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SIGNERS OF FREE MILOSEVIC PETITION SPEAK OUT
(the Most-Recent Comments are at the End )
3. Jared Israel, USA, Vice-Chairman, International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic
For ten years President Slobodan Milosevic has stood for multiethnic unity and resistance to national destruction in the Balkans. By jailing President Milosevic and launching a witch-hunt against Socialist Party members, the current Belgrade authorities and the local mass media which they control hope to silence all those who, like him, stand for peace based on multiethnic unity, national independence and social justice.
Under foreign influence, the current authorities want to convince the peoples of Yugoslavia that their country's independence is a lost cause. At the same time, they want various ethnic groups to join foreign-inspired secessionist movements in Montenegro, south Serbia, Vojvodina, Sanjak and elsewhere.
Despite pontificating about "the rule of law," their attempt to arrest President Milosevic was illegal from the start. They had no warrant. They sent unidentified, armed men, many of whom had women's stockings over their heads, imitating hit men from some Hollywood movie, to attack Mr. Milosevic's residence and beat citizen-witnesses.
That residence is the property of the Federal Government. It was being guarded by the Yugoslav Army. Mr. Milosevic's family was temporarily staying there while his home, bombed by NATO, was repaired. The unidentified and unauthorized attackers were driven off by the Yugoslav Army unit guarding the residence. The current Serbian authorities then sent thousands of special police and stocking-masked men to the area around the residence, threatening a blood bath.
Can anyone doubt that the arrest of Mr. Milosevic was ordered from Washington? The current Belgrade authorities claim it was an Act of Purest Law. But during the arrest attempt, previous and current top officials in Washington and their assistants in London and Berlin provided a running commentary in the mass media, evaluating Belgrade's performance, and Washington claimed victory when its March 31st deadline was met.
In order to avoid civil conflict, Mr. Milosevic voluntarily surrendered. This followed negotiations and a pledge from the Belgrade authorities that his detention would be temporary. They agreed they would not use his detention to transfer him to NATO's "International Tribunal" in the Hague. However, the current regime has already broken this agreement, meeting with Britain's Robin Cooke in the Yugoslav capital.
Supposedly, Mr. Slobodan Milosevic is being held for "investigation". What is there to investigate? For months the Yugoslav mass media, totally controlled by the Belgrade authorities, have broadcast a soap opera entitled, "The Hunt for Milosevic's Gold". True, no "gold" has been found, but no matter; Mr. Milosevic was proclaimed "Guilty!" from the start and the failure to produce any evidence is presented by the current authorities as proving the need for more investigation.
But no investigation is needed to prove that these same authorities accepted "suitcases of cash" from the NATO countries. The NATO media boast that their governments paid millions to install the current regime.
Now, this regime of self-proclaimed democrats says Mr. Milosevic must be kept in jail because he might "influence witnesses". What they really fear is the influence of his example on Yugoslavia and the world. His moral and personal integrity, his dignified refusal to recant, his continued call for a strong, independent Yugoslavia, and his refusal to flee the country despite constant threats - these constitute behavior deemed by Washington unacceptable for a Yugoslav leader. That is one of the reasons Washington ordered the Belgrade authorities to have him jailed.
However, it will never be forgotten that for ten years NATO has attacked Yugoslavia as a multiethnic nation. NATO has violated all international laws. Among other crimes, it continues to finance and train the racist-terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army. Using the KLA, NATO has launched a new phase of its rape of the Balkans, in south Serbia and Macedonia. In 1999 NATO dropped 20,000 tons of bombs on Yugoslav civilians and civil structures including depleted uranium. In fact, it was NATO, especially the U.S., Germany and England, that manipulated the breakup of Yugoslavia and the terrible armed conflicts which have lasted a decade.
By attempting to put Slobodan Milosevic on trial, NATO leaders hope to hide the truth. They hope to convict Milosevic and through him the Serbian people, of NATO's war crimes. Then the NATO powers would have the excuse to crush Serbia under massive war reparations, and, more important, under the unjust stigma of committing NATO's crimes of aggression and of inciting ethnic hatred - crimes which the Serbian people opposed with all their strength and all their heart. Already the Western mass media is using the arrest to dredge up old lies about President Milosevic and Serbia.
Glen Wreggitt, Winnipeg, Canada
I am signing this petition because I feel I must do something, make some gesture, even one of little significance (although the significance of this petition grows with each new signature). I want to help fight against the slander, destruction and manipulation that has been and is still being directed against Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic by "the West". I want my voice added to the many that defy the bloody Orwellian hand of imperialism to say: We are not fooled by your lies. We see your true nature. We know that human rights and human lives are nothing more to you than a lever with which to extend your exploitation, wealth and power!
Luchezar Georgiev, Varna, Bulgaria
Thank you for the opportunity to express my protest against the arrest of the great Yugoslavian statesman Slobodan Milosevic. Best regards from Varna, Bulgaria!
I am signing the "Free Milosevic!" petition because of the violations of international law by which the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (the ICTY or 'War Crimes Tribunal') was established.
The U.N. Charter provides the Security Council (SC) with authority to take measures in the event of acts of aggression, threats to the peace or breaches of the peace. A primary problem is that given the SC's structure, its members enjoy de facto immunity. With that in mind, Article 41 provides the SC with authority to negotiate, use arbitration, diplomatic methods, and similar such measures to address the aforementioned acts.
However, the SC does not have a legal basis to establish judicial bodies.
According to international law, the practical method of establishing any international judicial body must begin with a treaty. Once such a treaty has been ratified, the judicial body can be created by the U.N. General Assembly - not by the Security Council. The reasons for this are two cornerstones principles of international law: state sovereignty and state equality.
The ICTY has determined, in the case of Prosecutor v. Blaskic, that it, as an organ of the SC, is superior to states. This contradicts the language of its statute, which requires states to "co-operate." By taking the position that it, and incidentally its prosecutor, as an "organ" of the ICTY, is superior to any state, the ICTY is behaving in a manner consistent with the "rule of law" as defined by the Ottoman Sultan.
