It's so easy to forget that in these so-called surgical strikes, innocent
civilians are dying by NATO bombs. It is an unlikely hope, I admit, but
perhaps email will help let America know the horror of what its government
has begun:
http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/18754.html
-Declan
********
[from nettime]
From: "Slobodan Markovic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1999 06:42:41
+0200
Around 04:30 am, cruise missiles hit Belgrade again!
I've been responding to some e-mails when roaring detonation
cut the night over Belgrade. I jumped to my window, when I
heard another detonation and windows started lightly to shake.
When I looked outside, I saw great orange mushroom growing over
building roofs... Whole night sky, not just one part, was
illuminated by this same orange light.
This time the target was pure civilian object - heating plant
in largest part of Belgrade (western part of the city, called
New Belgrade, with more than 100.000 citizens).
I can only imagine how was it at my grandmothers place. She lives
on the 10th floor in a building which is no more than 800 meters
far away from the plant... Right now (04:45), I cannot reach her
over the phone. Probable phone lines overload...
I also heard similar detonations in south-western part of the
city (called Banjica), but because of neighbouring buildings
that are closing my view, I could not see where exactly missiles
hit. On TV they said it was something near the military hospital
in Belgrade.
I wonder what is on the menu for next night... :-((
Still standing,
Slobodan Markovic | http://solair.eunet.yu/~twiddle
Internodium Project | http://www.internodium.org.yu
******
Date: Sat, 03 Apr 1999 22:36:27 -0800
From: insomnia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
ONE MORE BRIDGE IN NOVI SAD DESTROYED! CASUALTIES REPORTED.THE STRIKE
HAPPENED AT EIGHT PM OUR TIME, WITHOUT WARNING.
is there anything more to say? cnn & sky news reporters rejoice over
flames in belgrade and another destroyed bridge in novi sad. that is so
utterly cruel...
for me, this was a deja vu - things happened exactly the same as on
wednesday, march 24. i was at my computer, checking mail; i stopped
writing a mail to answer a phone call and then an awfully strong
detonation shook the walls. this bridge is only five minutes' walk from
my parent's appartment. you will be suspicious maybe and say 'how come
everything is so close to you?' the answer is simple - novi sad is a
small town. and do not believe if they tell you it is in kosovo. it is
in vojvodina, on the opposite side from kosovo. kosovo is southern
serbia, vojvodina (of which novi sad is capital) northern.
this thing done to yugoslavia is the greatest shame of the world in this
century. as i said - pain does not mince words.
********
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1999 01:28:39 +0200
From: "Marc / Ana (X-Gateway)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
After following for a whole day reports in the media on events in
Yugoslavia happening at the moment, here is one more opinion seen from an
other point of view, this time architectural.
Today we received this letter from a friend in Belgrade.
Ana Dzokic and Marc Neelen
(by the way architects)
Belgrade, April 3rd 1999
Ah, what a glorious victory, what a major hit:
The NATO bombers destroyed last night two empty administration buildings in
downtown Belgrade. Besides threatening the near-by complex of hospitals,
notably the Institute of gynaecology in which several babies were being
born at the moment, they achieved virtually nothing. It took no more than
an idiot to know that after days of threats, no people and no equipment
would wait for the bombs inside these buildings. The Pentagon cynically
says that the aim of this attack was to frighten the Serbs, but
psychologically this destruction only increased the local population's
anger and resolution to resist, broadening the gap that will have to be
spanned once the war is over.
However, certain damage is achieved and it belongs to the field of culture,
something that speaks, to use a euphemism, extremely unfavourably of the
NATO's intentions. Both destroyed buildings were important pieces of
architecture. The older one, the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, was
erected immediately after WWII by Branko Petricic, previously Le
Corbusier's collaborator, and represented one of the rare examples of
architecture of the Socialist Realism in Yugoslavia. Now, someone may say,
why would anybody cry over a building of such a "notorious" style? The
reason lies primarily in its historical value: the very fact that it
existed as one of few such examples clearly testified about an early
rejection of Stalinism both in Yugoslav politics and culture. The other
destroyed building was also very important. It was built at the end of the
70s by Ivan Antic, one of Yugoslavia's best post-war architects, and it
finished a long strip of state administration buildings and embassies along
Kneza Milosa Street, making a soft transition to the surrounding landscape.
