Syndicate: [RRE] news from the Balkans

[Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck@v2.nl>]

From: "Red Rock Eater News Service" <rre@lists.gseis.ucla.edu>

[I've enclosed two messages, one from Veran Matic thanking everyone for
their support when he was in prison and another from a London TV person
named Karl Waldron who is known for a list on the Pinochet case and who
is now circulating translated messages from the region.  We've also got
a batch of new URLs thanks to the Internet Scout Report and others...

  <http://www.zmag.org/current_bombings.htm>
  <http://www.hrw.org/hrw/press/1999/mar/kosovo0322.htm>
  <http://www.usia.gov/admin/005/wwwh9m25.html>
  <http://www.cdi.org/issues/Europe/kosovo.html>
  <http://www.janes.com/defence/features/kosovo/kosovohome.html>
  <http://www.alb-net.com/> <http://www.serbia-info.com/>
  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1998/kosovo/>
  <http://scout7.cs.wisc.edu/pages/00009315.html>

Please do pass along any other resources you might come across.  If you
find something useful, please don't assume that I've already gotten it
from someone else.  Thanks a lot.]

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Date: 3/28/99 11:17 AM
From: Veran Matic

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all the support we have been receiving from you while I was
in jail and ever since the Radio B92 was banned. You most probably know
that we continue to work despite the ban and we broadcast via two
satellites which cover almost entire Europe and Yugoslavia (via BBC, and
satellite EbS which can be received, without decoder card, on:

Satellite:	HOT BIRD (13=B0 E)		Frequency:	12.111 GHz
Polarisation:	Vertical			Standard:	MPEG2
Symbol rate:	27500				FEC:		2/3).

This enables us to have our news programme simulcast by more than 20 radio
stations all around Yugoslavia, along with around 15 radio stations in the
Serb Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Besides, Radio 1476 in Vienna
rebroadcasts our programme on medium waves, which covers the whole of the
Balkans, while we have had more than 10 million hits on our web page for
the last week alone.

A great number of radio stations worldwide rebroadcast some parts of our
programme, in Serbian or English. Under present conditions, we strive to
maintain, as much as possible, our professional standards of journalism.
With better technical capabilities, we could have achieved more and be more
efficient. Our centre for aid co-ordination is in Amsterdam, Holland and
for all information please visit the web page at www.helpb92.xs4all.nl.
We thank you very much for your concern about our safety. We hope we will
soon be able to broadcast, along via these alternative ways, from our
transmitter.

Regards,

Veran Matic
28.03.1999.

--
Veran Matic, Editor in Chief	                 tel: +381-11-322-9109
Radio B92, Belgrade, Yugoslavia		         fax: +381-11-322-4378

          Radio B92 Official Web Site --- http://www.b92.net/


Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 07:35:28 +0000
From: Karl Waldron <lakota@clara.co.uk>

Not Pinochet this time, but sitting in a television studio with multiple
satellite feeds, wire services and constant contact with reporters in
Yugoslavia, it struck me that something was missing.

Then this came in by e-mail. It's a translation of various mails from
ordinary people and for me, summed up pretty well what it must be like.

We plan a dispatch of similar every couple of days. Drop me a note if you
want to receive them

Oh and recirculate at will.
KW
_______________________________


from: kontra@ptt.yu

Sicko will report to his unit in a few moments. They have left his call for
mobilization in his post box (after his mother refused to take it) with a
mesage not to kid with them as this is war and not a drill. So, Sicko
simply doesn't want to be trialed at some military court for dezerting or
something like that. With this I think of Seselj's (Serbian vice president,
leader of extreme nationalists and paramilitary forces, mb) maniacs. Seselj
has sent a message to all potential dezerters: "We won't have mercy". I
have found out that last night from Holland, that 25 journalists from
foreign news agencies have been arrested. I wouldn't be surprised that
Seselj is behind that as well. I am more or less o.k. - relaxed, so to
speak. There were some tensions in my home, we have felt one detonation,
although most people in the city thought that this was a joke and not a
real bomb. Sicko's wife, Snezana says that this detonation and bomb sound
far louder and bigger that the ones she used to listen to while living in
Croatia. Fortunately, in the next two strikes they didn't hit Kraljevo.
They mostly hit Kosovo. Albanians are also attacking Yugoslav Army(YA),
although i doubt that YA didn't respond.

The attacks are strong but i don't think that they are as stroong as they
were in Iraq. Maybe they are but i wasn't with Sadam so i can't say.
Besides, they say that Serbian air defence is stronger than the one in
Iraq, so it is not that simple.

I fear that Seselj might start a wider war with our neighboring countries,
because air space of Croatia, Albania, Hungary and specially Macedonia
were used.  Last night a news reporter from the national television said
that there are some UCK forces in Macedonia waiting to come in Yugoslavia.
So if Seselj will remain persistent to his previous statements, it is
possible that we could enter a war with our neighbors today. Maybe not. We
shall see.

