Fidel Castro: A Silent Complicity

 HAVANA, Oct 11 (Prensa Latina) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro states
 that the
world cannot afford to let the tragedy of NATO's war against
Yugoslavia
 be
forgotten due to the silence of those who were actors and accomplices
 of that
brutal genocide.

 In his Thursday's article entitled "A Silent Complicity," the Cuban
 Revolution
leader reveals new details of that conflict, included assessment of
 those
happenings.

 Prensa Latina issues below the text published on reflections by the
 Cuban
president:

A SILENT COMPLICITY

 The world cannot afford to let the tragedy of NATO's war against
 Yugoslavia be
forgotten due to the silence of those who were actors and accomplices
 of that
brutal genocide.

 President Clinton, National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, Secretary
 of State
Madeleine Albright and other close collaborators of the President,
 including
the person who was ordered by Berger not to take notes when Cuba was
 discussed,
were at the meeting Clinton held with Aznar in the White House on
April
 13,
1999, where the decision to intensify the bombings was made, and Aznar
suggested that Serbian television, radio and other facilities be
 bombed, in
actions that would take the lives of innumerable defenseless
civilians.

 Some of them, through press statements or in a book or memoir, may
 have
individually written about the adventure, but none focused on the real
 danger
and suicidal wars that the United States is leading the world to. The
publication of the existing secret documents could be the legacy of a
 President
in 200 years from now, when, judging by the pace we"re going at, there
 will no
longer be any publicity or readers.

 Less than ten years have since gone by.

 In Europe and elsewhere they have many accomplices keeping silence.

 After my third message was sent to Milosevic, Italy's Minister of
Transportation visited Cuba. I met with him on March 30, 1999 and
 directly
discussed the issue of the war against Yugoslavia.

 What follows is a summary of what I said to him, according to the
 notes taken
during our conversation, in the presence of my Office staff and
 officials from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "I began by asking why they had
 invaded Serbia
and how they were going to reach a settlement. I told him that, in my
 opinion,
it had been a great mistake and that, were the Serbs to offer
 resistance, they
would run into a cul-de-sac. Why did Europe need to dismantle
 Yugoslavia, which
had implemented many reforms and which, strictly speaking -the Cold
War
 having
ended- could not be labeled a communist state and, much less, an enemy
 of
Europe? I explained that, in order to satisfy the German government's
 demand,
Europe had encouraged and supported the separation of Croatia, where,
 during
World War II, Nazi Germany organized the fearful chetniks, groups
which
perpetrated countless crimes and massacres against the Serbs and the
 liberation
movement headed by Tito.

 "Due to this complacency and lack of political foresight, in the
 prevailing
euphoria of the days when the socialist block and the Soviet Union
were
 in a
crisis, Europe dismantled Yugoslavia. This resulted in bloody episodes
 and,
specially, in the long and violent war in Bosnia and, ultimately, in
 NATO's
current war against Serbia. By then, Macedonia's separation had also
 taken
place, which meant the mutilation of the greater part of the Yugoslav
Federation. Only Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo remained.

 "As everyone knows, for decades Kosovo's population of Albanian
 descent grew
uninterruptedly until it became the broad majority. In Tito's
lifetime,
 long
before his death, many Serbian families left Kosovo seeking safety
 faced with
the numerous acts of violence that extremist groups from Kosovo
 committed
against them. At that time, in Kosovo, the Serbs were subjected to
what
 today
is called ethnic cleansing.

 "Yugoslavia's unnecessary and bloody disintegration encouraged and
 unleashed
the underlying conflicts between the majority, of Albanian descent,
and
Kosovo's Serbian minority, conflicts which are at the root of the
 current
problem.

 "The Serbian people are the essential core of what remains of the
 former
Yugoslavia. They are a combative and courageous people who have been
 profoundly
humiliated. I was convinced that, offered ample autonomy, Serbia would
 have
accepted an honorable and peaceful settlement of the conflicts in
 Kosovo.

 "Kosovo's moderate groups, acting in an intelligent and constructive
 fashion,
supported this settlement, as the presence of a broad majority of
 Albanian
descent would, sooner or later, make the peaceful emergence of an
 independent
state possible. Europe knows perfectly well that Kosovo's extremist
 groups did
not want this settlement; they demanded immediate independence and,
 because of
this, wanted the intervention of NATO forces.