Thanks to its prominent position, the building acted as a gate to the
centre of the city and was an important landmark.
Cynics would say that neither of these two buildings belongs to the very
first-class architecture of Belgrade, but what follows, most probably as
soon as tonight, will straighten up this fault. Other major state
administration's buildings have also been threatened for the last few days.
Again, when attacked, they will probably be empty, but the cultural damage
will be much greater. Any of the Ministries along Nemanjina Street can be
ranked as a precious piece of architecture, and so can the Federal
Government in New Belgrade, one of the most beautiful complexes of the
International style in Yugoslavia. But the greatest value is, conveniently,
at the greatest risk. It is almost surprising that the Ministry of Defence,
a strategically completely harmless building, especially in this situation,
has not been already bombed. Designed in the 50s by internationally
renowned Nikola Dobrovic, the mythical figure of Serbian architecture and
the Honorary Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, the
building represents his last and his most important work and the only one
he built in Belgrade. The Ministry of Defence means to the Serbian
architecture what the Villa Savoy means to the French or, say, the
Guggenheim to the American. To destroy it, and this is bound to happen in
just a few hours, would mean an irreparable damage not only to the local,
but to the international cultural heritage, regardless of what those who
command its destruction say.
After damaging the ancient monasteries of Gracanica (UNESCO-protected) and
Rakovica, destroying a strategically unimportant bridge in Novi Sad and the
two buildings in downtown Belgrade, and after threatening other important
works of art, it seems that Bill Clinton, who reportedly personally signed
the order for the last night's attacks, and the NATO commanders have an
excellent gout in architecture. So, what could be the next moves? Take some
hints from a humble professional: if you like Ivan Antic's oeuvre, then the
Museum of Modern Art in New Belgrade is a must - you would destroy not only
a masterpiece of modern architecture, but also a major collection of modern
art. The Children's Clinic by Milan Zlokovic would also be good to attack:
you could destroy not only the building that marked a turning point in
Serbian Modernism, but also kill hundreds of ill kids. Why not consider the
National Library by Ivo Kurtovic? When Germans burnt down the old library
in 1941, only 500 000 books were lost - now the result would be much, much
better. Something more traditional? Take Princess Ljubica's Court - besides
being so lovely, it is practically built into the densely populated heart
of the city. There would be, oh, so many casualties and imagine how
frightening it would be for the Serbs!
Up to ten days ago, I was writing with my colleagues a guide to the
architecture of Belgrade. It seems that in a couple of days we will have to
shift our work to the guide to the ruins of Belgrade.
As I finish this letter, the sirens start to blow. Pray for us.
Vladimir Kulic, architect
********
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1999 18:39:55 +0100
From: Heidi Grundmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Records
This is another message from composer Ivana Stefanovic,
4th of April 1999:
>NATO begun using cluster bombs, forbiden by Geneva Convention. Bombs
were used in attacks on Kosovo villages, and in suburbs od cities
Vranje and Nis. Hospitals are loaded with wounded civilians by shell
fragments.
>
<bold>>Villages:</bold>
>
>Village Brezna, 22 km of Gornji Milanovac, missile exploded 70m away
from the house of Radenko Kovacevic and caused great damage. (29.3)
>
>In villages Donja Jajina, Sicinci and Donje Sinkovce in strikes on 25,
26 and 29 of March, over 500 houses damaged
>
>Villages Malisevo, Koretista, Pasjana and Parteca in Kosovo heavilly
bombarded for days.
