HEADLINES

Phoenix                1. Re. March on Pentagon: Thank You!

                                And Keep It Up!

The Hague           2. World Court Throws Out Yugoslav Lawsuit

                                Claiming Lack of Jurisdiction

Toronto                3. Bilderbergers' Agenda '99 Revealed

Moscow               4. Pushkin on Kosovo? "Why Are You Neighing,

                                My Ardent Horse?"

Belgrade              5. "So Sorry, But No Go!" (By Dejan Veselinovic)

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1. Re. March on Pentagon: Thank You! And Keep It Up!

PHOENIX, June 2 - We would like to thank all of you who have called and/or faxed the various police or federal officials, protesting the outrageous ban by the Arlington Police of the June 5 March on the Pentagon (see S99-98, Day 71, Item 1, June 2). We are truly overwhelmed and grateful for your support.

But you'll have to keep it up; until freedom of speech and peaceful assembly is restored in America!

Meanwhile, some of TiM readers have told us that the Virginia governor and/or the Arlington Police have tried to pass the buck for this unconstitutional decision to the Arlington County office. So here is how to contact the Arlington County Manager, and let him have a piece of your mind about this, if indeed he was the one who is responsible:

William Donahue, tel: (703) 228-3120, fax: (703) 228-3295; email: wdonah@co.arlington.va.us.

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2. World Court Throws Out Yugoslav Lawsuit Claiming Lack of Jurisdiction

THE HAGUE, June 2 - The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, rejected today the request for "provisional measures" submitted by the Yugoslav government in its case concerning "Legality of Use of Force" (Yugoslavia v. United States of America).

The court rejected the Serbian case by a 12-3 vote of the judges, saying it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case. The Yugoslav government's lawsuit was filed on Apr. 29 (see S99-64, Day 42, Update 1, May 4). Hearings in the open court were held on May 10-11.

The "provisional measures" meant a request for the Court to order the United States of America to "cease immediately its acts of use of force" and to "refrain from any act of threat or use of force" against Yugoslavia.

The World Court's decision are binding and cannot be appealed.

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TiM Ed.: So that's it! By saying that it lacked jurisdiction in disputes between the states - the sole purpose for its existence - the World Court basically put itself out of business. At least the business of rendering judgments which require some legal fortitude and integrity.

Oh, yes, the Court was also very sorry and sympathetic to the Serbs. In its Order, the Court first emphasized that it was "deeply concerned with the human tragedy, the loss of life, and the enormous suffering in Kosovo which form the background" of the dispute and "with the continuing loss of life and human suffering in all parts of Yugoslavia". It declares itself "profoundly concerned with the use of force in Yugoslavia", which "under the present circumstances... raises very serious issues of international law".

While being "mindful of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and of its own responsibilities in the maintenance of peace and security under the Charter and [its] Statute", the Court "deems it necessary to emphasize that all parties before it must act in conformity with their obligations under the United Nations Charter and other rules of international law, including humanitarian law".

Whereupon the Court showed how "profoundly concerned" it was with the foregoing by promptly chickening out of its responsibilities in a style reminiscent of the U.S. Senate's sheepish May 4 vote not to vote (by a 78-22 vote, the Senators put aside indefinitely a resolution which would have allowed Clinton to use "all necessary force" in his undeclared war on Yugoslavia - S99-87, Day 61, Item 2, May 23).

Some World Court; some U.S. Senate... reminiscent of what the British statesman, Edmund Burke (1729-1797), once said: "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to prevail in the world is for enough good men to do nothing."

We live in such times now.

Ironically, the main issue today's "liberals" would probably have with Burke's "profound concern" is that he had failed to mention "enough good women" whose silence also helps bring about evil.

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3. Bilderbergers' Agenda '99 Revealed

TORONTO, June 2 - The self-proclaimed world elite who cooked up the "Kosovo Crisis" at their meeting near Toronto three years ago, according to a Canadian political analyst and publisher of The New World Order Intelligence Update (http://www.inforamp.net/~jwhitley/index.htm), John Whitley, are at it again (see Day 10, Update 2, Item 3, Apr. 2). This year, however, the Bilderbergers are meeting at the Portuguese resort, Penha Longa in Sintra - this coming weekend.

Here are some of the items which are expected to be on the Bilderbergers' agenda, according to Whitley:

* Global Governance

+ A review of progress in the formation of an Asian bloc under the leadership of Japan, with a common trade and monetary framework along the lines of the European Union;

+ A review of progress in extending free trade, monetary union and then political union throughout the Western Hemisphere to form an American Union [a key follow-up meeting to further this has already been scheduled for Quebec City next year].

