April 13, 1999

CRISIS IN KOSOVO: GREATER ROLES FOR RUSSIA, UN?

Amidst news reports that Yugoslav forces have seized a border village in Albania and as Secretary Albright meets with Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov in Oslo today, analysts around the world foresaw that there may be a growing role for Russia, as well as the UN, in a possible settlement of the crisis in Kosovo. However, most editorialists, noting that Yugoslav President Milosevic shows no signs of "giving in" and NATO appears to be determined to continue its air strikes campaign, held that the margin for compromise by either the Alliance or the Serbian leader appears "very narrow." Once again, opinion remained deeply divided on NATO's decision to intervene in Kosovo. Observers on both sides of the opinion spectrum acknowledged the crucial role Washington is playing in the situation, with many wondering what the newly reconvened Congress' response will be to the turmoil in the Balkans. Regional views:

NATO AND RUSSIA: Media focused on the latest international diplomatic efforts with anticipation. French and Italian papers asserted that Secretary Albright--the "world's most powerful lady"--arrives in Oslo determined to take "NATO's nervous Allies by the scruff of their necks" and "to verify face-to-face Russian intentions." Other papers in those countries and in Germany dwelled on the Bonn proposal to give a Kosovo peace force a UN mandate, which most saw as an enticement for both Belgrade and Moscow. Meanwhile, reformist papers in Moscow ratcheted up their ridicule of the Russia-Belarus-FRY partnership. Noviye Izvestiya lamented: "Do we have to risk our well-being by protecting a bankrupt foreign regime?"

FRONT LINE NATIONS: Not surprisingly, official media in Belgrade continued their virulent rhetoric and torrent of outrage against NATO--read the U.S. Papers and electronic media accused NATO of "targeting cities, villages, hospitals, religious buildings, plants, bridges and other infrastructure facilities." A repetitive theme in the press was the characterization of President Clinton and his counterparts in the Alliance as "new Nazis." Pundits there also expressed deep dismay at the coverage of the crisis in the U.S. media--particularly by CNN and Christiane Amanpour--saying the reporting was biased. In Sarajevo, Oslobodjenje was rather dismissive of the FRY's decision to join with Russia and Belarus in a partnership, saying that all these countries, in the end, "depend on someone else's money"--the West's. Meanwhile, dailies in Skopje were replete with editorials on the reported statement by Albanian PM Majko that "greater Albania is in a process of constant movement." Pro-government Nova Makedonija was typical in its comment warning that FYROM "simply must control its territory in an unambiguous way, a control that will discard any opportunity for KLA getting to an operational level here." In Budapest and Sofia, editorialists fretted about their countries' relationship with NATO and the West.

ELSEWHERE: Papers in China were joined by others in North Korea, Nepal, Mexico, Cuba and Haiti in denouncing NATO's action. Most questioned the motives of the U.S. superpower and called for UN intervention in the crisis. Dailies in Australia, Philippines, Ecuador and Peru strongly supported the Alliance's action on humanitarian and moral grounds. Opinion in the Arab and Muslim world continues to swing to extremes--from broad denuciations of the U.S., to entreaties by the Islamic world to support the Alliance's efforts on behalf of the Kosovars.

This survey is based on 73 reports from 41 countries, April 5-13.

EDITOR: Diana McCaffrey

To Go Directly To Quotes By Region, Click Below

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 |  WESTERN HEMISPHERE   |

FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO: "Clinton's Hitler-Like Speech"

Belgrade's state-owned news agency, Tanjug, harshly condemned yesterday's "Hitler-like" speech by President Clinton to U.S. troops (4/12): "Clinton, the criminal, again told Americans that by killing civilians, children and innocent people in Yugoslavia and with bombs he is actually 'establishing peace.' In a real Hitler-like speech, Clinton conveyed his monstrous message."

"Message To The World"

The official, English-language Borba said (4/12): "Not far away is the time when Americans will realize that in 1999 at the head of their big and powerful country was a criminal of darkened mind, who manifested his power by killing girls, children and old people in a small country. In the name of all those who are defending bridges throughout Serbia, we are sending a message to all the people in the world--Belgrade is a capital of resistance, which the whole of mankind should join."

