U.S. Hands Off Serbia - No New Colony in Kosovo

[International Action Center]

    International Action Center <http://iacenter.org>

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*U.S. Hands Off Serbia!
U.S./Nato OUT of the Balkans!
No to a new U.S. colony in Kosovo!**

A Giant U.S. Military Base and Total Domination Is the Reality -- NOT 
Independence
Serbian Demonstrators Show Resistance to U.S. Colonial-Style Land Seizure *

The demonstration of over 500,000 people in Belgrade and the attack on 
the U.S. Embassy show the depth of outrage and anger over the seizure of 
the Serbian province of Kosovo. In the past three days two Kosovo border 
posts were destroyed, one by fire the other in an explosion, along with 
ten McDonald's outlets and several Western banks and other hated targets.

The Western media had overwhelming applauded the U.S. destruction in 
1999 and it now has a responsibility to explain the reason for the mass 
anger of millions of people.  The outrage is because the province of 
Kosovo is not actually being granted "independence." Millions of people 
see this week's recognition of Kosovo "independence" as an effort to 
legitimize a direct U.S. colony and to permanently secure a giant U.S. 
military base in the region.

Regarding the hypocritical condemnation by Washington that angry 
demonstrators had targeted the U.S. Embassy, it should be remembered 
that when the U.S. bombed Serbia for 78 days in 1999, U.S. bombs
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destroyed the Chinese Embassy. Nineteen other diplomatic and consular 
missions were damaged in the U.S. bombing, along with 480 schools and 33 
hospitals, heating plants, sewage plants, bridges, communications, the 
electric grid and other civilian targets.

The "declaration of independence" by Kosovo, a province of Serbia, and 
its immediate recognition as a state by the U.S., Germany, Britain and 
France, is a fraud. Three things should be understood about the events 
this week.

*First, Kosovo is not gaining independence or even minimal 
self-government.* Kosovo will be run by an appointed High Representative 
and bodies appointed by the U.S., European Union and NATO. An old-style 
colonial viceroy and imperialist administrators will have control over 
all aspects of foreign and domestic policy. Washington has merely 
consolidated its direct control of a totally dependent colony in the 
heart of the Balkans.

*Second, Washington's immediate recognition of Kosovo confirms once 
again that the U.S. government will break any and every treaty or 
international agreement it has ever signed, including agreements it 
drafted and imposed by force and violence on others. *

The recognition of Kosovo is in direct violation of such 
law---specifically U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, which the 
leaders of Yugoslavia were forced to sign to end the 78 days of NATO 
bombing of their country in 1999. Even this imposed agreement affirmed 
the "commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial 
integrity" of Serbia, a republic of Yugoslavia.

*Thirdly, U.S. imperialist domination does not benefit the occupied 
people.* Kosovo after nine years of direct NATO military occupation has 
a staggering 60 percent unemployment rate. It has become a center of the 
international drug trade and of prostitution rings in Europe.

The once humming mines, mills, smelters, refining centers and railroads 
of this small resource-rich industrial area all sit silent. The 
resources of Kosovo under NATO occupation were forcibly privatized and 
sold to giant Western multinational corporations. Now almost the only 
employment is working for the U.S./NATO army of occupation or U.N. 
agencies.

The only major construction in Kosovo is of Camp Bondsteel, the largest 
U.S. base built in Europe in a generation. *Halliburton*, of course, got 
the contract. The U.S. base guards the strategic oil and transportation 
lines of the entire region.

Over 250,000 Serbian, Romani and other nationalities have been driven 
out of this Serbian province since it came under U.S./NATO control. 
Almost a quarter of the Albanian population has been forced to leave in 
order to find work.

The plan under which Kosovo's "independence" is recognized by the U.S, 
Germany, France and Britain not only violates U.N. resolutions but it is 
consolidates a total colonial structure. It is similar to the absolute 
power held by L. Paul Bremer in the first two years of the U.S. 
occupation of Iraq. The documents setting out the new government for 
Kosovo are available at unosek.org/unosek/en/statusproposal.html. A 
summary is available on the U.S. State Department's Web site at 
state.gov/p/eur/rls/fs/100058.htm 
<http://state.gov/p/eur/rls/fs/100058.htm>

An International Civilian Representative (ICR) will be appointed by U.S. 
and E.U. officials to oversee Kosovo. This appointed official can 
overrule any measures, annul any laws and remove anyone from office in 
Kosovo. The ICR will have full and final control over the departments of 
Customs, Taxation, Treasury and Banking.

The E.U. will establish a European Security and Defense Policy Mission 
(ESDP) and NATO will establish an International Military Presence. Both 
these appointed bodies will have control over foreign policy, security, 
police, judiciary, all courts and prisons. They are guaranteed immediate 
and complete access to any activity, proceeding or document in Kosovo.

These bodies and the ICR will have final say over what crimes can be 
prosecuted and against whom; they can reverse or annul any decision 
made. The largest prison in Kosovo is at the U.S. base, Camp Bondsteel, 
where prisoners are held without charges, judicial overview or 
representation.

*The recognition of Kosovo's "independence" is just the latest step in a 
U.S. war of re- conquest of this strategic region. But as yesterday's 
massive demonstration shows this reckless and illegal maneuver may 
unleash a whirlwind of opposition and resistance. *

*U.S. Hands Off Serbia!
U.S./Nato OUT of the Balkans!
No to a new U.S. colony in Kosovo!*


The International Action Center sent a delegation to Serbia during the 
US/NATO bombing in 1999 and has published several books on the crisis in 
the Balkans, including /Hidden Agenda: U.S./NATO Takeover of 
Yugoslavia/, /NATO in the Balkans: Voices of Opposition/, and /The 
Defense Speaks for History and the Future/ - all available from 
Leftbooks.com <http://www.Leftbooks.com>.

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