+ A quick review of the coming breakup of Canada, postponed by the Bilderbergers in 1997 and re-set for the year 2000, will form part of this latter discussion [the details of this were finalized at last year's meeting: interested Canadians will quickly detect from the 1998 attendees list which three people were invited specifically because of this topic] as will the commencement of press agitation for Continental Union between the remnants of Canada and the US [to be followed by full hemispheric union in the years immediately thereafter]. Conrad Black, a key Bilderberger, now has a huge press presence in Canada, and recently launched a new national newspaper there.

* Kosovo War

+ Formation of a Greater Albanian state following "trusteeship" of an "independent" Kosovo, the dismemberment of Yugoslavia [by the return of its northern province, which has 350,000 ethnic Hungarians, to Hungary] as part of a general re-drawing of borders in the region [calculated to continue regional instability and conflict], and the reconstruction [worth billions of dollars] of the destroyed regional infrastructure at Western taxpayers' expense.

* Ultimate Replacement of NATO with a Western European Army (WEU)

+ Probably sooner than later, due to the bad press NATO has endured over this current campaign. Efforts will be urged to speed up the transformation of the W.E.U. into a credible European military force, initially relying on American backup. This will complete American military disengagement from Western Europe and leave US forces available for wider global policing, if necessary with W.E.U. backup in return [We first reported on this Bilderberg plan in our 1996 Bilderberg Report].The key point here is that the Bilderbergers win no matter what happens to NATO - if it survives a little longer, they can use it as an emergency global police force; if it loses credibility over the Kosovo affair, then they just accelerate its replacement in Europe with the W.E.U., which they had planned on doing anyway.

* Global Impact of Y2K

+ ...and opportunities offered by Y2K [which is going to be far, far worse than many people have yet realized]; the possible appointment of a "Y2K Czar" to oversee global passage through the "Y2K Emergency" [one name repeatedly coming up as the most likely candidate here is Mikhail Gorbachev, whose international standing would win him ready acceptance]

* Preparation for a "Mid-East peace Settlement"

+ Declaration of a Palestinian State and the final disposition of Jerusalem [A quote: "The results for Israel will not be good."] This explains the heavy emphasis on Israeli and international Jewish representation, plus the attendance of key representatives of Arab regimes which are implacably opposed to Israel - quote: "The deal on Jerusalem has already been done, and the Golan issue is being ironed out right now."

* Global Taxation

+ ...in support of the UN, as the emerging "global governance" center, to begin with a world-wide tax on e-commerce [this is why the CEO's of so many key computer companies, plus Bill Gates, are in attendance] and to be followed by an individual direct tax collected on the UN's behalf by national governments [we first drew attention to the first steps in implementing this plan at the end of our 1998 BILDERBERG UPDATE, at http://www.inforamp.net/~hjwhitley/bild98.htm]."

Whitley also says that he has been cautioned by his source to keep a close eye on Yehoshua Yaacov Ben-Avraham, innocuously listed as "Yehoshua, A.B,. Israeli Writer" and originator of the mysterious "Ben-Avraham Plan".

"You'll recollect that some weeks ago Ariel Sharon said words to the effect of 'Now, Kosovo - next, Israel,' and got soundly rebuked for it," Whitley adds. "Now we see the significance of that comment, particularly as NATO now has free reign to intervene outside Europe in 'defense of human rights'! Any Israeli resistance to an imposed Palestinian settlement would inevitably lead to... another Bilderberger-created and -controlled conflict! Now perhaps the full significance of Bilderberger Bill Clinton's and Bilderberger Tony Blair's active assistance in getting Barak elected is also, in consequence, becoming obvious."

A story about the Bilderberger's '99 meeting in Portugal was also last weekend by Portugal's largest English-language paper, The News - http://www.the-news.net.

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TiM Ed.: By offering the TiM readers Mr. Whitley's assessments we don't necessarily endorse all of them as TiM's views, too. We have issues, for example, with his description of the "Y2K Emergency." But by sharing his opinions with you, with hope to broaden the TiM readers' horizons.

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4. Pushkin on Kosovo? "Why Are You Neighing, My Ardent Horse?"

MOSCOW, June 1 - Once of our Russian readers - Victor (not Chernomyrdin! J ) said that the other day he was listening to a radio broadcast devoted to Pushkin's 200^th anniversary (Aleksander Sergeievich Pushkin - 1799-1837 - is arguably Russia's most famous poet). An Armenian poetess tried to make a connection between Pushkin's poetry and contemporary world. Like Kosovo, and NATO's war on Serbia.