It is worth mentioning that Selim III declared a "new world order" in 1793, in an effort to subdue rebellious Suzerain States. The Suzerain states had their governments, but ultimately, authority was placed in the Sultan. Bad behavior got punishment, compliance got rewards. Sound familiar?
Another significant point is the fact that, normally, parties to a legal dispute have equal status before a neutral court. The structure of the ICTY defies this principle, since it places the Prosecutor above the accused by virtue of the Prosecutor's status as an organ of the court. Then there is the question of an absence of separation of powers, since the ICTY and Prosecutor have legislative abilities under the statute.
Another factor lies in the fact that unlike under the treaty establishing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the International Criminal Court (ICC) treaty, the ICTY has been left to establish its own rules of court. As noted in Prosecutor v. Tadic, they make up the rules as they go along.
The ICTY, in its rules, also has denied the accused basic rights as provided under the declaration of human rights and the Covenant on Civil and political rights. Example: the presumption of innocence. The Milosevic indictment demonstrates that in fact the Tribunal indicts first, therefore presuming guilt, and investigates later. See Diana Johnstone's 'Humanitarian War: Making the Crime fit the punishment' for further elaboration on this point. (1)
In short I will not sit back and watch as the law is turned into something ala Orwell's 'Animal Farm' in which the truth is 'propaganda' and racism is acceptable. 'Two legs bad, four legs good' is not all that different from saying 'Serbs bad, NATO good.'
If one examines, even casually, the ICTY committee's final report to the Prosecutor concerning NATO's 78 day act of aggression, and if at the same time we at least bother to look at the U.N. Charter, the customs of war, and other applicable laws, we find something that if it were not so tragic, it truly would be hilarious.
1. Grdilica Bridge-Train Bombing.
No need to investigate. After all the NATO pilot really was trying to bomb the bridge. But after hitting the civilian passenger train, all that nasty smoke got in the way, so they couldn't see what they were doing and bombed it again.
2. Djakovica.
No need to investigate. NATO has consistently maintained that it did not hit the Djakovica civilian convoy with intent to attack civilians. NATO's consistency involved three versions of this incident. 1. The Serbs did it. 2. We did it, but we thought from at 15,000 feet in the air, those tractors were military vehicles. 3. We did it, but Military was mixed in with those civilians . No need to investigate because it is real hard to see what you are attacking from 15,000 feet in the air.
3. RTS (Serbian TV station)
It is a military target because it served 'dual purpose,' says the ICTY. Besides NATO believed it was exclusively used to incite hatred and propaganda.
But when NATO leaders compared Milosevic with Hitler, that wasn't inciting hatred, it was a compliment, right? Conditioning people around the world to look upon Serbs as vicious animals is not inciting hatred, right?
By the ICTY's reasoning, any media outlet, during a war, will be justifiably attacked, in direct contradiction to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, because the media outlet is failing to convey the message that NATO is giving us some educational bombing.
The 'dual purpose' argument flies in the face of the fact that the U.S. Department of Defense's review of the bombing campaign solely and exclusively identifies propaganda as the justification for selecting it as a target. According to Amnesty International, NATO officials told them the same thing. In short NATO lied to its own Kangaroo court!
The question is who is going to be the next target state, and which leader is going to be introduced to justice, NATO style? Which national group is going to be the next to be subjected to an ongoing incitement of hatred by way of NATO, who after all is only bombing people back to the stone age for humanitarian reasons.
213. Marek Glogoczowski, Zakopane, Poland
I, the undersigned demand that the Serbian authorities immediately release Slobodan Milosevic and all other Serbian patriots from jail.
195. J J van Kempen, Netherlands
I sign the petition (demand), because Mr. Milosevic did just that what a head of state is supposed to do.
My name is Richard Piper. I'm an engineer (retired) and I wish to sign the Petition to free Slobodon Milosevic. My wife Gemma Gauthier, teacher (retired) also wants to sign. Slobo is no more guilty than Tujman, Izetbegovic, Thaci, Clinton, Blair. Congratulations for this initiative.
The U.S. and NATO were planning the destruction of Yugoslavia for many years. They are the real criminals. Slobo is a true patriot.
I have read the petition calling for liberation of former Yugoslav President Milosevic and all other Serbian (Yugoslav) patriots who defended their country against NATO. I fully support this call and ask you to add my name to the list of signatories. Thank you.
I live in the USA but I'm originally from Italy. I thank you for adding my name to petition. Keep up the great work.
I would like to see a list of Milosevic's alleged misdeeds in black and white. I do not want to see him sentenced on the basis of gossip and propaganda. The charge of atrocities has been discredited, e.g. the suppressed Racak forensic report stated that the dead were combatants and civilians caught in crossfire. The indictment of Milosevic was issued during the bombing which prevented independent verification of the charges.
The Hague ICTY [Hague 'War Crimes Tribunal'] is not a just court because it was established by the UN under pressure from the US with an unjust remit limited in time and scope to those the US wishes to vilify. It is totally biased because it does not bring to justice those in NATO also involved in the conflict and responsiblefor turning a blind eye to atrocities committed by the Albanians on the Serbs and others and by NATO on everyone. In the rest of the world someone is considered innocent until proved guilty. In the case of Mr. Milosevic and Serbia it is exactly the opposite: the indictments were used to demonise Milosvic and by easy extension the Serb people so that NATO could justify its truly illegal bombing campaign and the consequent occupation of a segment of a sovereign state.
I call upon all intelligent people of this world to question what is going on and raise their voices in protest.
115. Ilia Baskakov, Toronto, Canada
I understand that NATO is a criminal organization and it`s leaders are war criminals. Mr.Milosevic only tried to save integrity of his country. I do not understand, how could Mr. Kostunica shake Javier Solana`s hand, as he did this February? Who is Mr. Kostunica after that? Mr.Milosevic must be free, NATO leaders must be, instead of him, in Serbian jail!