 "It is unfair to lay all of the responsibility on Serbia. Serbia has
 not
invaded any sovereign country. What it has done, in essence, is oppose
 the
military presence of foreign troops in its territory. For months, in
 recent
weeks particularly, it has known nothing but constant threats. Its
unconditional surrender was urged. No country can be treated like
that,
 let
alone the people who, in the days of Europe's occupation, fought most
heroically against the Nazis and have ample experience in irregular
 warfare.

 "If the Serbs resist -and I am convinced that they will resist- NATO
 will have
no other option but to commit genocide, but such an action would fail,
 for two
reasons: "Firstly: they would be unable to defeat the Serbian people
if
 the
latter applied all of its experience and irregular warfare doctrine.

 "Secondly: Public opinion in NATO member countries themselves would
 not allow
such an action.

 "Armored divisions, stealth bombers, tomahawk, cruise missiles or any
 other
so-called intelligent weapon would not suffice. A missile or bomb
would
 have to
be launched for every person capable of carrying a rifle, a bazooka or
 a
portable anti-aircraft weapon. All of NATO's power would, in this
case,
 be
useless. There are star wars and there are ground wars. All high-tech
 equipment
notwithstanding, individual combatants would be the most important
 element in
this type of war.

 "Beyond Kosovo, a much more serious problem is emerging, to the
 detriment of
Europe's and the world's interests. Russia has been humiliated
 terribly. NATO
has already advanced to the borders of what was once the Soviet Union
 and it is
promising to include other states of the former socialist block, and
 even Baltic
countries that were part of the Soviet Union. Russians have every
 reason to
think they will not stop until they reach the walls of the Kremlin.

 "Like the Serbs, the Russians are a Slavic people and this sense of
 identity is
very strong among these peoples. The attacks on Serbia are profoundly
humiliating for them and, more than any other action, they have
 produced deep
and justified feelings of insecurity, not only among the Russians but
 in India
and China as well, and these countries will undoubtedly attempt to
ally
themselves to Russia to guarantee their security. I doubt the Russians
 would
cease to do whatever is necessary to retain a response capability
which
 would
be their sole guarantee in this situation.

 "Neither Europe nor the world, with their current and overwhelming
 economic
problems, would gain anything through such a course of action.

 "A few days ago, in the early morning of March 26, while returning
 from
Colombia to Russia before schedule, the President of the Russian
 Federation's
State DUMA, Gennadi Selezniov, made a stopover at Havana's airport. I
 took up
these issues with him of my own initiative. I told him no military
 solution was
possible, that, without a doubt, any effort to offer Serbia military
 aid would
inevitably lead to a general war, as the only means available to wage
 such a
war today are not conventional. I said also that the battle was of a
 political,
not military, nature.

 "Selezniov publicly expressed this point of view I shared with him.

 "Both, Europe and the world are duty-bound to find such a settlement,
 which,
though difficult and complex, is perfectly possible. If, rather than
 devote all
their efforts to threatening Serbia with terrible bombings, they had
 brought
pressures to bear on extremists in Kosovo, such a settlement could
have
 been
reached. Only NATO can contain extremists in Kosovo through frank and
uncompromising efforts. It is not a question of using weapons to
 achieve this,
but, rather, of warning the extremists in such a way that they will be
 certain,
beyond all doubt, that they do not have NATO's support. There is no
 question
that the bombs that have been dropped on Serbia for a week now will
 never
contribute to these dissuasive efforts.

 "In addition to this, I believe it is a serious political mistake
that
 the
United States and Europe should try to keep Russia on the edge of the
 precipice
in economic terms by imposing it the International Monetary Fund's
 unviable
formulas.

 "The West makes no mention of the 300 billion dollars that have been
 stolen
from Russia and relocated to Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Austria
 and other
countries. This is fifteen times the miserable 20-billion-dollar loan
 that the
International Monetary Fund has been discussing for months now. The
 West, which
recommended or imposed these models and policies on Russia, shares in
 the
responsibility for this ruthless plundering of Russia's wealth.

 "An internal explosion in Russia would be catastrophic. This is
 coupled with
NATO's encroachment, which I"ve already mentioned, the proposal to
 cancel the
Strategic Anti-Missile Defense Agreement and, now, the incredible
 humiliation
surrounding the attack launched by NATO's powerful forces against a
 small
country like Serbia.