Pop

from: abozovic@EUnet.yu

The alert ended some half an hour ago, the shops are open, people are in
the streets, as last night. Although it seems to me that there were more of
them in the shelters during the morning than now. Some started to fled away
from the cities. I saw them pack and drive away this morning.
Unfortunately, I can't leave the city. I could go only to Crna Gora
(Montenegro, mb), and I have heard that it is even worse there. I have also
heard that entrance to Crna Gora is banned, because there won't be
mobilization there.

It seems to me that TV reports are objective (no matter how absurd this may
sound), they all say one thing. Officially there are no civilian victims,
the have hit barracks and radars. It is interesting that they have also hit
police academy. Everybody is fine. I haven't called anyone but i assume
everyone is physically well, and probably psychically too.

There is no bread in stores (or was it sold?). They stopped selling petrol,
it all goes for "priority vehicles". Don't worry about us, it is almost
certain that everybody's fine

Rusha

________________
from: vicicdra@EUnet.yu

According to the official news from national TV, there are 10 killed
soldiers, 38 wounded and one "missing" (deserted if any luck).
Sirens are howling all the time, but people are playing basketball.
Education, including university is suspended. Elementary and highschool
students will have holidays until 2nd April.

Fuck it, these sirens are weak, as I haven't heard them a couple of times.
When I hear them they are creepy



______________
from: kontra@ptt.yu

There was a report on tv kraljevo - they have destroyed one family house
near the military airport. The missile has hit the house and left a crater
10 meters deep! The villager - owner of the house rules! He wasn't excited
at all. Just spoke how old his house was, how great his kitchen was... I
guess he is happy to be alive.

__________________
from milos:

i wont talk about the details and the effect of bombing. that changes
every minute. i have read some observations of military and political
experts through the net. i want to talk about that.  since 23rd march in
serbia exists only one party and one direction. nobody cares about
politics anymore. on the tv i can see the faces of people i don't like,
but their word is absolutely respected and put in action.  everybody
expects russia to help, quickly and efectively. on the tv the atmosphere
is: the russians will jump in any moment now, and then nato will see....

everybody's frightened but i doubt that anybody even thought that
milosevic should sign the agreement. so, western military analisysts have
made a bad mistake. i don't know about western politicians, as i doubt
that they wanted the signature at all.

this decade has thought me to trust only to deeds and not to words. i think
they wanted to give more power to milosevic and they succseeded. so, there
is no more insecurity about who should rule this country. besides, all
their frauds west has supported with deeds.

i expect that first civilian victims should come any moment now. both
sides need that. every blown building or old radar gives another year of
power to milosevic. it seems that the russians also like this. great.
everybody wins! everybody who has drawn their plans over my streets,
forcing my generation to die, be humiliated.

does anybody remember why all this has started? there are more dead
albanians (like other nations, like it matters which nationality the body
was) and this will continue. those who have defended albanians in belgrade
can now sit down read books and wait for their missile to come. nobody
will listen to them anymore-today the wind blows from the north. so, if a
tomahawk "accidentaly" lands in the gas factory, you will probably have to
find a new source of information. if the wind changes direction to the
west.... never mind, there is a factory there as well. (you will hear
about it through cnn)


..........

Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 11:21:18 -0800

Dear friends,

First of all, we would like to thank you for all your support and measures
you took in order to inform people about things happening in Yugoslavia.
You already know that Mr. Veran Matic (of B92, the indpependent radio
station) has been released after 8 hours being arrested. But still, radio
B92 is off air.

The first night of bombing was dramatic and frightening especially since
we can not understand what will be achieved by destruction. We are sending
you our public announcement. Do with it what you find most useful.

Love, Dubravka & Miljenko

..........

The incredible events that have happened in Europe, more precisely in
Serbia and Montenegro, will change our lives in many aspects. The decision
"to use violence for humanitarian reasons" is a sign of impatience,
incompetence and impotence of political elite.

The bomb attacks in an undeclared war have destroyed human lives, army
installations and all chances for Serbia to engage in a process of
democratization in near future. Ten years of hard work of groups of
courageous people in the opposition and the NGO sector, which tried to
develop institutions of civil society, to promote modern European values,
to teach about "non violent conflict resolution", has been erased in one
night.

The emerging democracy in Montenegro will be hard to maintain now.
Milosevic regime will be stronger than ever, and the Kosovo problem will
be unsolved.

These are the long term results of bombing. It is difficult to estimate
which of the following is less depressing: 1. the politicians knew the
above mentioned consequences of their decisions or 2. they were incapable
of foreseeing the impact of heir decisions. We hope that all involved will
come to their senses and try to resolve problems by negotiations without
further violence.

Miljenko Dereta and Dubravka Velat
Civil Initiatives

..........

From: KONTRAPUNKT <kontra@ptt.yu>

According to the news, 24 missiles were fired at Kraljevo. It lasted
between 20:50 until 21:20. I stayed at my home and watched from the window
what is going on. I can say that there were quite a few detonations. There
were 2 kinds of them. Some were noisy with a strong detonations others
were more silent but "inflamable". After them the sky would literally BURN
Occasionally you could hear airplanes above the city.....