Mr.Milosevic supporers in Jugoslavia should know: that they are not alone. And shame to Kostunica!
98. Theophilos Grammenos, Athens, Greece and London, England
Please, do me the honour of adding my name to the list of undersigned individuals.My name is Theophilos Grammenos and i am also signing on behalf of my father Costas and mother Anna.We are Greek citizens,living in both Athens and London and nothing would be mopre gratifying to us than the release and rehabilitation of President Milosevic ,the symbol of his noble Serbian nation's struggle against the hideous moral monster which is American and NATO criminal expansionism ,a simple regional manifestation of which is the the institutionalisation of criminal and terrible Albanian extremism, a monstrous birth which will, unless stopped, now engulf and destroy the whole of the Balkans,including my country,Greece.
Yugoslavia is an experimental area for Nato. Nato tries to change geographic, demographic and political situation of the region according to it's interests. I refuse the Nato intervention to my region!
I wish you all the best in your endeavours to have Slobodan released. I would have hoped for a bit more of a commitment from Russian polies to have that so called Court of Justice [the Hague 'War Crimes Tribunal'] dismantled, because sure as eggs they may be the next ones facing the Supreme U.S Justice.
Evgenij Vladislavovich Chikunov
I fully support the cause of S. Miloshevich and so I realise that nobody in power really cares about my or even your opinions in any case (and that is one of the lessons we have gotten here during the course of "democratic" reforms), I sign the petition. Mostly to show my support to your efforts and my esteem to Mr.Miloshevich.
Luis Cayetano, Sydney, Australia
I am signing this petition not because I have any particular admiration for Mr. Milosevic, but because I am aware that the rape of Yugoslavia has been the result of a giant conspiracy perpetrated by the West. One only has to look at the blatant lies and ommissions from Western leaders to see this. Let all members of American Congress and British and German parliament know about this petition, as well as these nations' respective leaders and cabinets. Even if they ignore you, the fact that they ignore will expose them, their arrogance.
74. Dr. Edward W. Miller, California, USA
Milosevic is being retained illegally to await an illegal trial in an illegal court...A tribunal hastily pasted together in the UN Security Council in defiance of the UN Charter, which clearly requires the UN Assembly of nations to construct such a court . This US-constructed so-called Tribunal is but a paper-tiger meant to be employed by the NATO politicians and their medias to distract public attention form the catastrophic war which NATO waged against the Yugoslavian people. Kostunica has become a whore of the West and will turn Milosevic over to Del Ponte's judiciary mob just to save his own skin. We must keep up pressure on our representatives to prevent this tragedy from playing out on the world stage.
Je suis d'accord pour que mon nom
figure sur une liste de revendication pour libérer Milosévich
qui n'a fait que résister à la mondialisation impérialiste en
voulant préserver l'économie Yougoslave des griffes des
investisseurs.
Merci de me permettre de protester contre le harcèlement d'un
leader qui restera dans la mémoire des peuples comme un
résistant.
14. William Spring, Chairman, Christians Against NATO Aggression (CANA), London, UK
The continued incarceration of Mr. Milosevic is the most extraordinary example of American-EU-Blairite arrogance and inhumanity yet witnessed, at least since the end of hostilities between EU-NATO and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
EU-NATO now resembles a debauched version of the later Roman Empire. Washington collects heads of state, (like Noriega, like Milosevic) and would if they could parade their victims through the streets in a triumphal gala. This is a symptom of the decadence and arrogance of American power. Will it be Putin next?
Patriotic forces in Yugoslavia should insist on the release of Mr. Milosevic.
Washington, and its accomplice in Europe, Belgrade bomber and butcher Blair, have no understanding of diplomacy: all NATO-EU understands is threats/force/deceit/misinformation and the US-Blairite alliance is now heading us directly into world war three. Lord Robertson brags on British radio how NATO killed Arkan and how NATO keeps Milosevic locked up. We are the Lords of the Universe. Yugoslavia is enslaved.
Helmuth Fellner, Wien (Vienna), Austria
Während die europäischen Sozialdemokraten den britischen Kriegsverbrecher Cook zu ihrem Vorsitzenden wählten, während der grüne Kriegsverbrecher Fischer und der SPD-Kriegsverbrecher Scharping zu dem entlarvten Lügengebäude Ihrer Propaganda schweigen, während die UCK-Banditen den nächsten Kriegsschauplatz anzetteln, wird Slobodan Milosevic widerrechtlich eingesperrt. Die Zerschlagung Jugoslawiens mit allem daraus resultierenden Unheil ist primär eine Folge der von Deutschland und Österreich beeinflussten EU-Außenpolitik, die an österreichisch-monarchistisches und deutschnationales Revanchedenken anknüpft. Mit Djindjic haben diese Kräfte ein willfähriges trojanisches Pferd für ihre Pläne, die gegen Jugoslawien und vor allem gegen das serbische Volk gerichtet sind, gefunden.
Freiheit für SLOBO!
English Translation of Helmuth Fellner's comments:
At the same time that the European Social Democrats have elected the British war criminal Cook as their chairman, while the war criminal Fischer from the [German] Green Party and the SPD-war criminal Scharping are saying nothing regarding their unmasked propaganda lies, while the bandits from the KLA are plotting [provoking?] the next war-zone, Slobodan Milosevic is unlawfully jailed. The breakup of Yugoslavia with all the harm which resulted from it, is primarily a result of the foreign policy of the European Union under the influence of Germany and Austria, referring to the Austrian-monarchist German-nationalist thinking of revancism. For their plans against Yugoslavia and particularly against the Serbian people these political forces have found with Mr. Djindjic a compliant trojan horse.
Freedom for Slobo!
Sladjana Rascanin, Calgary, Canada
I would like to join people who are signing petition to free Mr. Milosevic.
