>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "International"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >AS THREAT OF NEW NATO BOMBING LOOMS, >COMMEMORATION OF PAST WAR AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA > >IAC CALLS FOR COAST-TO-COAST DEMONSTRATIONS >MARCH 24 > >The International Action Center, a leading organization in the >movement opposing the U.S./NATO war on Yugoslavia last spring, >called for united actions condemning NATO's occupation of Kosovo in >cities across the United States on the one-year anniversary of the start >of NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign. > >“We also want to call to attention,” said Sara Flounders, a national >coordinator of the IAC, “the growing threat of another U.S.-NATO >military assault on Yugoslavia. On Feb. 17, Gen. Wesley Clark >charged the Yugoslav government with rebuilding its military forces and >with planning to go back into Kosovo. Gen. Clark, we remember, was >not only the strategist behind the vicious bombing campaign, he >almost opened up a war with the Russian forces outside Pristina in >June. These charges can only be part of preparation of further NATO >aggression against Yugoslavia.” > >That NATO bombing, which began on March 24, 1999, started the first major >war in Europe since Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces in the spring >of 1945. It ended after the death of close to 3,000 Yugoslavs, mostly >civilians, >and the destruction of much of the industry and infrastructure of Serbia. It >also ended with the occupation of Serbia’s Kosovo province by U.S., >German, French, British, Canadian and other NATO troops and some Russian >troops, an occupation that continues to this day. > >Flounders said the demonstrations would be coordinated with similar >demonstrations, meetings and protests in Europe called by anti-war >organizations in NATO countries there. She said she knew of protests >planned in Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic and Greece and >expected there would be many more. > >Flounders explained that the actions were meant “both to remember the day >and to protest aggression by the U.S. and other NATO powers against a >small country unable to defend itself from an attack from the skies by the >world’s great military powers. We also want to stop the sanctions against >Yugoslavia that are aimed at the entire population and that hurt children and >seniors the most. And we want to condemn the continued illegal occupation >of Kosovo by NATO forces." > >Last June 5 some 10,000 people marched on the Pentagon in response to a >call by the IAC to oppose the attack on Yugoslavia. > >Since the occupation of Kosovo last June 10, the IAC has launched an >investigation into “U.S./NATO war crimes” in the form of tribunal hearings >around the U.S. and around the world. IAC founder and former U.S. Attorney >General Ramsey Clark prepared and delivered a 19-count indictment last July >31 against U.S. President Bill Clinton and other U.S. and NATO political and >military leaders responsible for the war against Yugoslavia. He charged them >with crimes against peace, crimes against humanity and war crimes. > >“This 19-point indictment,” said Flounders, “has been used as an inspiration >or a model by anti-war forces in the U.S., other NATO and even non-NATO >Central and East European countries to hold mass public inquiries of >U.S./NATO war crimes. These hearings are still going on in Europe through >this spring. > >IAC TO HOLD INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL > >“The IAC plans on June 10 to hold a final hearing in New York, where a panel >of prestigious international judges will rule on evidence presented and >decide if the NATO leaders are indeed guilty of the crimes Ramsey Clark has >charged them with,” said Flounders. > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
