 |  |  |
| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
| | |
| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
BELGRADE - A U.S. peace activist said here on Thursday his peace centre was collecting evidence to show that the United States and NATO violated three fundamental principles of the Nuremberg and U.N. Charters by attacking Yugoslavia earlier in 1999.
Ramsey Clark, head of the New York-based International Action Centre, said that, for the past two months, the Centre had canvassed 12 U.S. cities and 7 European cities, collecting proof of crimes committed in the March 24-June 10 aggression on Yugoslavia.
Clark, former U.S. attorney-general who is paying a two-day visit to Yugoslavia, said the violation of the three fundamental principles by the air strikes on Yugoslavia constituted a crime against peace, a war crime and a crime against humanity.
Speaking at the Belgrade-based Institute of international politics and economics, he said that on July 30, the Centre publicly indicted U.S. President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Defence Secretary William Cohen.
Also indicted were British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other western politicians responsible for the aggression.
Clark went on to say that the Centre's activists had last week held hearings in the Netherlands and in France, and were due in Berlin on Saturday, whence they would move on to Frankfurt, and on to Rome on Monday.
He added that the Centre was a citizens' tribunal which would eventually pronounce sentence on 18 counts of violation of international law.
All evidence collected will be made public to show that the United States and NATO not only committed an act of aggression, but had long prepared it, too, according to Clark, who added that the evidence would be submitted to jurists in 15 or 20 states.
This would be a multinational panel of judges who would be unbiased and objective, he said, adding that while it would be powerless to punish the offenders, it would publish a message about the tragedy of the Yugoslav people.
He went on to say that the courage of the Yugoslav people was an example of how to survive in adversity.
He said that the Yugoslav people's unique and heroic resistance during the 79 days of air strikes was a model for the whole world.
This resistance, he said, had inspired the people in the United States and in other powerful countries to free themselves from the stranglehold of force, while the Yugoslavs' unity was a lesson in how to stop greed.
He further said that, unfortunately, there is just one strong economic centre remaining in the world today, which wants further divisions and hatred among Slavic peoples in order that it could use its force, both economic and military.
Fragmentation of the Balkans is intended to produce constant friction among the local nations, which has been well planned over a long time, with the ultimate object of destabilising a wider region to the east, according to Clark.
He expressed scepticism when asked about the chances of those responsible for the crimes being tried before their national courts in the United States, Germany, Great Britain, as the case may be, in view of the fact that it is little likely that the new prosecutor for the Hague-based war crimes court for former Yugoslavia, Carlo del Ponte, will indict Clinton, Blaire, Albright or Schroeder.
However, he stressed, one must not give up, but must continue to put pressure on the national courts in the United States, Germany, France, the Netherlands, etc.
In late March and early April, with NATO's air strikes still in full swing, Ramsey Clark visited some of the most heavily devastated localities and collected evidence of crimes and violations of international law by the United States and other NATO members.