I am signing this petition since I believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. So far, Slobodan Milosevic is accused, and already pronounced guilty, of several crimes. None of his "crimes" is proved; he even has not been to the court yet. But his biggest crime is that he is a Srb who did not sell his, and his people's soul, to the mighty US and NATO.
As a Srb, and a Canadian, I am sick of obsequious Zoran Djindjic and his fellow politicians. I am even sicker of Kostunica, that "honest" Srb who is, together with Djindjic, selling what is left of Yugoslavia to biggest criminals in the world. I am sure that all Srbs, who died fighting for their freedom in all the wars of Serbs' history, are turning in their graves now, and cursing the worst Serbian scum, who unfortunately, with US money, got the power to put Serbs on their knees! Something in which none of our worst enemies succeeded....
My heart bleeds, I cry for my people who have gone through all this for so long, but I still believe that Serbs are going to survive as always. And Kostunica and Djindjic are going to share place in Serbs history reserved for Vuk Brankovic.
Gliso Bjelos, Sydney, Australia.
Please, if anyone out there honestly believes in the 'Hague' as a judicial court system with any sort of ethics, then you must surely believe in the Easter Bunny and Goblins. I gladly add my name to this petition, as, one day, when the people of the world who are being suppressed by NATO come to realize that NATO is nothing more then a Terrorist Organization based on world domination, hiding behind its 'Hague' and so called Humanitarian Rights organizations, I will be able to say: "I was a part of the petition that made this glorious day possible, the day that NATO fell to her knees."
The Serbian people are not and never have been puppets. Can someone please explain that to Mr. Kostunica, Mr. Bush and the rest of them, who obviously have not the least idea.
Let it be known to any Serbian/Yugoslav Patriots who defended Serbian/Yugoslav Land and Law against NATO: You are heroes in my heart. "
The actions of NATO War Criminals must not be validated by acknowledging the ICTY as a legitimate entity.
Ich unterstütze die Aufforderung an die jugoslawischen Behörden, S. Miloservic endlich freizulassen.
Philip Greenspan, New York, USA
It is an honor and a pleasure to add my name to the distinguished list of the free thinking, civil libertarians who have already signed. ((Mr. Greenspan has written criticizing Amnesty International's stand on extraditing Mr. Milosevic.))
Olgica Milovanovic, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Ja sam Olgica Milovanovic iz sela Vracevic kraj Bogovadje.Zivim i radim u Beogradu.Htela sam ovim putem da pruzim podrsku Vasem apelu i da budem jedan od njegovih potpisnika.
SMRT NATO-u SLOBODAN NARODU
Aymeric Monville, Paris, France
The European ecologist movement is
mostly born from the pacifist fight against imperialism and war.
Today, green political schemers, in Germany, in Belgium or in
France are betraying our fight and our ideals and are taking part
in governments who back NATO's aggression the peoples of
Yugoslavia.
Our radical green fraction are refusing this betrayal and we
defend honour and the values of real Ecology.
We support your international call and we accuse the cowardly
aggressors of NATO, and the ecologist disaster that they have
caused in the Balkans. That is the only and real war crime
against human beings and our mother-earth.
Aymeric MONVILLE (Paris)
spokesman of the association EUROPE-ECOLOGIE(correspondent of web
EARTH FIRST ! in french speaking area)
Yes free Slobo; it is clear that US motives have everything to do with empire and oil (and of course as always terror at the appearance of socialism). Slobo is in the lockup through extensive bribery, not to mention murderous threats.
One of the impeachable foul acts of Clinton's watch was his unprovoked attack on Yugoslavia; and of course the US continues with its loony attempt to indict Milosevic for "war crimes" and that in the so-called tribunal bought and paid for by Uncle you know who.
A Bulgarian man writes you all to let you know how human and principled is your deed. I agree with you, with Slobo, and with all honest Yugoslav people, indeed.
It seems that Mr. Milosevic's great crime was having a successful multiethnic society that was socially progressive and economically advanced. This was too much for the New World Order. God bless the Serbian People and may the true criminals who bombed Serbia be brought to justice.
Herman Adams, Guyana, South America.
Anyone who has an inkling of the real history of the Balkans, generally, and the centuries-long struggles of the Serb people, in particular, will know that the Kosovo "crisis" was a fabrication of the forces which wanted to destroy Yugoslavia and Serbia by hook or by crook! Their motives are very clear since they mainly lie in accessing the rich oil deposits around the Caspian when the Middle East and other oil are becoming increasingly depleted and more expensive in the long run. The other neocolonial objective is to break the spirit of an independent and proud people who have always shed their blood for their country and brooked no masters beginning long before the [Ottoman] Turks, then the [Ottoman] Turks, then the NAZI Germans and now NATO and US! How can the advanced nations of the West not see what a gross travesty of justice their "defence" of "Albanian terrorists" is? Even now with the Macedonian invasion of these same terrorists, they continue to defend their greatest blunder and crime in recent history and do not admit that they have created a monster which they cannot control! I fully support the heroic Serb people and call upon the World to pressure NATO and the puppets in Belgrade to free their hero Slobodan Milosevic! LONG LIVE YUGOSLAVIA !
Alexander Nedelchev Marinov, Scientist, Bulgaria
Fighting the overwhelming Alliance forces two years ago, when Yugoslavia appeared to the world to be a "sinking ship", the country had hard times. Many people in neighbouring Bulgaria didn't support the official Bulgarian policy against Miloshevich. We believed he was the only patriot among the traitors "of the new generaton" who claimed to conoslidate Serbians in struggling for the fatherland's sovereignty.
He did it. Like a true captain, he did not escape the ship. So he, who is a national hero, whatever previous (and I say not critical) political mistakes he made, he who saved his country, should not end like this, just to free the throne for the good-for-nothing renegades after him. No man but Yugoslavians should pass judgment on Slobo. I think Kostunica appears to be the last who qualifies in this regard.
If Miloshevich didn't deserve the freedom he fought for, there is no man in the world who deserves to be out of jail.
