Stop the war!

Since wednesday, March 24th 1999, Nato-warplanes are attacking targets in Serbia, montenegro and Kosovo non-stop. Before, the negotiations of Rambouillet, which both sides would have signed, with a status of autonomy for Kosovo, failed. The dislocation of "peacekeeping troops" was rejected by the Yugoslavian president Milosevic. And he had no reason to do so: it would have been 30.000 Nato-troops with no mandat of the UN. And this would have been against the People's Right. Nato gave the order to attack, because it was not allowed to force another country to dislocate their forces there. Since it was clear that there would be no political solution, Yugoslavia bet everything on one card: to deport the albanian population from Kosovo, to eleiminate the albanian opposition, and to abolish the rest of the few democratic rights in Yugoslavia. Since the beginning of the Nato air raids more than 600.000 albanians have fled, but also more than 1.000 Serbian civilians have been killed by the air strikes. How can Nato tell us that it wanted to prevent a humanitarian disaster, while it has caused one that we cannot say how large it is?

War policy does not solve any crisis, it is producing it. On the second war day uprisings raised in Macedonia, when upset serbs attacked Western embassies. In Macedonia also live lots of albanians, and they will gain when the refugees of Kosovo will arrive. Armed struggles between both ethnic groups might be possible.

The Yugoslavian air force tried to attack non-defined targets in Bosnia-Herzegowina, but Nato also attacked atrgets in Republica Srbska. The end of the weak peace of Dayton is possible.

Even in Voyvodina ethnic conflicts are possible. The situation could become explosive. And even in Montenegro lots of people are against this war. It looks like the air raids would enrforce these developments, a conflict which might hit the neighbouring countries could not be stopped if this happpens, and this might lead to hundredtousands of killed persons and to millions of displaced. It is also dangerous, because Russia is embarrassed because of this situation. It hase broken its contacts to Nato and has told Nato??s contact persons to leave Moscow. If the war against Yugoslavia will not stop, Russia will support the Serbian government in some way, and this could lead to a new cold war.

But the most dangerous fact is the introduction of a policy that enforces its interests by the use of bombs. What they are trying in Yugoslavia could be reality in the Middle East or in Northern Africa very soon. The raising military expenses in the Nato-states and the new structures of the Nato-forces could be a sign for this devlopment.

War is the worst!

Villages are burning in Kosovo, peope are displaced, women are being raped, personas non gratas are being shot. In the Yugoslavian cities civilians are killed because of the bombs, even in the military barracks which are full of Kraijna refugees. Fuel-producing industry is beeing hit, ecological disasters will follow. Nato is praising their percentage of 80 of hit targets. There are still 20% remainig which hit something else. This means 200 out of 1.000 bombs are hitting targets without any purpose. To be content with these raids is inhuman cynism.

When Nato begins to attack tanks, it will use one more time the kind of armor-piercing ammo which has radioactively wasted regions in Iraq and bosnia: DU (depleated uranium)-ammo. It is a waste product of the nuclear industry, and is said to be extremely amor-piercing because of its high mass. When it hits the target, 90% burn, and the fallout is getting into the athmosphere and in the ground. It is well-known that thousands of Iraqis suffer from Leucmia since the use of this ammo, but also the so-called Gulf-syndrom is caused by the use of DU-ammo. A similar disaster in this conflict is possible.

No to war-histeria!

What do Austrian media and pro-serb manifestations in common? They are serving a war-histeria and nationalism like in the last days before the first world war. One side is writing "Bomb till capitulation" the other side is crying "Kosovo is Serbian". The Austrian media also declares that Serbia has caused the First World War, just like US-president Bill Clinton does. But it was the Austrian monarchy which gave an ultimatum to Serbia, which could not be fulfilled as regards Astrian police who wanted to investigate the murder of Prince Franz-Ferdinand in Serbia. They also forget that Serbia has warned Austria that the Prince was endangered. So the Prince was shot, Austria got rid of a politician which it could not use, because he was engaged for more rights for the other peoples of the monarchy, and it had a cause for war.

But also the Yugoslavian side uses myths to make propaganda, the battle in Kosovo in 1389, when a serbian armey was defeated by the Turks. This myth is still present in Serbian nationalism, which was getting stronger since Milosevic gained power in 1989. This nationlism reached its climax after the beginning of the bomb raids. "We are ready to die, just not to be terminated" a Serbian woman told the Austrian TV. This is an incredible stupidity, but in reality Yugoslavia looks like it has decided to fight its final struggle. And nato is also responsible for this by the use of weapons. when the population of a country is declared evil by all the others for more than 10 years, we should not wonder.

It is not possible to stand on one side, nor the Serbians , nor the Albanians, both sides have decided for chauvinism. What remains, is to condemn Nato-policy and to tell the people that some Austrian politicians (OEVP and FPOE) want to join this pact.

No to Nato!

Joining the Nato means to support war-policy, in an active way, when austrian forces are sent into war scenarios and in a passive way, when it allows Nato planes to cross austrian territory or the support with infrastructure like airfields, but also financially. Thes means responsibility for killed civilians and soldiers. Then, Austrian soldiers will again be active after 2 cruel world wars.

Asylum for all refugees and deserted soldiers!
No to war propaganda in Austrian media!
Borders are not between the peoples, but between rich and poor!

ARGE Kriegsdienstverweigerung Graz - Ernst Kirchweger Haus (EKH) - Freie ArbeiterInnen Union Wien (FAU) - Ökologische Linke (ÖKOLI) - Revolutionsbräuhof (RBH) - Rosa Antifa Wien (RAW)