...

air raid is still on. radio and tv report that additional strikes are
possible. also, there was a note in the media asking for blood donors.
Arkan (paramilitary and gang leader, mb) has reformed his voluntary units.
Seselj wants the end of diplomatic relations with all nato members who
participated in the war, and not just with usa, gb, d and f. He has also
sent a message to all serbs worldwide that soldiers in nato uniform are
their enemies, wherever they are, and that they should do all they can to
eliminate them. in macedonia some cars were burned in front of the
american embassy....

..........

From:

The refugees who live in belgrade are also happy because of the
intervention. At last Yugoslav people can experience how is it to be in
shelters. Milos made me sit in our yellow hallway. We are getting stoned
with the national television....

People like people, greet each other with "Bombardan" (play of words. you
greet with dobardan. bombardovan means to be bombed. bombardan is a
mixture of these two expressions, mb) and make jokes like: when you get
out in the street, you first look to the left, then to the right, then up.
It is fortunate that a normal person can't understand this situation. Not
even while you're surrounded with water tanks and news... my subconscious
reacts through my belly, and all my friends have the same problem. I only
fear of general mobilization. I am even afraid to think about that, or i
will have to take some medicaments. I hope morons won't cut us off from
the internet....

.........

from: vladan vukovic

i just came from the city and i can tell you that the city if terribly
empty. street lights are off, the only light comes from comercials and
traffic lights. the alert is still on. It seems that belgrade was hit
today.  3 missiles fell somewhere in the direction of Borca. just after
that i saw a convoi of vehicles which came from Pancevo to Belgrade. armed
security is standing in front of the national television's building.  ...
after b92, tonight radio 021 in Novi Sad was banned.  ...



SITUATION IN CROATIA

First news were heard just after main news, few minutes after main day
news on a national tv - it was expected, but still, it was a shock for all
of us. When i say us, i mean anarchist and other close political circles.
That's what i saw first - just few friends and news that people heard from
somone - we didn't really know what's going on. Then we went to a friends
car and listened radio. Maja (a friend from Yugoslavia who is visiting us)
was crying. After all these years we have a war in a neighbourhood again.
Then i deceided to do this text - kind of summary of what's going on in
Croatia since NATO strikes started. As i said, first attack was a shock
for almost everyone, although, reactions were different. We were sad and
concerned about our friends in Yugoslavia, and nationalists were happy.
Yes, happy, because after four years of war here they hardly waited to see
people in Yugoslavia suffer. It's so strange to see someone being happy
cause of destruction. Maybe i would be right if i say that majority of
people are satisfied with NATO attacks, if not happy. That's what you can
hear in this last two days on the streets and when people get a chance to
say how they feel about it in the media.  At the other hand, i would
expect from most of the media to be very subjective, to join verbal
attacks on Yugoslavia, especially from national tv (HTV), but that's not
the case this time. HTV is more or less objective, as much as one tv
station can be. They cover everything that happens in Yugoslavia,
Macedonia, Albania and other countries connected with the situation. Also,
they broadcast news from almost all relevant stations, like CNN, Sky News,
Serbian national tv, and others, so you get more or less all versions of
what's going on there. And, as i said before, they try not to criticise,
they just bring news.  At the other hand, there are some so called
"independant" media, like Radio 101, that we mentioned in previous issues
of Zaginflatch, who is also bringing lots of news, but they (beside news)
bring all the nationalistic comments, stupid jokes connected with the
attacks and shit like that. Also, they interviewed people on the streets
of Zagreb and it was terrible to listen all that hatred.  Official stand
of Croatian politicans is that attacks are not the best solution, but that
they are only solution right now. Mainly, that means that they want to
keep more or less good relations with Yugoslav government, but also
support NATO, cause their big desire is to become part of the NATO. Also,
on the news we heard that Clinton offered Tudjman (Croatian president)
strategic partnership for Croatia, whatever that means. It sounds like
Clinton wants to use Croatia for placing more NATO troops in the area. I'm
not sure how offical this information is, but it was broadcasted on
national tv. All at all, every political party in Croatia, including so
called "very democratic oposition" is supporting attacks.  NGO's are also
following situation in the area - Anti-War Campaing Croatia reacted,
although, those kinds of reactions are more or less symbolic and doesn't
help a lot, but they can't do any damage either, so it's just one small
step further.

markoS.

SHORT NEWS FROM MACEDONIA

It's hard to say what's really going on in Macedonia, as we don't have
direct news from our Macedonian friends, but what we can see through
different news from here, there are demonstrations happening. From what we
saw on a tv, demonstrators have Macedonian, Serbian and old Yugoslav
(socialist ones) flags, so it's hard to say who is demnstrating and for
what reasons. Beside demonstrating in front of the embassys, people burned
cars, throwed fire bombs, and some detonations were heard around the town
of Skopje (capitol of Macedonia), but no one really knows what that was.
Officaly, Macedonia is member of NATO during this action, and what is
heard from Macedonian diplomatic circles, they want to become full member
of NATO.

markoS.