There are some volunteers around here willing to serve the stupid sentence instead of Miloshevich. Take my son, for instance. Or maybe I'll offer you Kostunica. (Man, what a name: in Serbian 'kostunstvo' means 'mean manners'; but Sloboda means freedom).
Free and cure Milosevich!
No one should judge Miloshevich but the Serbian people. Bring him back to his people! Don't let his heart explode in prison!
If "international criminals" are wanted in Yugoslavia, look among the likes of Solana, Blair, Clinton and the other parties who messed in Yugoslavia's internal affairs; or look among their servants there.
We Don't Need - We Don't Want - We Won't Permit Another "Cheushesku Story" In The Balkans !
Oleg Alekseevich Popov, Needham, Massachusetts, USA
The arrest of Mr. Miloshevich and his possible extradiction to the Hague is the "logical" step in the longterm strategy of the dismemberment of Yugoslavia planned by the Western powers headed by the U.S.A. The "conversion" of Yugoslavia into the several petit and pseudo-independent countries politicaly and economicaly controlled by the U.S.A., perfectly fits to the policy of "globalization" and the establishment of "New World Order" pursued by the U.S.A.and its allies since the collapse of the USSR.
The firm and uncompromised policy of the President Miloshevich who resisted to betry his country was the main obstacle for the implementation of this plan. Therefore, the self-proclaimed "Masters of the World" had no choice but to remove President Miloshevich from the power. To accomplish this, the Western leaders and the western establishment have mobilized all their intellectual, political, economical, and military forces.
The "mainstream" western mass media, such as New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, CNN, ABC, etc, which largely supports the "crusade" against "the Serbian nationalst-communist state", depicted the Serbs as the Nazi and Mr. Miloshevich as Hitler.
The governments of NATO and even non-NATO countries whose population was disorientied and deceived by the fake "Serb atrosities" invented by the western "free" press and CNN "first-hand" reports, supported the economical sunctions against the WHOLE Serbian nation. This resulted in the decline of the national economy and in the impoverishment of the people of Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, Mr. Miloshevich still enjoined the overwhelming support of the Yugoslav people.
To "create" a pretext for the further pressure and possible military intervention in Yugoslavia, the governments of the NATO countries have armed and trained the KLA, the terrorist Albanian organization for its connections with the Albanian mafia and narcotraffiking. The "mission" of KLA was to ambush the Serbian police from villages and houses of ethnic Albanians thereby forming the "human shield" by using their own Albanian compatriots. This policy has worked well and attracted attention of the Western mass media and human rights groups, sympathetic to the "suffering" of the ethnic Albanians from the "Nazi-like" Serbs, to the alleged killing of the peacefull Albanians by the Serbian police and paramilitary groups.
Earlier in the 1990s, the group Human Rights Watch joined in the "struggle" against the pretended hegemony of the Serbs in the former Yugoslavia. It was quite natural that it also contributed substantially to Kosovo events, publishing numereous reports and statements about atrocities and killings alleged to have been committed in Kosovo by the Serbian police. From 56 reports released by the Human Rights Watch on the "Kosovo affair", only two (2!) reports were devoted to the violation of human rights committed by the KLA. The remaining 54 blamed the Serbs for the violation of human rights and alleged killings committed by the Serbs. Those supposed crimes included, of course, the so-called "Racak massacre" and "mass killings" in Trpca mines. I remind you that the fake "Racak massacre" was the "last straw " that the NATO strategists waited for to start the military intervention in Yugoslavia
The result of the 2.5 months bombardement of Yugoslavia by the NATO military machine is wellknown: destruction of much of the national economy and death of many hundreds (if not thousands) of Serbs, Albanians, Hungarians, Romas. And even after President Miloshevich yielded to the aggressors and gave up Kosovo in order to save lifes of his people, he was still in power. In meant that Yugoslavia was still on the way of NATO's eastward expansion. It also meant that the oil pipeline from the Caspian See fields was not under the full american control.
Since the military advanture did not work, the western leadership and establishment was seeking other ways to remove President Miloshevich from power. Moreover, the organizers of the aggression against Yugoslavia badly needed the justification of their criminal actions. "Blame others for your guilt" - this approach was taken by the NATO leaders and those in the western "establishment" and in mass media who shamelessly supported the aggression against the small 8-million nation. To bring Mr. Miloshevich to the International Tribunal on Former Yugoslavia - the body that contradicts to the UN charter and is therefore illegal - became the issue of "life and death" not only for Clinton and Blair, Solana and Albright, Clark and Kushner, but for the hundreds of journalists and political "scientists" such as Brzezinsky and Glucksman. Therefore, they were ready spent any amount of money to remove Mr. Miloshevich from the power and bring him to Hague. It is wellknown that only OFFICIALLY the U.S. government spent 150 million dollars to form "civil groups" in Beograd, Nic, Novy Sad, to pay to "independent" mass media and TV stations. Nobody knows how much money was spent to buy ambitious Serbian politicians who probably believe that after they come to power in Beograd they would carry out their OWN policy.... ...To-day, we see that neither Kostunica nor Djinjich but the US government, U.S. establishment, and IMF run in fact Yugoslavia. To-morrow my country, Russia, could be the target of the pressure and even aggression from the Masters of the "New World Order". .... By fighting for the freedom and justice for Mr. Miloshevich we defend not only our integrity and dignity but our own freedom.
Jost Lang, lic.oec. Eppelheim, Germany
Naiv und bequem, wie wir nicht aufhören zu sein, hatten wir im Westen den auf Lügen gebauten Unrechtsstaat mit dem Ende des 2.Weltkrieges für überwunden geglaubt. Aber jetzt ist er wieder da, mitten in Europa. Verfassungen und internationales Recht werden wieder zu "Fetzen Papier", wir sind wieder nahe Zeugen von Schauprozessen, Eroberungskriegen, Staatscoups durch Schlägertruppen. Und all das wird wie ehedem durch eine manipulierte Presse flankiert, geheiligt, vernebelt.