"Crimes Of The New Nazis Surpass Those Of WWII"

Government-controlled Belgrade Radio Beograd Network asserted (4/9): "The aggressor NATO forces, led by the United States, have continued to bomb our homeland for the 16th consecutive day. The crimes of the new Nazis have surpassed the crimes from World War II. The aggressor is targeting cities, villages, hospitals, religious buildings, plants, bridges and other infrastructure facilities. In the struggle for their freedom, our people will persevere in the face of hardship and overcome temptation with two priority assignments, notably the defense of our country and perseverance in our commitment to a peaceful, political solution. Radio Belgrade's First Program will continue to sharply condemn, brand and unmask the truth of the barbarian actions of the NATO aggressor, inform our citizens of these activities in great detail, and consequently reach out to the consciousness and conscience of humanity with the truth."

"Adolf Clinton"

Government-controlled Belgrade TV's evening news (4/5) declared that "Adolf Clinton" has ordered "crimes that surpass the Nazi crimes" and that he will "end up in the defendant's dock of some new Nuremberg" along with his "disciple," British Prime Minister Blair."

"Christiane Amanpour: 'Master Of Manipulation"

Pro-government Politika held (4/8): "Whenever [Ted] Turner's pet, Christiane Amanpour, a close relative of the State Department, appears somewhere, people grow apprehensive. The truth will be crushed. Relays will transmit the abominable electronically fabricated lie. Only the naive believe that it is difficult to manipulate with pictures. An image can be more harmful to the fact than a word. The voodoo-reporting of the prophet of doom Amanpour-Rubin has for years been providing evidence of this.... She selects the characters and background. Then, failing to conceal her intense hatred of the Serbs and everything Serbian, the self-important TV-arbiter passes the sentence. The culprit is known."

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: "Russia, Belorussia, FRY"

Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje (4/12) carried a front-page commentary by Zija Dizdarevic: "The Yugoslav government reached a decision according to which the FRY should join the Russian Federation. Even before this session, the Montenegrin government said that they would not recognize this decision.

"The Yugoslav ambassador to Russia submitted Milosevic's request to Boris Yeltsin. He received a response which said that the acceptance procedure has to be followed. Russia, Byelorussia and the FRY are serious political, economical and social patients. Dependent on someone else's money (FRY) is excess baggage for everyone.... Only the United States and the European Union can reconstruct the FRY. Conditions for investing in the FRY are Milosevic's removal and reconstruction of this country according to Western standards.... The story about the pact between Russia, Byelorussia and the FRY could mean a new Yalta and the beginning of a new Cold War. But it is more likely that this would mean the end of Yalta and the final drop of the Iron Curtain."

FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA: "Controlling Macedonia"

Ljubomir Frchkovski wrote (4/13) in centrist, independent Dnevnik to elaborate on Macedonia's position in regard to the latest statements of Prime Minister Majko that "greater Albania is process of constant movement": "The situation in Macedonia is contradictory in the Kosovo crisis, and in a very interesting way: Macedonia is, at the same time, NATO's support in the process of finding solution to the crisis; a factor of stability in the region in the time of action; but also, a possible direct target of the final events, especially in connection with the irrational 'euphoria' of the Albanians, who are promoting themselves as 'major NATO partners,' trying at the same time to hitch a ride, on the same train, for their idea of 'greater Albania.' Macedonia does not have a world of options waiting for it. It simply must control its territory in an unambiguous way, a control that will discard any opportunity for the KLA getting an operational level here, in Macedonia."

EUROPE

BRITAIN: "War Drums On The Hill"

The conservative Times had this lead editorial (4/13): "NATO's claims that the air campaign is beginning to bite await their proof. But what may be more significant for the outcome of this war is the impact that Kosovo's agony has had on American voters--and, consequently, on Congress. Before the Easter recess, Congress had little stomach for this war. But this week, after town hall meetings across the country, Congress has returned in a markedly different mood. The question on Capitol Hill is no longer whether the United States should be involved at all, but whether NATO can prevail in Kosovo with air power alone; and what to do if it cannot.... The Clinton administration is having trouble singing in harmony.... President Clinton needs to add military expertise to his team. Above all, he needs to demonstrate that the only exit strategy on his mind is the one that produces a convincing NATO victory. Every Western politician hopes that this will not require ground combat; but none of them can credibly continue to rule that out."

FRANCE: "The World's Most Powerful Lady"

Michele Cotta aired this commentary on privately funded RTL radio (4/13): "From New York to Washington, everyone knows that when Madeleine wears red, it means she is in a fighting mood...even if she has convinced the Allies of the U.S. goodwill not to exclude the possibility of negotiations.... This is why the world's most powerful lady, who convinced Bill Clinton that no other solution than war could be envisaged, is getting ready to meet with Igor Ivanov.... But how to ask Russia for its help in negotiations with Milosevic, all the while continuing with the strikes?... Most of all, what is the final objective?"