 "I told him I was against all kinds of genocide or slaughters,
 regardless of
the perpetrator, and that all ethnic groups and religions, without
 exception,
are deserving of the right to life, culture and peace.

 "If I have taken the liberty of explaining this, it is because I feel
 it is my
duty to warn you of these dangers and of the need to solve them. To
lay
 these
issues on the table does no harm to anyone and can, on the contrary,
 benefit
everyone. I again expressed my conviction that the Serbs would resist,
 and that
a peaceful settlement was, in my opinion, feasible, even though
 negotiating with
a country on which thousands of bombs had been dropped and whose
honor,
 dignity
and economy had been dealt a harsh blow was by no means easy.

 "NATO has practically no more military targets to strike, perhaps
only
concentrated or moving troops remain, and the easiest thing for these
 troops
would be to split up to wage another type of war in which they cannot
 be
destroyed by air strikes.

 "Europe knows that ground combat would be very costly in terms of
 human lives
and, what's more, futile. I added that, were the Serbs to deploy the
 strategy
we would use in our country in the event of an invasion by the United
 States,
an area in which they have already shown extraordinary experience,
 NATO's war
would be futile and repulsive, an act of genocide in the heart of
 Europe
destined to be condemned everywhere".

 Today is a glorious day for our country, the day in which Carlos
 Manuel de
Céspedes began Cuba's war of independence against the Spanish
 metropolis.

 He was a source of inspiration for the generations of Cubans who came
 after
him. What he taught us was the duty to reflect on and confront the
 dangers that
menace the human species today.

Fidel Castro Ruiz
________________________________________________________________
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={47A58442-FE06-4099-8D01-7A1F5FE7B7AE}&language=EN
Prensa Latina (Cuba)
5 October 2007

Fidel Castro: Second and Third Messages to Milosevic and his Reply

 Havana, Oct 5 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Fidel Castro revealed
 the content
of two messages sent in April 1999 to the then Yugoslavian President
 Slobodan
Milosevic, when that country was attacked by the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization's forces.

 In his Friday article entitled "Second and Third Messages to
Milosevic
 and his
Reply," the Cuban Revolution leader also discloses Milosevic's reply
to
 both
messages.

Prensa Latina issues below reflections by the Cuban president:

REFLECTIONS BY THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF:

SECOND AND THIRD MESSAGES TO MILOSEVIC AND HIS REPLY

 On April 2, 1999, I sent Milosevic my second message through our UN
 mission:

 "It would be advisable not to indict the three US prisoners.
 International
public opinion is now especially susceptible and a strong anti-Serb
 movement
might result".

 On April 5, 1999, I sent him a third message through our mission in
 the UN and
Yugoslavia:

 "We congratulate you on the decision with regards to the three
 prisoners as
reported by press agencies. Your promise to treat them well and to
 release them
when the bombings cease is very intelligent and apt. It has foiled the
 United
States' maneuver to turn its domestic public opinion against Serbia; a
 public
opinion which is deeply divided on the issue of the aggression. The
 ruthless
bombing of civilian targets and the Serbian people's heroic resistance
 are
having an impact within and outside of Europe and within NATO itself".

 That same day, on the 5th, we received Milosevic's official reply
 through his
Ambassador to the UN:

 "I want to express my appreciation to the President and people of the
 Republic
of Cuba for their sympathy and solidarity with our people and country,
 victims
of a US - NATO aggression.

 "I hope you will continue these highly useful efforts to make heads
of
 state
-particularly the heads of non-aligned states- understand the extreme
 danger to
international relations as a whole stemming from the precedent being
 set by the
US - NATO aggression against the sovereignty and independence of a
 small
country. I invite and ask you to send a personal message to presidents
 Mandela,
Nujoma, Mugabe, Obasanjo, Rawlings and Vajpayee, requesting that they
 condemn
the invasion and, if they have already done so, to do so again, for
the
aggression continues to be repudiated, so as to rally the broadest
 possible
support for Yugoslavia from non-aligned nations at this highly
 important
moment. My best wishes and warmest regards go out to you. With respect
 to the
three US soldiers who have been imprisoned, I am very grateful for
your
amicable suggestion and wish to inform you that these soldiers were
 heavily
armed and penetrated deeply into Yugoslav territory in a number of
 armored
vehicles. The investigations into this matter are underway. They are
 being
treated in a humane and respectful manner. We understand your
 suggestion and
have practically accepted it. We are in no rush to take these soldiers
 to
justice. We won't do it now. Perhaps we will do it later, or not at
 all. We
won't do it hastily".

