The Rambouillet Accords, the so-called peace deal that was accepted by the Kosovar Albanians (under pressure from the West no doubt), but rejected by the Serbs is the main reason for the current bombing campaign. The Serbs were effectively offered this choice: accept this agreement, or be bombed into the stone age. A closer look at the wording of this "fair" document is all it takes to lend credibility to the idea that NATO wanted the Serbs to reject it. In the way it is worded, how could it be otherwise! According to the "Diplomatic Scene," by Michael Albert, prepared from material made available by Noam Chomsky:
"The Rambouillet accords of March were presented to Milosovic as a take-it-or-get bombed ultimatum. This was not a legitimate exercise in diplomacy, of course, at least for those few in the West who join the great majority of people in the world in accepting that constraints on the use of violence by the powerful are important...
Rambouillet called for military occupation of Kosovo by NATO, and effective military occupation of the rest of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FYR), at NATO's will. The terms for the occupation are set out in Appendix B: Status of Multi-National Military Implementation Force. One crucial paragraph reads:
NATO personnel shall enjoy, together with their vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and equipment, free and unrestricted passage and unimpeded access throughout the FRY including associated airspace and territorial waters. This shall include, but not be limited to, the right of bivouac, maneuver, billet, and utilization of any areas or facilities as required for support, training, and operations.
The remainder of the Appendix spells out the demand that NATO forces and whoever they employ can do as they wish throughout the territory of the FYR, without any obligations or concern for the laws of the country or jurisdiction of its authorities, though the latter are required to follow any NATO orders "on a priority basis and with all appropriate means."
The text has apparently not been published in mainstream U.S. media. The wording apparently was designed to guarantee rejection. Would any country even consider such terms, except in the form of unconditional surrender?"
This is further evidence of the arrogance of the imperialists, and their blind faith in their brute force. They seem to have been determined to get the bombers in the air. But as we have seen, things have not turned out as they would have liked. They most probably hoped for a quick show of force, leading to Milosevic's backing down. But now, over 40 days into the bombing, we can see that they entered this situation with absolutely no foresight or understanding of what their actions might lead to.
Hundreds of thousands have been displaced with absolutely no humanitarian safety net in place in neighboring countries at the beginning of the conflict. With each passing day NATO looks more and more foolish in the eyes of the world. And now with the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade - which is in effect Chinese territory - they have really made a mess of things. From missiles which "uncannily" hit civilian areas, 'smart bombs' which are "seduced off target", anti-personnel cluster bombs dropped on public markets, to anti-aircraft missiles which land in foreign capitals (Sofia, Bulgaria) nowhere near the intended target, NATO's undeclared war on Yugoslavia truly gives new meaning to the oxymoron "military intelligence".
It is possible that NATO wanted the Rambouillet Accords to fail, but in retrospect, it seems that that is about all they knew. They obviously had no idea what to do if the initial attacks did not do the job. If I had a dime for every time I have heard President Clinton or a NATO general say that they were "further intensifying the bombing", I'd be rich! They may have known what they were doing by presenting the Serbs with an unsignable accord at Rabouillet, but since then, they have shown their complete inability to finish what they started. For all their might, they cannot even conduct a war against a third-rate military power without looking like utter fools.
Peter Johnson
May 11, 1999
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