"Turning To The UN And Russia"

Francois Clemenceau told listeners on privately run Europe One radio (4/13): "To involve the UN and Russia in the scenario for a solution looks like a step backwards...but today it seems as if it is the only possible way out.... Today, the question of autonomy is obsolete.... Another solution needs to be found, such as a protectorate...under the authority of the UN."

"The Battle For Peace"

Pierre Rousselin judged in right-of-center Le Figaro (4/13): "On the war front, the United States is the one leading the operations.... Europe has no other choice. But with regard to the battle for peace, we have a choice. It is Europe's future that is at stake. This is where we will have to make sure the United States does not take us in a direction that would not be good for Europe. In her meeting today with Igor Ivanov, Madeleine Albright will try, in her own words, to try to find a way to involve Russia in the solution. But the United States is skeptical, in spite of its declarations. It wants at all costs to keep the Kremlin from offering Milosevic a way out.... France and Europe have an essential mission to accomplish. It is not a question of avoiding a Russian veto at the UN. We cannot afford to offend Russia.... We cannot add to Russia's humiliation. It would be running the risk of seeing another Milosevic in the Kremlin sometime in the near future. To avoid this, France and Europe must enroll Yeltsin's and Primakov's support in favor of peace."

"The Fake Russian Wild Card"

Jacques Amalric suggested in left-of-center Liberation (4/13): "All the signs seem to indicate that the Allies are getting ready to intensify their air strikes. Chirac's harsh words last night do not indicate a desire for appeasement, but rather for resisting Milosevic's barbarity.... Therefore the margin of maneuver left to Russian diplomacy is indeed very narrow."

GERMANY: "Carrot And Stick"

Right-of-center Frankfurter Allgemeine (4/13) carried this front-page editorial: "But all the Western plans and visions about the future of Kosovo and the Balkans as a whole will remain dreams as long as the Kosovo Albanians do not feel safe from Serbia's terror."

"Fischer Wants To Lure The Russians"

Andreas Oldag had this to say in an editorial in centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (4/13): "Foreign Minister Fischer is well aware of the diplomatic tightrope act with which NATO is now confronted: With his proposal to give a Kosovo peace force a UN mandate, he wants to open the door to Moscow. But NATO should not handicap itself. An endless debate in the UNSC could tempt Milosevic into continuing his ethnic expulsions in Kosovo. The European NATO partners, who showed much support for the initiative of the German foreign minister, must now convince primarily the United States, since Washington does not want the UN to tell it who is in charge in the peace force."

"Political Bridge-Building"

Jochen Siemens noted in an editorial in left-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau (4/13): "The announcement that NATO would leave it to the UN to impose a peace settlement and then to monitor it according to Article VII of the UN Charter builds several bridges. Such an action would be sanctioned by international law and would provide the UN with greater influence again. If Russian forces also take part, Moscow will have the foreign and domestic satisfaction of having brought its influence to bear again. And finally, NATO would no longer be criticized. However, this is just the easy side of the calculations.

"The problem is whether Milosevic will interpret the political efforts as a sign of NATO's weakness, and this at a time when the military says that its bombs are having an effect.... NATO's military resoluteness is unbroken, and in fact it becomes stronger. It makes itself stronger by increasing its efforts to provide a more comprehensive and more acceptable political solution to the conflict."

"Absurd Alliance"

Werner Adam opined in an editorial in right-of-center Frankfurter Allgemeine (4/13): "The Russian-Belarussian alliance is based less on fruitful cooperation than on social and economic misery.... Nevertheless, the plan would also have dangerous implications: In the Russian Duma, delegates are predicting that a 'Union Force' will be sent to Yugoslavia."

ITALY: "Final Call For Milosevic"

In a front-page commentary in centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera, Franco Venturini argued (4/13): "Slobodan Milosevic has ten days. Ten days to choose between negotiation, which is still possible, and an unavoidable defeat. Ten days to decide whether, on April 23, NATO will be forced to celebrate its half century of peace amid bombing attacks.... After that, with NATO's party spoiled and tarnished by the 'tragic errors' of its missiles, with the Kremlin and the UN set off to the sidelines and the Europeans forced to close ranks, Milosevic will discover that he has opted for political and military suicide. Because in ten days...the plans for ground intervention in Kosovo will come out of those closets which, until now, the Pentagon has kept under lock and key.... Milosevic is too clever not to realize that a collective reflection within the Alliance has begun."