Fidel Castro Ruiz
________________________________________________________________
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={36A89069-9185-4807-ACB1-150ADF2DB27A}&language=EN
Prensa Latina (Cuba)
3 October 2007

Fidel Castro: Milosevic's Response

 HAVANA, Oct 3 (Prensa Latina) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro came
out
 the
content of the message he had sent to the then Yugoslavian President
 Slobodan
Milosevic on March 25, 1999, prior to the North Atlantic Treaty
 Organization
(NATO)'s aggression to that European country.

 In his Wednesday"s article entitled "Milosevic"s Response," the Cuban
Revolution leader revealed integrally the letter by the former
 Yugoslavian
statesman, who appreciated his strong words of support and
 encouragement.

Milosevic states that the behavior of the U.N. Security Council
 regarding NATO"s
aggression is a defeat for that multilateral organization, and a great
 warning
to the whole world, especially to small and medium-size countries.

The disclosure of the content of this letter took place after the
Cuban
president publicly called upon some days ago former Spanish President
 Jose
Maria Aznar to tell whether it is true or not that he advised
President
 Clinton
to bomb Serbian radio and television.

Prensa Latina issues below reflections by the Cuban president:

REFLECTIONS BY THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF

MILOSEVIC"S RESPONSE

In my reflections of Monday, October 1st, I referred to the message I
 had sent
to Milosevic on March 25, 1999.

On March 30, I received from Milosevic the following note:

"H.E. Mr. President:

"It was with great attention and sincere gratitude that I received
your
 message
of March 25, 1999. I appreciate your strong words of support and
 encouragement
for Yugoslavia, as well as the condemnation of NATO's aggression
 expressed by
Cuba and its representatives, especially at the U.N. The Federal
 Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY) is exposed to an aggression by the United States and
 NATO, the
biggest ever since the times of Hitler's. Not only has a crime been
 committed
against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a peaceful, sovereign, and
independent. State but there has been also an aggression against all
 that is
worth in this world on the threshold of the 21st century: the U.N.
 system, the
Non-Aligned Countries Movement, the foundations of legal order, human
 rights
and civilization in general. I take pride in letting you know that the
aggression has only served to homogenize and strengthen the
Yugoslavian
peoples' determination to resist and defend our freedom, sovereignty,
 and
territorial integrity. Our armed forces and the people are determined
 and ready
to fulfill their duty. Therefore, the broadest and strongest possible
 solidarity
and assistance from our friends all over the world would be as much
 welcome as
necessary.

"The behavior of the U.N. Security Council regarding NATO's aggression
 against
the FRY is a defeat for the United Nations. It is a very bad signal
and
 a great
warning to the whole world, especially to small and medium-size
 countries,
though not only to them. I am sure that you know that the FRY and the
 Republic
of Serbia have continuously and sincerely sought for a political
 solution for
Kosovo and Metohja in the interest of all the ethnic communities that
 live
there and respect our constitutional order. I beg from you, Mr.
 President, that
Cuba's friendship remains active within the Movement in calling for a
 meeting of
the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned countries so that that
group
 of
friends resolutely condemns NATO's aggression against the Federal
 Republic of
Yugoslavia. I am also convinced that your personal prestige would be
of
 great
help to encourage Central American and South American countries, as
 well as all
the Non-Aligned countries, to raise their voices in strong
condemnation
 of this
vandalistic aggression.

Once again, in appreciation for the solidarity with and support for
the
 FRY, I
hereby express my hope that we shall remain in close contact. May you
 receive,
Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration.

"Signed, Slobodan Milosevic."

There were in fact two wars -one of which is not over yet-, and two
 fatidic
encounters with Aznar -one of them between him and Clinton and the
 other one
between him and Bush. There were two identical tours made by Aznar -
one
 via
Mexico City to Washington and the other via Mexico City to Texas- both
 in the
pursuit of the same goal and equally void of ethical principles-, in
 which he
was self-proclaimed war coordinator for the changeable US presidents.

