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| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
On Nov. 13, 250 people attended the San Francisco Hearing of the International War Crimes Tribunal on the U.S./NATO War Against Yugoslavia for a full day of educational workshops, video and plenaries about what really happened during the war.
Researchers and activists discussed the violations of international law by the U.S. and NATO, damage to the Yugoslav civilian infrastructure and the environment, the role of the media as a tool of the war, the historical background of Yugoslavia's anti-imperialist resistance, and the real objectives of the U.S.
Speakers drew connections between U.S. imperialism in many struggles, from Iraq to Angola to the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The hearing equipped activists with the education and tools to continue building the anti-war movement.
Ramsey Clark opened the day, covering the indictments of the tribunal and setting an anti-imperialist tone. "NATO ought to be abolished! NATO is a threat to peace on the planet! NATO is a lawless instrumentality!"
Ana Nevenic, a Yugoslav-American activist who recently returned from Yugoslavia, said, "NATO selected their targets and bombed without any moral dilemma or human consideration. ... Every major industrial sector, hospitals, schools, government buildings, historic monuments were bombed. Everybody and everyone was a target."
Richard Becker, who was part of an IAC delegation to hearings in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, spoke about the nature of U.S. war crimes. "We knew from the beginning, because this is not the first war we have seen, that Clinton, Albright, Blair, Clark and the rest use `human rights' as a pretext. After all, in reality the number one violator of human rights in the world is the U.S. government."
Professor George Wright of California State University at Chico, spoke about the similarities of U.S. foreign policy toward Yugoslavia and Angola. "Since 1945, U.S. foreign policy has been designed to maintain hegemony over the world capitalist system. The central obstacle to U.S. hegemony is perceieved to be nationalist governments which pursue self- determination and redistributive economic policies."
Author and activist Michael Parenti said, "One of the things we've been facing in this Yugoslavia campaign is that a number of liberals and even some who call themselves progressives have bought into the bourgeois line, the NATO/U.S. line. Part of this is because, lacking a class analysis, an analysis of how U.S. policy is imperialist. ... how it con sistently watched out for the welfare of the 1 or 2% who own most of the world, liberals are perpetually decontextualizing the issue."
Other speakers and panelists included: Professor Michel Chossudovsky, the University of Ottawa and author of The Globalization of Poverty ; Karen Talbot, International Center for Peace and Justice; Milos Petrovic, Yugoslav-American student activist with the IAC; Ruba Fakhoury, International Action Center; Dennis Bernstein, Host of KPFA's Flashpoints; Ivanka Besevic Boreli, journalist from Belgrade; Shani Rifati, Voice of the Roma from Pristina, Kosovo; and other activists from the International Action Center.
Gloria La Riva, West Coast co-coordinator of the International Action Center, closed the day with a tribute to those who put in many hours preparing for the historic tribunal, and a motivational appeal to continue the work. "Today's event is a powerful antidote to all the hysteria against Serbian people and Yugoslavia. We give a big hand to those who have stuck with the work!"