The poetess pointed to Pushkin's cycle of poems - "Songs By The Western Slavs" (the Serbs). And that the first among them, without a doubt, was is one of his masterpieces - "Why Are You Neighing, My Ardent Horse?"

In reality, this poem is Pushkin's translation of one of Prosper Merimee's works (the French poet, 1803-1970), Victor writes. And that Merimee's poem is a mystification which is thought to be very close to the Serbian people's spirit.

Here's a verbatim translation of Pushkin's poem - courtesy our Russian reader, Victor:

"Why Are You Neighing, My Ardent Horse?

"Why are you neighing, my ardent horse?

Why have you hung your neck?

Why do you not shake your mane,

Not gnaw your bit?

Do I not tend you?

Do you not eat enough oats?

Do you not have a fine harness?

Are your reins not of silk?

Or your shoes not of silver?

Or your stirrups not gilt?"

 

The sad horse answers:

"I have grown quiet

Because I hear a remote tramp,

Trumpets' sound and arrows' singing;

I am neighing because

There is not much time left for me

To stroll free in the field,

To live quietly and tended,

To flaunt with the fine harness.

Because soon the severe enemy

Will take all my harness

And strip off the silver shoes

From my light legs;

My spirit mourns because

Instead of saddle flap

He will cover my sweaty back

With your skin."

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TiM Ed.: Serbian people's spirit? Nah... Frankly, to us this sounds more like something Napoleon's horse might have said to his master when he attacked Russia. And what Wesley Kanne Clark's horse would be saying to him now, were the NATO general able to ride, rather than ride an office chair and deride his nobler adversaries.

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5. "So Sorry, But No Go!" (By Dejan Veselinovic)

BELGRADE, June 1 - We received the following comment by a TiM reader from Belgrade in reaction to our announcements of the June 5 Washington, DC, demonstration:

"Bob, I cannot join you in person, though I'd like to. All I can do from here and now is to wish you good luck (I know you don't rely on it, but everybody can do with some). And the clear vocal chords.

What I can - and do - is to offer you this piece I wrote...

Thirty-odd years ago, I went to a private school in Somerset, England, and assembled enough Airfix plastic airplane kits, mostly Spitfires, Hurricanes and Mosquitoes, to fill a large room (and they did!). I was inspired by the Battle of Britain, the first true air war in history. As I saw it, it was fought because Britain defied Germany, knowing it would - and did - pay the price. London was bad, Coventry was worse.

I also saw the movie. And when Christopher Plummer appeared in his dark blue RAF uniform, we all knew it would be all right: Michael Caine was backing him.

My 13-year old son also saw the movie recently, and liked it. Now he's asking me the questions I find hard to answer. Such as, "are those men bombing us now the grandsons of those who fought in the Battle of Britain?"

He sees the daily carnage and destruction and doesn't understand why. He hears the air raid sirens two or three times a day, for over 70 days now. His school bag is now more like a backpack, containing his bare necessities and a bottle of water; the minimum he needs to have in the air raid shelter.

Sometimes, he mistakes the sound of the underground train passing by for the almost subsonic deep thunder of the bombs falling on Pancevo, just 15 km (9 miles) from us, a town we see from our window. He wonders how I could ever have a soft spot for Britain. Guess he is too young; too inexperienced?

The only thing he likes these days is the suspension of classes; no school until further notice. He can afford to like it, since he has top marks. But his less studious friends have to arrange private exams with their teachers if they want better marks. To my son, this is a protracted holiday, though without the annual trip to Greece and its blue seas.

My son is not the only one who doesn't grumble. Like the "untouchables," our garbage disposal people, who go on their nightly missions, bombs or no bombs. They weren't like that before the war. They didn't care. Now they do.

Bread from the city bakery used to be bland. Now, when we can get it, it's actually improved, and offers some taste. Another welcome change. And lo and behold, the city transport is keeping to schedule - a miracle, surely.

If you think the air raid siren will get you a free seat in one of Belgrade's many street cafes, you're wrong. Theaters have free of charge performances every night. They haven't been so crowded since time immemorial. And restaurants still have Romany (Gypsy) musicians who don't play; they live the music. And nobody in the world can break your heart with a fiddle or a guitar like a Romany (Gypsy) band.

I live in a part of downtown Belgrade called Palilula. It has a mixed old/new architecture. It has several university buildings in the neighbourhood, along with some companies (ball bearing factory IKL, city bakery). But it's mostly residential.

