Posted on 04/23/2009 5:15:38 AM PDT by jerod
An international human rights group demanded Thursday that NATO be held accountable for civilian casualties in the bombing of Serbia's state television headquarters a decade ago, calling the attack a "war crime."
Sixteen civilians were killed and 16 others injured during the attack on April 23, 1999, on the headquarters and studios of Radio Television Serbia in central Belgrade.
Amnesty International called on NATO and its member states to ensure independent investigations, full accountability and redress for victims and their families....
....The bombing was a part of a 78-day air-raid campaign against then-President Slobodan Milosevic to halt his onslaught against Kosovo Albanian separatists in the former Serbian province.
"The bombing of the headquarters of Serbian state radio and television was a deliberate attack on a civilian object and as such constitutes a war crime," Sian Jones, Amnesty International's Balkans expert, said in a statement.
"Even if NATO genuinely believed RTS was a legitimate target, the attack was disproportionate and hence a war crime," Jones said.
The families of the victims gathered in front of the bombed TV headquarters early Thursday to demand why there was no advance warning that the attack would occur.
They believe top Serbian TV officials deliberately sacrificed their staff for propaganda purposes, even though they knew the building would be attacked.
Amnesty International said in the statement that NATO officials confirmed that no specific warning of the attack was given, even though they knew many civilians would be in the RTS building.
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegassun.com ...
I rarely agree with Amnesty International, but they probably have this one right.
Even the the Serbian victims have been fooled by the propaganda war waged on their country, falsely believing that their own people would do such a thing, when NATO officials have fully admitted and confirmed that they gave no warning.
.
No doubt Time-Life-CNN, et al, et cetera, ad nauseum should be included in the crew to be rounded up and punished.
We need to lear up this incident long before we get around to satisfying the urges of the BDS sufferers.
“”Even if NATO genuinely believed RTS was a legitimate target, the attack was disproportionate and hence a war crime,” Jones said.”
This is liberal speak for “Your guns are bigger than ours, thus the war is unfair.”
so go after Clinton, I was against that war from the start, it should have never have happened.
I served in Kosovo and the Serbs live in fear from these ethnic Albanians.
the Serbs had their country taken away from them and Clinton helped them so the Muslims can gain ground.
Will this idiot in the white house and his aged 20 plus crew go after now Clinton, Clark etc.
After all Clinton was a war monger, or does that not apply to Democrats
Ever seen a sticker which says Clinton lied no one died
Yes They said at firs Clinton never lied but now they say no one died.
Guess the left forgot about Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia,Kosovo, Serbia etc
hmmm, which produced more deaths
The Bush “torture” interrogation program that actually waterboarded 3 (three) terrorists
or Billy Jeff/Weasley Clark’s NATO bombings of Serbian civilian targets
The ICC already indicted Clinton and wanted him for trial.
President Bush wouldn’t send him.
Maybe the current President will. He’s content to give the country away.
morning muawiyah
How about the train which was bombed and killed a load of Serbs and then Clinton and the white house got found out so they lied about it.
Bozo is heading down a slippery slope if he goes ahead to prosecute those people, the same people who helped to get info to save out lives and yet bozo goes after them while pissing off our allies including our best ally Britain and then he is nice to our enemies
There wasn't any sort of an "onslaught" against slammite kosovarfs going on at the time, and gthe whole campaign against Serbia was basically a war crime or series of war crimes, not just one little bombing sortie.
bookmark.
Today, HUMAN RIGHTS groups instituted suits against both the United States and Britain for the civilian casualties suffered by the French during the sneak attack on the French coast on June 6, 1944. In the dark of the night, without any prior warnings, elements of both the U.S. and British navies opened fire with their huge naval cannon upon German shore defenses. The bombardment ignored the possibility of inflicting grevious harm to civilians in the area.
Even worse, in the dark of the night, hundreds if not thousands of ALLIED planes dropped bombs on vital bridges and highways, all known to be close to civilian population centers.
In gross violation of both Freedom of SPEECH and of the PRESS, Allied authorities muzzled news outlets and prevent them from issuing news flashes that might have save civilian lives.
Amnesty International claims these HORRENDOUS WAR CRIMES have been hidden all to long.
You probably miss the point. They are trying to set the definition of a “war crime.” “Even if NATO genuinely believed RTS was a legitimate target, the attack was disproportionate and hence a war crime,” Jones said. In other words if they can set this definition, they can go after the US and Israel. The very definition of war is that you always want to use disproportionate force.
One thing that really stood out in reading the book Black Hawk Down was the utter arrogant incompence of then UN Ambassador Madeline Albright. She basically set up the whole situation. It's a bit complicated, but worth reading. Then as Sec. of State she set up the war against Serbia. What a klstrfk that woman was.
Point taken! Then again, in 1944, only the Nazis and imperial Japan hated the US and wanted it to lose.
Today many in our own country do.
Serbia is a complicated issue, but America-bashing is all too prevalent. I remember Amnesty International’s relative silence regarding Saddam Hussein’s crimes.
Unfortunately, the Serbs were "held accountable" for so-called war crimes of lesser, whereas the shitters/i.e shiptaris Albs were also absolved of any "war crimes".
Oh well, Serbs will always be around Kosovo, the Albs owe back rent.
The whole point of the attack was to detach Serbian territory from Serbia.
You've been told the point was to get rid of the local dictator, but you saw how easily that was done by an unarmed group demonstrating in dowtown Belgrade later on.
Clark and Clinton have got to go ~ we must show that we believe in the rule of law by cleaning up the Kosovo mess, and the Europeans will never execute these guys ~ just give 'em some jail time and then give them a night on the town before they are deported back home (maybe 10 years later).
What say you, Prime Minister zer0?
Weasley Clark again!
WACO
RWANDA
SERBIA
“Then as Sec. of State she set up the war against Serbia. What a klstrfk that woman was. “
Serbia was the first (and so far only) military action by the US in which I felt the US was the more evil/wrong party.
What does it say of the state of a republic when capricious military ventures against are undertaken at the whims of those in power?
Wag the Dog may have consequences.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.