-Caveat Lector-
The national mass-media seem to have a deliberate policy of giving ZERO
airtime to instances of protest against Clinton/NATO/Kosovo by Americans at
home. But--
"At the end of the 20th century, we face a great battle
between the forces of globalism and tribalism," Clinton said.
"On Nob Hill, about 500 demonstrators clogged the sidewalk
across from the Fairmont's main entrance while Clinton spoke.
"The crowd was a bizarre mix of left- and right-wingers --
who normally would be shouting at each other but united on this
day to denounce Clinton -- and about 80 pro-NATO Albanian and
Kosovar Americans.
"'Normally we don't agree,' a conservative radio talk show
host said, jerking a thumb toward a Communist group handing out
"Stop the Bombing" flyers, 'but today we are trying to speak with
one voice on the war.'"
President Defends Balkan War/
NATO must not waver, he tells editors in S.F.
by Marc Sandalow and Carla Marinucci
San Francisco Chronicle, April 16, 1999
President Clinton came to San Francisco yesterday to defend
America's commitment to the military offensive in Yugoslavia,
calling civilian deaths a ``regrettable'' but ``inevitable''
consequence of NATO's campaign to prevent centuries of ethnic
violence from threatening world peace.
Speaking to newspaper editors at the Fairmont Hotel, Clinton
insisted that NATO will not back down in Yugoslavia, even as the
human toll mounts, because ``we don't want the 21st century to be
dominated by the dark marriage of modern weapons and ancient
ethnic, racial and religious hatred.''
In remarks to about 300 members of the American Society of
Newspaper Editors that lasted about an hour, Clinton presented
a philosophical argument for U.S. involvement in the Balkan
conflict, drawing on history and his own vision of ethnic
harmony.
"At the end of the 20th century, we face a great battle
between the forces of integration and the forces of
disintegration, the forces of globalism versus tribalism,'' he
said.
The president repeatedly framed the struggle in Yugoslavia
as an attempt to move beyond centuries of ethnic hatred and
discussed his hopes that southern Europe would one day be as
unified as Western Europe. But he warned that the ``grand vision
of the 21st century'' as a time of ``prosperity and personal
freedom ... is being threatened by the oldest demon of human
society: Our vulnerability to hatred of the other; those who are
not like us.''
``We don't want to see Europe refight with tanks and
artillery the same battles they fought centuries ago with axes
and arrows,'' he said. ``In the face of that, we cannot be
indifferent, at home or abroad. That is why we are in Kosovo.''
``Kosovo is a very small place on a very large fault line,''
the president continued. ``On the border lands of Central and
Eastern Europe, at the meeting place of the Islamic world and the
Eastern and Orthodox branches of Christianity.''
Although Clinton's comments emphasized the broader purposes
of the military campaign, the first question after his address
concerned the NATO bombing on Wednesday that accidentally killed
more than 70 civilians, by Yugoslav estimates.
Asked ``Did we screw up?'' Clinton responded: ``You cannot
have this kind of conflict without some errors like this
occurring,'' adding that the incident will not diminish NATO's
resolve. ``It is also inevitable in a conflict of this kind, with
planes traveling at high speeds.''
National security adviser Sandy Berger told reporters that
the media's attention on the civilian deaths is understandable
but urged them to put the incident in the perspective of a bloody
conflict.
``I think we have to have a sober, serious, conscientious --
but not hysterical -- attitude about these things,'' Berger
said.
Clinton also responded to a complaint from the editors
association that the Department of Defense is failing to provide
reporters with enough information about the progress of the
military operation.
The president said he is already working on the problem,
explaining that he has spoken to other NATO leaders about finding
ways to give the media more timely and detailed reports. He also
said that bad weather and the rugged terrain in the Balkans make
it difficult to obtain and disseminate reliable information.
After his address, Clinton worked the rope line, chatting
with editors and other members of the audience. At one point, he
was lectured by conservative columnist Arianna Huffington.
Clinton's trip to San Francisco -- his 45th visit to
California as president -- lasted only hours. He arrived at San
Francisco International Airport shortly before 11 a.m. and was
greeted by 22 Americorps volunteers from the East Bay.
``I know you have tough decisions to make, but I am always
praying for you,'' 19-year-old Lupe Ornelas of Berkeley told
Clinton, as they embraced.
The greeting was not as warm on Nob Hill, where about 500
demonstrators clogged the sidewalk across from the Fairmont's
main entrance while Clinton spoke. Most of the demonstrators
appeared to be against the NATO campaign.
The crowd was a bizarre mix of left- and right-wingers --
who normally would be shouting at each other but united on this
day to denounce Clinton -- and about 80 pro-NATO Albanian and
Kosovar Americans.
``Normally we don't agree on much,'' conservative KSFO radio
talk show host Melanie Morgan said, jerking a thumb toward a
Communist group handing out ``Stop the Bombing'' flyers, ``but we
are trying to speak with one voice on the war. It's time to admit
this bombing is a mistake, no good for us, and to get the heck
out.''
The Albanian contingent tried to drown out its opponents
with bullhorned slogans, including, ``Kill Yugo rapists,'' but
the main result was a cacophony of clashing noises.
Several members of the the pro-NATO group said they had
relatives who were slaughtered by Serbian soldiers, and that even
this week's accidental bombing of ethnic Albanian refugees
didn't diminish their support of the air attacks. ``It's a war.
Everything can happen in a war, and it's terrible,'' said Bajazit
Maxharri of San Jose.
After his speech, Clinton spent several hours visiting his
daughter, Chelsea, a sophomore at Stanford University, before
departing for Detroit and Boston to raise money for Democratic
congressional candidates.
When asked whether it is appropriate for Clinton to raise
money during the Balkans crisis, White House press secretary Joe
Lockhart responded:
``The president has an obligation to manage any foreign
policy crisis, as well as continue to pursue his domestic agenda.
Part of what the president does is serve as the party's leader,
and part of that process is raising money.''
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