Die Milosevitch=Diktator-Lüge ist der Köder, den wir kotzen müssen. Er wurde so massenweise und so anhaltend durch die Medien ausgelegt, dass fast alle ihn gefressen haben, um dann in jenes Netz gezogen zu werden, wo ein Widerstand gegen die Schurkenstücke der Neo-Imperialisten nicht mehr aufkommt. Wir müssen ein grossen Kotzfest veranstalten.
I have nothing but contempt for the UN Tribunal in the Hague. What is most bothersome is the fact that in contributing Louise Arbour to the Tribunal, Canada acted in a shameful way that I feel is working against the general interests of Canadians.
The UN tribunal is a political organization and has nothing in common with Justice. Arbour's replacement, Carla del Ponte, acts like a drunk or someone who wants to make a big impression, like a Hollywood actor.
Our committee, the Wisconsin Committee for Peace and Justice, wishes to endorse the petition. Keep us informed. In solidarity.
[Note: John Gilman is a World War II veteran awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts as a machine gunner in the invasion of Hitler's Europe, June 1944. ]
The real criminals in Yugoslavia were the NATO leaders. The trial of Milosevic is a fraud meant only to obscure and divert attention from the real criminals. The ones who should be brought to trial are Clinton, Albright, Blair, Schroeder, et al.
Nicholas Tanery, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
As an American and a life-time human rights advocate I deplore the efforts initiated by NATO governments and NGO's such as Amnesty International calling for the arrest of President Milosevic. Amnesty International remained a deaf mute when NATO bombed a TV station, children's hospitals, and public utilities. The Amnesty International report "Collateral Damage" was issued in June 2000 a full year after the NATO perpetrated human rights violations were perpetrated. I am currently the Amnesty International Student Area Coordinator in Portland, Oregon U.S.A. and I am disgusted with AI's call for the arrest of a duly elected official when the true criminals-Clinton, Albright, Jamie Shea etc. ought to be tried for their complicity in targeting of innocent civilians throughout Yugoslavia in the bombing campaign of '99.
Nikolas Glynias, Greece
Former President Slobodan Milosevic must be released since his imprisonment constitutes a fragrant violation of human rights. It has no basis in International Law and Justice because the motives behind his arrest are completely irrelevant to what he has been accused of. The sole aim is to have him tried by the so-called I.C.T.Y.in the Hague. This is an illegal court, a creation of the U.S. and its NATO allies, all of whom MUST be tried as war criminals against humanity.
I think all progressive forces should heed the words of [the great American writer,] James Baldwin: "If we know, then we must fight for your life as though it were our own. For if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night."
Let this be my statment: Jail the real war criminals, the NATO counties leaders who committed crimes against humanity and against Yugoslav sovereignty and who continue to commit those crimes today.
I the undersigned, hereby strongly protest against extraditing Slobodan Milisevic and other Serb patriots to this quasi Court of Justice in Hague.
The great American poetess Emily Dickinson once wrote:
"Much madness is divinest sense
To the]* discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
'Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane,
Demur, - you're straightaway dangerous,
And handled with a chain."
It is outrageous to understand a man to be accussed of war crimes just because he defied the US and NATO in their endevours to impose new world order and a policy of modern slavery to all small and liberal countries in the world.
Thank you for adding my name to this petition.
Milka Kevic, Sydney, Australia
[Note: The following statement was published in the Australian newspaper, "NOVOSTI." At the author's request it was kindly translated by VELJKO RADEKA so it could be published in English in support of the PETITION TO FREE MILOSEVIC!]
So, we Serbs have forgiven the Croatians what they had done to us 60 years ago; killing our dearest relatives at the concentration camp at Jasenovac. Which has now again happened and continues to happen to my Serbian people in full sight of the entire European community!
In Republika Srpska, they are still making pursuits, destroying Serbian homes, abducting people; the threats do not cease.
Mr. Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Milan Martic were compelled to defend themselves and own people from the Croatians and Islamists and that is why they were declared wear criminals.
Slobodan Milosevic took the most refugees, without discerning their nationality. But when the Albanian secessionists summoned the bombing of the Serbian people - Mr. Milosevic defended the country and his people and because of that he was declared a war criminal.
There are mainly Serbian men held at Hague, but, if necessary, even women can end up there.
Where are the Croatians and the Bosnian Islamists? Why didn't they prosecute Tudjman [the Fascist President of Croatia], Izetbegovic or that Albanian bandit Tachi, from Kosovo?
Mr. Slobodan Milosevic should return home to his family as well as all the other Serbs who were blackened only because they were Serbs.
I request the editorial staff [of "Novosti" newspaper in Australia] to publish this to relieve the burden of my soul.
We, the people of the West, are also victims of Nato's decade-long aggression against the Serbian people. We have been lied to and manipulated into supporting a war of aggression that has destroyed thousands of lives and torn apart a decent nation that was our valiant ally in the fight against fascism.
From the beginning of the 1990s the violent disintegration of the socially progressive, multi-ethnic Yugoslav state was engineered by our own morally bankrupt leaders, for the sole purpose of asserting NATO control over the Balkans. This was accomplished by deceiving the people of the West with a massive campaign of misinformation that even George Orwell could not have imagined.
As a Journalist, I am extremely distressed to see that our supposedly "free" media has become nothing but a propaganda apparatus working in the service of an aggressive and morally repugnant brand of imperialism. The Nato media has completely lied about every aspect of the Balkan tragedy. It has enthusiastically demonized the entire Serbian nation-a repugnant example of the aggressor blaming the victim. And it has systematically silenced any dissenting voices.
We must free and exonerate Slobo, not only because of the injustices done to him and the Serbian people, but because our own freedom is at stake.
I respectively request that the Serbian authorities immediately free Slobodan Milosevic whose only "crime" is defending the interests of his country against coercive dismemberment by US and European bandits.
