Wouldn't it be more to the point for Russia to send some fuel to Yugoslavia
instead of suspending all shipments as they have done so far. The Russians are
long on rhetoric and symbolism and very short on genuine military aid. The IMF
has the trump cards it seems.
Cheers, Ken Hanly
P.S. I wonder how long it will be before NATO decides that blowing up the
bridges with people on them is a case of regrettable collateral damage as with
the auto factory where workers were shielding the plant.
Frank Durgin wrote:
> Saturday April 10 8:08 PM ET
>
> Cossacks Vow To Help Serbs Defeat The West
>
> By Philippa Fletcher
>
> BELGRADE (Reuters) - Russian Cossacks joined groups of Serbs trying to
> shield Yugoslavia's bridges
> from NATO bombing Saturday and promised to help them defeat the West.
>
> ``Russian love and Russian power are with you,'' said one, part of a
> colorful array of men in Tsarist
> uniforms and traditional sheep skin hats, some sporting impressive waxed
> mustaches.
>
> ``Here on the bridge are Russian Cossacks, Russian officers, Russian
> generals, said another Cossack.
>
> They said they had come to Yugoslavia to help defend the country against
> NATO.
>
> ``We'll put (U.S. President Bill) Clinton in the electric chair,'' he added
> to a cheer from the crowd on
> Belgrade's Brankov bridge who are hoping their presence will deter NATO
> from bombing it.
>
> Last month, Cossack leaders said they planned to mobilize up to 5,000
> volunteers to defend their
> fellow Slavs, the Serbs.
>
> NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia has fuelled strong anti-Western sentiments in
> Russia and prompted
> the government to freeze relations with the Western alliance.
>
> ``You are a great people worthy of a leader like (Yugoslav President
> Slobodan) Milosevic,'' another
> Russian said.
>
> ``Russia, Russia,'' chanted the crowd. One demonstrator carried a placard
> promising support in
> return: ``Russia do not fear, Serbia is with you.
>
> Many Russian members of parliament have voiced their anger about the NATO
> bombing and urged
> President Boris Yeltsin to take steps to support Yugoslavia. Suggestions
> have ranged from military
> cooperation to Yugoslavia joining a Russia-Belarus union.
>
> Several Russian ships left their base in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol
> Wednesday for a ``planned
> exercise.''
>
> The move followed warnings by Moscow that it may send eight warships to the
> Adriatic, where NATO
> warships bombarding Yugoslavia are deployed, to show its solidarity with
> Belgrade. The
> reconnaissance ship Liman is already in the Mediterranean.
>
> As Belgrade residents formed a human shield for the fifth consecutive night
> on the Brankov bridge,
> thousands of other Serbs staged similar demonstrations on bridges across
> the country.
>
> The Yugoslav state news agency Tanjug said a large group of people were
> gathering on the Beska
> bridge, near the northern city of Novi Sad.
>
> ``The people are determined to protect the bridge, which NATO aggressors
> have twice attempted to
> destroy, by staying the whole night,'' Tanjug said.
>
> Last week, NATO missiles destroyed two bridges across the Danube in Novi
> Sad.
>
> Tanjug also reported that residents of Sremska Mitrovica, west of Belgrade,
> had been asked to protect
> a local bridge over the river Sava from NATO attacks.
>
> NATO's 17 day-old bombing campaign -- mostly conducted by night -- has so
> far targeted half a dozen
> bridges in Serbia.
>
> |