I noticed that since the beginning of the war, the otherwise not too clean Belgrade now also sports a very fine grayish or yellowish dust, and plenty of it. I've no idea where it comes from, but I assume it's residue from petro-chemical plants bombed in Pancevo.

If only I liked chemistry better in school, I'd know what we're all breathing now. But no, I had to go for history and public affairs, forsaking chemistry, biology (except for the procreation bit, of course), and math.

My Dad, a retired mechanical engineer, never forgave me the math. Fortunately, the Belgrade school of economics I graduated from had plenty of math and statistics. So I was partly redeemed.

My neighbors, a mixed bag of retired clerks, engineers, tailors and the jobless, told me I was mad to purchase a large cast iron grill last September. Now many of them have similar contraptions (thanks to NATO's bombing of Serbia's electric power plants). And we all have plenty of Kosovo lignite (coal) for fuel. Lack of power may stop our deep freezers, but it won't stop us from turning fresh meat into traditional barbecues.

We all talk to each other now - not at all like before the war, when petty squabbles, the curse of large apartment buildings, were all too common among the neighbors.

Every morning, for example, the neighbors exchange information. Some watch local TV, others watch CNN, Sky, BBC. Put it all together over a morning coffee, a Serb ritual, and we begin to grasp the situation.

There's a consensus that all this is far removed from what any one paper, station or nation says. But a common daily wisdom does emerge. And it's usually near the mark. We lend to, and borrow from, each other petrol. But we drive. In short, we now live much more with, rather than next to, each other.

Many of us, myself included, have some sort of summer house somewhere near Belgrade. Mine is small, more like a lodge, but it's surrounded by vineyards, and provides me with assorted fruit. I could plant potatoes, onions, tomatoes and whatnot... I've been doing it for fun for years, anyway.

My northern neighbor keeps his own chickens. And we trade, an economist vs. a lawyer, a sight to behold. I have my own well, too, with water starting at 11 meters (33 feet) below. Cold and clear. If things deteriorate, I'll move my wife and son there.

Normally, I test PC hardware for a living. Now I find myself thinking agricultural thoughts, just in case. This 'air campaign,' in reality an all-out bombing, is doubtlessly hurting us all. It ravages our country and in many ways it's destroying our lives. But it's not working in terms of its declared objectives.

Serbs grumble and complain (if he don't complain, he ain't no Serb!), but will not budge. Local politicking is suspended, and everybody is working as I haven't seen them work since 1990. Serbs won't budge despite NATO's claims.

Has it already been forgotten that this is claimed by the same people who told you the war would be over in two or three days? And that was 70-odd days, many NATO blunders and 'blunders' and over 1,600 civilian lives ago?

Who will hear us, the common citizens and everyday people, who must live through the violence spiral, in which violence begets more violence? Us, who live 300 or more miles from the theater of operations. Or so we thought - before the war?

This theater of operations has long ago become the theater of the absurd."

Dejan Veselinovic, Belgrade, a self employed, freelance journalist and a Yugoslav citizen who drives a Yugo 55; married, with one son; B.Sc. in economics (foreign trade).

Also, check out... Truth in Media Statement on Kosovo Crisis, "Wither Dayton, Sprout New War?", "On the Brink of Madness", "Tragic Deja Vu's," "Seven U.S. Senators Suggest Ouster of Milosevic", "Biting the Hand That Feeds You", "A Balkan Affairs Potpourri", "Put the U.N. Justice on Trial", "International Justice 'Progresses' from Kidnapping to Murder", "Milosevic: 'A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery'...", "Kosovo Lie Allowed to Stand", "New World Order's Inquisition in Bosnia", "Kosovo Heating Up", "Decani Monastery Under Siege?", "Murder on Wall Street",  "Kosovo: 'Bosnia II', Serbia's Aztlan",  "What If the Shoe Were on the Other Foot?", "Green Interstate - Not Worth American Lives", "An American Hero or Actor of the Year?" (A June '95 TiM story) and/or "Clinton arme secrètement les musulmans bosniaques"

Or Djurdjevic's WASHINGTON TIMES columns: "Chinese Dragon Wagging Macedonian Tail,"  "An Ugly Double Standard in Kosovo Conflict?", "NATO's Bullyboys", "Kosovo: Why Are We Involved?", and "Ginning Up Another Crisis"

Or Djurdjevic's NEW DAWN magazine columns: "Washington's Crisis Factory,"  and "A New Iron Curtain Over Europe"