacre: which
produced one hundred times more dead than in Kosovo,
and twice the number of displaced persons. In his recent
tour of Central America, President Clinton asked to be
forgiven for the support his country gave to those
military men, exterminators of Indians, who were trained,
armed, and advised by the United States. Why doesn�t
Clinton demand that Milosevic apply this successful
doctrine of washing of hands? The bombing raids might
be stopped in return for a formal promise, that in the
year 2012 or 2013�for example�Yugoslavia�s president
could ask the cadavers of Kosovo to forgive him and all
would be well, end of story, sin absolved, what�s done is
done. And the killing could continue unabated.
The U.S. president was bogged down in his sex scandal,
and Robert de Niro and Dustin Hoffman invented a war in
order to distract the attention of the respectable public.
In the film, called "Wag the Dog," this invented war was
launched on behalf of the Albanians. Now, once again in
an effort to save Albanians, the film continues in another
medium. Its Hollywoodesque nature remains in tact however:
the planes take off, they seem to have been designed
on some movie set, and night after night explosions like
fireworks light up Yugoslavia�s sky. As was true during the
bombing raids against Iraq, this spectacle does not give us
images of the enemy�s dead, and there are no dead on our
side. As long as the bombs fall from above, this real war
will continue pretending to be virtual reality. If ground
troops are used, and the attacking countries begin to receive
their heroes back in coffins, it will be another story.
Meanwhile, NATO continues celebrating, with fanfare, its
half century of life. And, as the old saying goes, they�re
throwing the house out the window. This is the most expensive
birthday party in history: without counting the value of
lives and property destroyed in Yugoslavia, because the long
and short of it is that there is no enemy who doesn�t deserve
what�s coming to him, and every night of bombing raids costs
$330 million dollars. According to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung" (March 30, 1999), on the first night of this war
alone the U.S. spent as much money as Clinton promised to the
countries of Central America after they were devastated by
Hurricane "Mitch." And that�s not all. There were those who
were asking what NATO�s role might be, since the Communist
threat to Eastern Europe no longer exists. The company�s
general manager, Javier Solana, wasted no time in responding
to such insidious doubts. Twenty years ago, Solana shouted
"No!" to NATO. Ten years ago and speaking on behalf of
the Spanish government, he uttered a much-quoted phrase.
The U.S. had just unleashed its war against Iraq, and
Solana said: "They asked our opinion, but after the fact."
Today he explains that NATO is "defending peace," at the
tune of a million dollars per missile.
The great powers are the ones who practice crime and recommend
it. No one breaks the law so often. These bombing raids poke
fun at international law, and also at NATO�s charter. Against
a bloody dictator like Milosevic, we are told, anything goes,
including the unthinkable. Against Milosevic? On our television
screens, at least, the Hitler of the Balkans looks healthy and
fit. The people are the ones who suffer. The wars against Iraq,
as well--violations of every law ever passed--have been
justified in the context of the urgency of overthrowing Saddam
Hussein. Years pass, bombing raids succeed bombing raids, and
the so-called Hitler of the Middle East continues alive and
well. Yet how many Iraquis have died? According to the U.S.
Bureau of Statistics� official report (January, 1992), 145,000
Iraquis and 124 U.S. citizens were killed in the war of 1991.
And how many continue to suffer as a consequence of that
blockade theoretically destined to overthrow the dictator?
How many suffer the hunger imposed by international economic
sanctions? According to the latest Red Cross report, in this
decade alone the number of Iraqui babies born with below-normal
weight, has multiplied by six.
And if it really were true that NATO�s heart has been broken
by "ethnic cleansing"? Is saving the threatene minorities
worth destroying everyone? It would be moving, indeed, if NATO
was responding to injustice. But in that case, why have they
not bombed Turkey? Hasn�t Turkey exercised a systematic purge
of the Kurdish people? Why does Yugoslavia deserve punishment
and Turkey applause? Perhaps because Turkey is one of our own,
a member of NATO. But more likely because Turkey is one of the
best customers of the West�s war industry.
This war, like all wars, serves as a giant display case for
the exhibition and sale of arms. The prize offering continues
to be the F-117, that began its devastating career killing
Panamanians at the end of 1989. And anyone can take a
tumble; not every marketing campaign is successful. One
supposedly invisible F-117 suddenly became visible and
was shot down. The accident cost U.S. taxpayers $45 million
dollars, not counting the weapons on board.
This war, like all wars, justifies military spending. The
great Western powers, armed to the teeth, need clients. And
they also need enemies. Not very long ago, at the beginning
of this year, when the second war against Iraq was coming
to an end, the Pentagon�s generals warned: "Our stockpile of
missiles is getting depleted." Immediately, President Clinton
announced a $12 billion dollar increase in the already immense
military budget. This is 15% of the federal budget called,
who knows why, Defense Budget. And Clinton presides over a
country with a million and a half soldiers, willing to die
who knows why.
NATO was born as The United States� right arm in Europe.
Although Russia no longer supports anyone, NATO continues to
grow, and with it grows Washington�s hegemony and the market
of the U.S. arms industry. For Poland, Hungary, and the
Czech Republic to pass their good conduct test, they had to
become members of NATO and buy the latest weaponry from
the United States. Yesterday�s bad boys become today�s
models of propriety by renovating their arsenals and achieving
the level of "interoperationality" NATO demands. So that the
U.S. Congress approves these new memberships, Lockheed
Corporation and other industries of death grease the legislators�
palms with legal gifts.
Recently a scandal broke out in Great Britain. It was revealed
that the most prestigious universities, the purest charitable
institutions and the largest hospitals had invested their
employees� pension funds in the weapons industry.
Those responsible for education, charity, and public health
explained that they were putting their money in the
industries that produce the highest earnings, and these are
precisely those that make arms. A spokesperson for Glasgow
University said it all:
"We don�t make a moral distinction. We want our investments
to make money, not be ethical." If the bombs falling on
Yugoslavia could speak as well as they can explode and kill,
would they speak the truth? "My dear bombs, are you the mortal
instruments of Good?" "A little more respect, my friend. We
are good business!"
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