TARGET YUGOSLAVIA: NATO's WAR OF AGGRESSION / Friday, 21 May 1999 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org TARGET YUGOSLAVIA: NATO's WAR OF AGGRESSION Friday, 21 May 1999 Radio Havana Cuba presents its coverage of the ongoing U.S.- led NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. ----------------------------------------------------------- AND THE BOMBS JUST KEEP ON COMIN'... The so-called `collateral damage' caused by NATO bombs in Yugoslavia continues unabated with the bombardment of a prison in Kosovo that killed at least 19 inmates and Thursday evening's damage to the residences of the ambassadors of Switzerland and India in Belgrade. The Ishtok Penitentiary near Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, was attacked in two waves. The prison is reportedly located in a large, open field where there are no military or police installations nearby. Meanwhile, NATO's errant bombs are beginning to spark divisions within the military alliance. The foreign ministers of Germany and Canada -- while continuing to support the attacks against Yugoslavia -- have criticized the collateral damage. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, upon receiving his Swiss counterpart in Bonn, told journalists today that NATO urgently needs to revise its objectives in light of the numerous mistakes committed during the attacks. And according to Ottawa's Globe and Mail news daily, Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy has warned that NATO's collateral damage could negatively affect the delicate negotiations underway for a diplomatic solution to the war. ------------------------------------------------------------- RADIO HAVANA CUBA'S HEADLINERS / 21 May 1999 Those of you who are regular listeners to our English-language Service will recall that Radio Havana Cuba had been receiving news reports directly from our correspondent in Belgrade, Yugoslavia until two weeks ago when it was impossible to reach their office by phone. We sent an urgent e-mail message expressing our concern for his well-being. Fortunately, Ljubinka is okay; he replied by electronic mail and we thought that by reading his message on-the-air, you might get a better idea of what life is like for those who are living under U.S. and NATO bombs. "Buenos dias. Both Ivana and I are safe and sound, spending each afternoon in the officer shelter. Mostly me, because we force all young colleagues, as Ivana, to leave the building for greater safety. In the last couple of days, we have had to use these splendid shelter facilities twice during the day as the bombings become more frequent. "Ivana's mother had a stroke and is in the hospital. They live across from one of the State buildings that was bombed and after that, her mother had such high blood pressure that it led to her stroke. She is better now, but Ivana has had to stay home with her. "Right now as I write, there is an air-raid, but I risked staying in front of my computer to finalize a story for our correspondent in Sydney. "I guess the mojito you were saving for me is frozen by now. Love from Belgrade, Ljubinka." A mojito -- for those of you who may not know -- is a Cuban drink with rum, lime juice, fresh mint leaves and seltzer water. We've promised our correspondents a mojito after the war is over. Although we haven't met personally, we have gotten to know Ljubinka and Ivana since the U.S.-led NATO attacks began nearly two months ago. Both have been calm and professional and very easy to work with, in spite of the sleepless nights and the high stress level. NATO has targeted radio and TV stations and other media centers in a glaring attempt to stop news and information from coming out of Yugoslavia. Ljubinka and Ivana know that their building will be targeted sooner or later. Ljubinka reports that -- remarkably -- there are no food shortages. Fresh food is still getting to Belgrade markets from the countryside and there is no gouging going on. The economy is holding up, according to our correspondents, and the government has recently set up a Ministry for Refugees and Displaced Persons to process humanitarian aid and house those whose homes have been bombed. Contrary to reports from NATO and U.S. spokespeople, the Yugoslav government has opted for the return of Albanian refugees from Kosovo on the condition that they are Yugoslav citizens. This would apply to about two-thirds of the original population. However, the precondition for the return of these refugees would be an end to NATO bombings. NATO has said that one of ITS preconditions to end the bombing would be the return of the refugees to Kosovo. The issue of citizenship has not, to our knowledge, been addressed by the U.S. or Europe. The type of coverage that NATO and the Pentagon would rather not have people like Ivana and Ljubinka cover are the recent bombings of the Chinese Embassy, the maternity hospital in Belgrade, the Swedish and Spanish embassies, and last night's "mistaken bombings" of the Swiss and Indian embassies along with a prison that was pounded for two hours, leaving as many as 19 inmates dead. We've noticed that the Western media are a lot less gung-ho in their reporting on the bombing of the Yugoslav Federation. Many correspondents on the ground have firmly changed their opinions, having seen the death and destruction wrought by the bombs and missiles fired at Serbian civilians. Others are beginning to see NATO and U.S. confusion as to the importance and choice of certain targets or the accuracy of their missiles. In the aftermath of the prison and embassy bombings, the German foreign minister met with the Swiss foreign minister to discuss NATO's bombing strategy. Goran Matic, a Yugoslavian minister without portfolio, stated: "People who cannot control themselves have taken charge of the most powerful military force in history and we are the victims of this unchecked potential, which tomorrow may wreak suffering anywhere else in the world." Food for thought. The paltry U.S. contribution, totaling 8.8 million dollars to the UN emergency fund to help the refugees caused by the bombings, amounts to the equivalent of one day's cost of the war. With the onset of winter only a few months away, there is a very real concern that the death toll will grow with disease and the cold weather. But, as Madeleine Albright insisted when asked what she thought about the one million children who have died in Iraq as a direct result of Washington's blockade, she's sure to be out there saying the same thing again -- "It's all worth it." More food for thought. -30- [c] 1999, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org rhc-eng-5469 1999-May-21 20:45:54