Several representatives of the political parties and
NGOs met in New Delhi in an emergency meeting convened by the
National Panthers Party President, Prof. Bhim Singh to review the
situation created following the illegal detention and extradition
of Mr. Slobodan Milesovic, former President of Yugoslavia. The
representatives of National Panthers Party, International Jurists
Council, Non-Aligned Congress of Youth, Global Women Lib,
Indo-African Solidarity Committee, State Legal Aid Committee and
several other groups of the Lawyers discussed the dangers caused
to the security of the sovereign states due to the draconian
command of the New World Order unleashed by the unipolar command
of the USA.
1. 103 representatives of several political groups and NGOs in a
resolution condemned the arrest of the Serbian Hero and the
Former President of Yugoslavia and described his deportation to
Hague on the dictates of the Anglo-American Order.
2. The resolution condemned deportation of President Milesovic
who is also President of Socialist Party of Serbia as most
illegal, unconstitutional, improper and violative of the
Constitution of Yugoslavia and fraud on the Charter of the United
Nations. The resolution said that the decree under which
President Milesovic was handed over to the hungry wolves running
the so-called Criminal Tribunal in Hague was totally
unconstitutional and discriminatory on several accounts;
a) The decree was illegal as it had no mandate of the Parliament
of Yugoslavia. The decree was issued by the so-called cabinet
committee, which was not headed by President of Yugoslavia.
President Kostunica did not preside that cabinet meeting which
issued the decree to hand over President Milesovic to the
Criminal Tribunal in Hague,
b) The decree was also illegal because it convened Articles 23,
24, 25, 26,27 and 28 which assured freedoms to a citizen of
Yugoslavia and equality before law. No person can be deprived of
his freedoms without the application of due process of law.
President Milesovic has been denied the right to make a
representation even against his arrest and deportation to a
foreign country,
c) Deportation of President Milesovic is also violative of
national and international law as the constitutional court of
Yugoslavia had suspended the decree passed by the Cabinet
Committee authorising the government to deport President
Milesovic,
d) The decree passed to deport the foremost Serbian leader and
former President of Yugoslavia is betrayal of the commitment and
the promise made by President Kostunica to ensure and protect the
freedom of the individuals and democratic norms and the values in
Yugoslavia. This act of President Kostunica has established that
the present Kostunica government is working under the dictates of
the US masters and some other enemies of Serbian nation,
e) President Milesovic is being tortured and terrorised because
he with the support and the help of the Serbian people resisted
the inhuman and brutal aggression of NATO forces led by US
against Yugoslavia,
f) The NATO allies led by US have committed another aggression
against the popular leadership of the Balkans. Mr. Milesovic is
being crucified by the USA for daring to remain in the NAM
countries by defying the brutal command of NATO alliance,
g) Because President Milesovic openly, sincerely and courageously
opposed the unipolar command of the USA and advocated for the
cooperation of the third world countries in the interest of
international justice and peace,
h) Because President Milesovic refused to barter the Yugoslavian
sovereignty with the USA and refused to compromise on the
national security.
3. The resolution has called on President Kostunica to withdraw
the decree and accept the command of the rule of law. Resolution
condemned the DOS rulers for selling the pride, glory and dignity
of the Serbian nation just for one billion dollars.
4. The resolution urged on Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary General
of the United Nations to intervene immediately in the interest of
the prestige and credibility of the United Nations itself by
disbanding the so-called Criminal Tribunal in Hague which has no
locus or jurisdiction to try President Milesovic for
administrative or political action by legitimate government in
Kosovo as Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia, a constituent of
the Republic of Yugoslavia. Article 2(7) of the UN Charter does
not allowed United Nations or any of its agency to interfere with
the domestic affairs of any Member State. Kosovo is and shall be
and internal and domestic affairs of Yugoslavia. The United
Nations has no authority or jurisdiction whatsoever to try a Head
of the State for his administrative acts. This act on the part of
Kostunica government is the dangerous move to surrender the
Yugoslavian sovereignty before the US (not UN) Criminal Tribunal
in Hague.
5. The resolution warned Mr. Kostunica of serious consequences in
case he failed to withdraw the decree and ensure safe return of
President Milesovic.
6. Prof. Bhim Singh who preside over the emergency meeting said
that the US hawks are demanding 15 more Serbian leaders including
Mr. Milan Milutinovic, elected President of Serbia, Nikola
Sainovic, the former Federal Vice President of Yugoslavia,
General Milutin Oydaivic, who commanded the Yugoslavian army
during the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia and former Home
Minister of Serbia, Mr. Stojiljkovic who is a sitting Member of
Parliament. Prof. Bhim Singh accused US for trying to demolish
the Serbian leadership and their pride by bulldozing those who
dared oppose and resist the NATO aggression. This is an attempt
to destabilise the Bakans.
7. Prof. Bhim Singh while addressing the politicians,
parliamentarians, intellectuals and jurists reminded Mr.
Kostunica of his promise to restore democratic values in
Yugoslavia. He (Kostunica) had declared on June 26, 2001 that
under the terms of the decree, extradition "cannot be
carried out in 48 hours". He had himself stressed "that
kind of cooperation between our judiciary and The Hague would be
better". Mr. Kostunica had repeatedly assured the nation
that President Milesovic shall never be handed over to the
so-called UN Criminal Tribunal. Prof. Bhim Singh said that this
is the greatest tragedy of the century that Mr.Kostunica who
appeared to be a gentleman has surrendered his authority and
consensus to that, "The pressure of Washington at the
international level and the majority stance of DOS leaders on the
domestic level".
8. In a special communication to the NAM countries and its
prominent Members, the National Panthers Party has demanded an
urgent meeting of the NAM countries to discuss this situation and
adopt such measures as are necessary within the meaning and scope
of the UN Charter and the Constitution to save the life of
President Slobodan Milesovic and democracy in Yugoslavia which
has been mortgaged to the dictates of Washington.