Fidel Castro Ruiz - October 2, 2007 5:32 p.m.
________________________________________________________________
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B6DBAE6AA-72EB-4B5B-892F-67...
Prensa Latina (Cuba)
2 October 2007

Fidel Castro: "The Empire's Illegal Wars"

 HAVANA, Oct 2 (Prensa Latina) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro
 transmitted March
25, 1999 to the then Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic the idea
 to resist
firmly the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s aggression
 against his
country.

In his Tuesday article entitled "The Empire's Illegal Wars," the Cuban
revolutionary leader reveals the content of a message sent to
Milosevic
 the day
before the beginning of the attack by the NATO forces.

"...I have meditated extensively on the problems of today's world, I
 think that
I have a sense of history, a concept of tactics and strategy in the
 struggle of
a small country against a great superpower and I feel a deep hatred
 towards
injustice, and so I take it upon myself to transmit to him an idea in
 just
three words: Resist, resist, resist," Fidel Castro states.

Prensa Latina issues below reflections by the Cuban president:

REFLECTIONS BY THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF:

THE EMPIRE'S ILLEGAL WARS

When the United States and its NATO allies started the war on Kosovo,
 Cuba
immediately defined her position on the front page of the newspaper
 Granma, on
March 26, 1999. This was done in a Declaration of her Ministry of
 Foreign
Affairs under the title of "Cuba's appeal to end NATO's unjustified
 aggression
against Yugoslavia."

I take essential paragraphs from that Declaration:

"After a number of painful and highly manipulated political
 occurrences,
extended armed confrontations and complex, hardly transparent
 negotiations
around the issue of Kosovo, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
 finally
launched its announced and brutal air attack against the Federal
 Republic of
Yugoslavia, whose peoples fought most heroically in Europe against the
 Nazi
hordes during World War II.

"This action, conceived of as a 'punishment of the Yugoslavian
 government', is
conducted on the margin of the UN Security Council.

[...]

"The war launched by NATO rekindles humanity's justified fears about
 the
establishment of an offensive unipolar system, governed by a
 warmongering
empire acting as a world gendarme and capable of dragging its
political
 and
military allies along to the most insane actions. Something similar
 happened at
the beginning and in the first half of this century with the creation
 of
militaristic blocs that brought destruction, death and misery to
 Europe,
dividing and weakening it, while the United States strengthened their
 economic,
political and military power.

"It is worthwhile wondering whether the use and abuse of force could
 solve the
world problems and defend the human rights of the innocent persons who
 today
are dying under the missiles and bombs falling on a small country
which
 is part
of that cultured and civilized Europe.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba strongly
 condemns this
aggression on Yugoslavia by NATO forces led by the United States.

[...]

"At this moment of suffering and pain for the Yugoslavian peoples,
Cuba
 calls on
the international community to mobilize its efforts to bring an
 immediate end to
this unjustified aggression, to avoid new and even more deplorable
 losses of
innocent lives and to allow this nation to again take up the peaceful
 path of
negotiations to solve its internal problems, a matter which depends
 solely and
exclusively on the sovereign will and free determination of the
 Yugoslavian
peoples.

[...]

"The ridiculous attempt at imposing solutions by force is incompatible
 with any
civilized rationale and with the essential principles of international
 law.
[...] To continue along this path, the consequences may be
 unpredictable for
Europe and for all of humanity."

Because of these occurrences, I had sent a message to President
 Milosevic the
day before, through the Yugoslavian ambassador in Havana and our
 ambassador in
Belgrade.

"I beg you to communicate the following to President Milosevic:

"After carefully analyzing everything that is happening and the
origins
 of the
present dangerous conflict, we are of the view that an enormous crime
 is being
committed against the Serbian people. At the same time, the aggressors
 are
committing a huge error, which they won't be able to sustain if the
 Serbian
people are capable of resisting, as they did in their heroic struggle
 against
the Nazi hordes.

"Unless the terribly brutal and unjustifiable attacks in the very
heart
 of
Europe cease, world reaction will be even greater and swifter than
that
triggered by the war in Vietnam.

"This time as never before in recent history, powerful forces and
world
interests are aware that such behavior in international relations is
 not
acceptable.

"Even though I have no personal relationship with him, I have
meditated
extensively on the problems of today's world. I think that I have a
 sense of
history, a concept of tactics and strategy in the struggle of a small
 country
against a great superpower and I feel a deep hatred towards injustice,
 and so I
take it upon myself to transmit to him an idea in just three words:

"Resist, resist, resist.

"March 25, 1999.

Fidel Castro Ruiz