the thi soli tior fav aut
Stop the war! Ireland are so proud of their new Editorial common currency. But when war breaks out in their own continent,
Here we go again. The imperialist meekly tail-end the US powers use their massive military superpower. supperiority against a peripheral Italy has become an enormous aircountry, and the "liberal" media join craft carrier for NATO aircraft, some the propaganda machine that tries of them carrying depleted uranium to justify that agression, and prevent shells that will devastate Yugoslavia discussion of the real issues. and Kosovo for years to come.
As we go to press, the towns and The First World War was justified villiages of Serbia, Montenegro and as the great war for civilisation. Very Kosovo are suffering waves of similar to the current calls for bombardment. Only a liar could "humanitarian intervention". But we pretend that the targets are know all too well that "humanitaexclusively military. rian" interventions are very selective
The impotence of the United No NATO member state has ever Nations has been demonstrated once considered intervening in any other again. The UN High Commissioner country which persecutes its national for Refugees scolded those countries minorities or uses authoritarian that opened their borders, because measures against the population. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair know that And it is already clear that the suffering refugees trapped at the NATO intervention in Kosovo will border are an essential weapon in have tragic consequences for the the propaganda war. very people it is claimed to support.
The social democrats and greens NATO bombs may even accelerate who run all the European Union the partition of Kosovo which governments except Spain and Milosevic seems to be preparing by 2 International Viewpoint #310 April 1999
M Dr the expulsion of a new wave of an refugees. ec
Over the last ten years, International CO Viewpoint, and our sister publications cri in French, Spanish and German, have ha documented Slobodan Milosevic's nationalist degeneration, and his criminal campaigns for a "greater bi Serbia." In 1989 we were among the Yu first to condemn his supression of th Kosovo's autonomy within the Yugoslav federation. We reported on his of repression of mass popular movements in Serbia itself, and opened nil our pages to Serbian oppositionists. Yu
Our opposition to NATO interven- tri tion is no "knee-jerk" reaction, and eth we have no illusions in Slobodan Milosevic. But unlike some of yester- W day's peace activists who have cre learned to love NATO, we under- in: stood the Gulf War CO
Milosevic's refusal to solve the ex Kosovo problem by recognising the Ba will of the great majority of Kosovo's en population has made any political solution much more difficult. His im violence has given his enemies an
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After Iraq, Yugoslavia...
alibi, and pulled the Serbian people into a war which will ruin their country, disrupting an economy which is already in a miserable state, and provoke a social regression greater than anything Europe has seen since the Second World War.
The crisis in Kosovo may have reprecussions in other parts of former Yugoslavia. It may reopen the fragile Dayton settlement between leaders of neighbouring Bosnia's Muslim, Croat and Serbian populations.
As we have long argued, the only long term solution to the Balkan crisis is a solution that englobes the whole region. Despite the imense difficulties this implies, it is the only way to prevent more wars, more ethnic clashes, and more imperialist interventions.
The fundamental right of self-determination of every people is the essential, democratic cornerstone of this regional solution.
This is an immediate question for the people of Kosovo. Some may think that indepndence is the best solution. Others prefer the integration of Kosovo with Albania. Others favour a return to Kosovo's pre-1989 autonomy within Yugoslavia (whatever that means in a Yugoslavia reduced to Serbia and Montenegro, and dominated by Milosevic).
Given the current balance of forces, one could also understand why many Kosovars might prefer to avoid a prolonged war with no guarantee of victory, and accept some transitional solution, delaying the decision on their future status
But we must reaffirm, without the slightest ambiguity or hesitation, that this is a choice for the Kosovars to take. No-one has the right to impose a solution upon them, or to decide in their place. No international institution or foreign-sponsored conference has the right to ignore or avoid the centrality of this question.
That is why we reject the Rambouillet negotiations, where the Western Powers tried to bully the Kosovars into acceptance of their own "solution."
We urge our readers to oppose all NATO adventures in ex-Yugoslavia. Serbian police and troops should leave Kosovo immediately. NATO should be dissolved. The west should open its borders to refugees. Let the Kosovars decide their own fate. * contents
Kosovo
2 Editorial
3. The money keeps rolling in
• Michel Chossudovsky
4 Breakdown of negotiations
• Catherine Samary
5
NATO's nuclear shells
6
Letter from Belgrade (1)
7
Open letter of French intellectuals
8
The rules of the game
• Noam Chomsky
11
Letter from Yugoslavia (2)
12 Problems of the US peace movement • Socialist Action
13 The problem is social!
• Catherine Samary
14 Rebels for NATO?
• Tariq Ali
15 Why the left says "No!"
• Tariq Ali
Russian "resistance"
16
• Renfrey Clarke europe
10 Finland: More of the same