9. Prof. Bhim Singh declared that his party shall move a petition
before the International Court of Justice at Hague against the
illegal and unconstitutional trial of President Milesovic by the
so-called UN Criminal Tribunal. Prof. Bhim Singh who is a
specialist on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has
decided to challenge the very authority of the UN War Tribunal
which has been constituted by the US and her allies in
contravention of the UN Charter.
10 The resolution expressed full solidarity with and support to
the Socialist Party of Serbia in their noble and just struggle to
restore rule of law and democracy in Yugoslavia and ensure safe
and immediate return of President Milesovic.
Professor William Hutton, Canada
The real criminals are those who trained and equipped the K.L.A. terrorists and those who led the air attack on Yugoslavia and those who occupied Kosovo permitting the K.L.A. to drive out the non-Albaian population and destroy the Serbian churches.
Professor Robert Ponteau, Francuska/ France/ Frankreich/ Francio
Slobodan Milosevic je bio uhapsen jer se je borio za drzavu svih Srba i protiv SAD. Sramota izdajnicima koji su ga uhapsili.
Français: Slobodan Milosevic a été arrêté parce qu'il s'est battu pour un état commun à tous les Serbes et contre les USA.Honte aux traîtres qui l'ont arrêté.
Deutsch: Slobodan Milosevic wurde verhaftet, weil er für einen Staat aller Serben und gegen die USA gekämpft hat. Schande den Verrätern, die ihn verhaftet haben.
Esperanto: Slobodan Miloshevich estis arestita, char li batalis por shtato de chiuj serboj. Honton al la perfiduloj, kiuj arestis lin.
English: Slobodan Miloshevich was arrested because he fought for a state common to all Serbs and against the USA. Shame on the traitors who jailed him.
I want to oppose with all my strength the act of bringing Slobodan Miloshevich to the so called ICJ in the Hague.
This body is not a court of justice but just one of the organizations to help rich countries in forcing weak and/or poor countries and people to submit to their needs and wishes.
The only fault of Slobodan Milosevich was to try to defend Yugoslavian people from NATO expansionism and aggression.
He lost only because people around the word are not enough informed, which is because NATO controls and drives all information systems . A battle to restitute Miloshevich to his country and to his people is a battle in defense of the human freedom and human progress.
Since Mr. Milosevic has already been
abducted and sold for thirty silver coins to the Hague and this
petition, therefore, changes its purpose from demanding freedom
for Yugoslav president to expressing outrage with latest events,
allow me to say:
Being Serbian myself and always proud of my ancestors who have
fought and died for freedom since the time of Ottoman Empire,
through both world wars, until and including NATO's brutal
attacks, July 28 2001 has been the first day in my life I thought
of returning my Yugoslav passport and renouncing Yugoslav
citizenship.
This was the day in which I'd rather be Zimbabwean, Paraguayan or
Bosnian than Serbian or Yugoslavian. I am deeply ashamed of
current Serbian leaders who have betrayed us in a most
humiliating way and have, collectively, spit all over the little
we have left: our dignity. Thus, NATO has been finally handed its
victory.
Yugoslavia is no longer a sovereign state; on July 28, 2001 it
openly became an American satellite, a banana republic that
exists only by and for the grace of its masters and only as long
as it blindly follows the White House dictate.
Let us have a moment of silence for the state that died and
Serbian people who were once praised as "the small nation
which darkened the glory of ancient Sparta", but who have
now been reduced to obedient servitude, a nation that has been
sold for a fistful of dollars and forced to kneel in dust. Please
pray for us.
Svetlana Novko, Canada
Rumjana Falkenberg, Mössingen, Germany:
I support the appeal for the immediate release of Slobodan Milosevic and all the others who have defended their country during the war against Yugoslavia, which was absolutely against international law. I support the appeal too for an indictment against the real war criminals who have contempt for humanity and who intentionally violated national and international law.
Blagovesta Doncheva, Sofia, Bulgaria
In my eyes Mr. Milosevic is a hero.
He has been the only one of the Balkans countries' leaders who has resisted the IMF, WB and us-NATO, and has stood by the sovereignty of his country.
It would have been much more easier and profitable for him to cave to the GloboCop: now he would have been in Belgrade still a leader, protected and patted condescendingly on the back by the Globo monster instead of being shut in a cell far from his country and family for having dared to love better his country than the money of his torturers.
He is the only statesman who has resisted the US-NATO in theWorld till that moment.
His behaviour till now is a proof for me that he is a man of integrity, a very rare quality in a leader of nowadays. Besides he is a patriot. He has proved to all and sundry he loves his country and his people better that his wellbeing. He might have made mistakes - after all, he is only a human being and "to err is human." But all his mistakes - notwithstanding what they are - pale away in comparison of what he has done for his country, for the Balkans, for the world in general by daring to resist the empire of evil.
(Besides, only his people has the right to blame him and demand explanations from him!) Now, after he is in the hands of GloboCop's personal court and there they can do to him what they like, he is no more responsible for his actions.
Notwithstanding the developments from now on - his behaviour from now on - I will continue to respect him, will continue to look up to him and be deeply grateful to him.
For the hope he has given me and kept in me during those terrible 78 or 79 days of the barbarous bombing of a his country. And also for the courage to resist the IMF and the WB vultures sucking out the country he has been a leader of. I will never forget that he has had the personal misfortune to be a leader of a country in the most difficult and tragic period of its history: when outward forces have been deliberately killing it. He has tried to keep it whole, to protect its people by standing up against the destructive forces cutting his country into easily manipulated protectorates on ethnic principle. Resisting their plans and appetites he, of course, has committed a crime against them, a crime that should be punished and be a good lesson for everybody else that might dare to do the same.
Mr. Milosevic has proved many times he is a leader with a strong feeling of responsibility for his people, his country, the Balkans, the world. And he has had the courage to demonstrate it in the most tragic days of the contemporary world history.