>
>In village Malisevo in Kosovo, 2km of Gnjilane, 3 civilians wounded,
one heavilly, large material damage. (29.3)
>
>Several missiles caused large damage in village Sljivivik on the Suva
Mountain (27.3)
>
>Villages Koretiste, Vrbovac and Mogila at Kosovo bombarded. In
Vrbovac house owned by Trojan Moskic struck directly. 8 civilians
wounded and several houses damaged. Attacks were performed by cassette
bombs. (29.3)
>
>Villages Lukare and Gracanica bombed with cassette bombs. (31.3)
>
>Villages Belo Polje and Zagrmlje near Pec, hit by cassette bombs
(31.3)
>
<bold>>Towns:</bold>
>
>Center of Pristina Bombarded. Stomatoligical clinic and building of
Red Cros damaged (29.3)
>
>Bridge in Center of Novi Sad destroyed, several houses, including
University of Novi Sad damaged (1.4)
>
>One missile hit Ortodox Graveyard in Gnjilane and damaged several
graves and monuments (29.3)
>
>In bombardment of city of Nis, "Electronic Industry" and several
civilian objects and houses damaged. Hospital in Nis was hit, which is
according to Geneva COnvention forbidden. (29.3)
>
>Civilian suburbs of Pristina Dragodan and Vranjevac bombarded (29.3)
>
>After bombing of Military Structures in Batajnica several civilian
houses destroyed. (30.3)
>
>Strikes on Barracks "Kosovski junaci" in Pristina caused great
damages in civilian villages Kupusiste and Dardanija (30.3)
>
>In Nis and Pristina 2 refugee camps bombed, 15 civilians killed
(30.3)
>
>Civilian houses in Pec bombed (31.3)
>
<bold>>Monuments:</bold>
>
>Previously damaged Monastery Gracanica damaged for the 3rd time
(monastery is old over 600 years) (30.3)
>
>Catholic church st. Antun damaged (28.3)
>
>Cassette bombes used near Pec Patriarchate (center od Serbian
Ortodoxy) (31.3)
>
>One missile fell, not activated, near "Church of Birth of St Mary"
near village Jelasnica. Windows broken (31.3)
>
<bold>>Economic structures:</bold>
>
>"Sloboda" factory in Cacak attacked again (29.3), this time
completely destroyed. 5000 workers left out of jobs.
>
>Hydroelectric power statin "Perucica" rocketed (29.3)
<bold>>
>Bridge on the highway Belgrade-Novi Sad, over river Danube, 3km long
shelled. Only bumpers destroyed (1.4 5:00AM). That is the only
bridge connecting Central Serbia with Vojvodina, on the north.
> </bold>
Heidi Grundmann
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 37/69
A 1040 Vienna
Tel: ++43 1 5043110
Fax: ++431 5044849
http://thing.at/orfkunstradio
************
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Tim May)
Subject: Re: WABC radio reporting US generals may resign in protest
Organization: Cypherpunks
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 08:41:48 -0800
In article <7dticq$iit$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Bill
Vojak) wrote:
> In a few more weeks all the Kosovo's will either be dead
> or living in another country. All this bombing has done
> is increase the rate at which the Kosovo Albanians are
> being killed from 2,000 a year, to probably hundreds
> (or more) per day.
>
> And all we have done is use up most of our critical
> cruise missles. . .
More than 100 have been used up in the first week of fighting...less than
100 remain. Of the air-launched cruise missiles, that is. Nuclear-tipped
and submarine-launched cruises will still be available.
It seems likely the U.S. has already lost the war, which is good news.
-- no major targets in Yugoslavia hit; television, radio, rock concerts,
leadership all unaffected
-- Kosovo remains a Yugoslav province
-- Albanians in Kosovo are soon to be crowding refugee tents, where they
will live for the next 40 years, much like Palestinians
-- Russia has suspended contacts with NATO, Russians in the street are
severely pissed at NATO
-- Cracks in the NATO alliance are obvious
-- now the Balkans will fester for decades, with Macedonia uniting with
Albania, with Greece opposing Greater Albania, with Macedonians in Greece
linking with Macedonians elswhere, with Turkey supporting the Muslims and
opposing Greece, and so on and so forth
-- the U.S. will have "lost a major war." Like Vietnam, but even more
embarrassing
-- the New World Order will have taken a body blow
-- adventurism in the rest of the world will be less possible (lack of
morale, crumbling of NATO and the U.N., inadequate resources)
Like I said, good news.
--Tim May
--
Y2K: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, enjoy it in any case
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES: 831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology
To subscribe: send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with this text:
subscribe politech
More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