"The Real Aim: All The Balkans Under Protectorate"

Carlo Pelanda front-paged this comment in leading opposition, conservative Il Giornale (4/13): "The mobilization against the Milosevic regime is to be seen as an opportunity to definitively stabilize all of the Balkans.... That is, to keep on bombing until Milosevic withdraws his troops from Kosovo and accepts NATO troops (under the UN flag) to guarantee the Kosovar Albanians their return.... In practice, a NATO protectorate in Kosovo will be created, which will impose a stricter NATO control on Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria in order not to create further destabilization."

"The Strength Of Reason"

Managing editor Paolo Gambescia commented on the front page of pro-PDS (leading government party) daily L'Unita (4/13): "It is too soon to be optimistic, but something is moving.... If the road towards peace seems possible now, it is because of the cohesion among Western countries and the sense of responsibility shown by Russia.... As we have always been maintaining, this is possible because, at last, the UN has resumed a role of its own; because Moscow has made its opinions heard while avoiding the temptation of presenting itself as the antagonist of the West; because Europe has begun, while respecting agreements and pacts, to define its own peace strategies; and because NATO is now convinced that the time has come for a diplomatic offensive."

"Albright Is Necessary To Put Enemies (And Allies) In Line"

Provocative, classical liberal Il Foglio noted (4/13): "Secretary Albright left for Brussels and then Oslo, after deciding to get the situation under control again, to beat the `Anti-Albright party', to take, if necessary, NATO's nervous Allies by the scruff of their necks, to verify face-to-face Russian intentions, to launch some signals of the opening of negotiations, but always, and only, under the Alliance conditions.... This is Albright's war, everyone says....

"She is a real hawk, indeed.... Among the Allies she has selected the `A League'--UK, Germany and with fatigue France too, and the `B League', led by Italy. If the Kosovo operation does not fail, and this is her bet, it is on the basis of this classification that the Hawk Albright intends to re-found NATO."

RUSSIA: "Who Wants This Union?"

Leonid Radzikhovsky wrote in reformist Segodnya (4/13): "(According to a public opinion poll conducted by the Echo of Moscow radio station), over a half (70 percent) of Russians don't want their country to burden itself with the Serbian cousins and their problems. Hating Americans is one thing. Doing something real, like paying a price, is quite another. We want to throw eggs at the U.S. embassy. This is our 'national idea.' What have Serbs got to do with it? If they enjoy doing that too, they are free to do so in Belgrade. We can't stop them. Nor can we help them. A union, a new ugly thing, a confused, truncated USSR-Warsaw Pact mutant, would be a disaster. A state with a new rusty iron curtain would become a burial shroud for Russia."

"Russia Gets Itself In A Jam"

Sergei Agfafonov lamented on page one of reformist Noviye Izvestiya (4/13): "Clearly, Russia is consistently getting itself in a jam, preferring the false ideas of its grandeur, obligations and national interests to a sober view of the world around it. What will Russia and Russians gain by isolation and a new iron curtain?... The West is fed up with experimenting and will do anything to safeguard and augment the postwar world order. That may sound like NATO romanticism, but this is exactly what stands behind the air strikes against Yugoslavia.... No doubt, Belgrade will be forced to behave itself. Knowing that, nobody will be tempted to test the 'family's' fortitude again."

"Communist Idee Fixe"

Reformist Segodnya (4/13) front-paged this comment by Georgy Bovt and Andrei Smirnov: "There is no folly the Communists won't commit to gain power. A union with Yugoslavia is their latest idee fixe."

"Short-Lived Union"

Sergei Gryzunov remarked in reformist weekly Moskovskiye Novosti (#14, 4/13): "The proposed union, unlike the one between Russian and Serbian communists, would be short-lived. If the plan works, we will face either a third world war or Milosevic's back as he turns away from us at the last moment, after gaining another respite. After all, it is the West he will turn to for credits."

"Albright-Ivanov Meeting Critical"

Gennady Sysoyev pointed out in reformist, business-oriented Kommersant Daily (4/13): "A meeting between Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Oslo today may become a turning point. For that to happen, Albright should agree to ceasing NATO action and Ivanov should promise that Moscow will get Milosevic to make concessions. But Belgrade does not seem to be in the mood to help Moscow.... NATO is beginning to realize that air strikes will not make Belgrade capitulate. Milosevic, for his part, knows that a war to the bitter end may not necessarily be good for him personally. Yet neither side is ready to acknowledge that the situation has changed. That gives Moscow a chance for mediation."

"West Provokes Genocide"

Maksim Shevchenko asserted in centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (4/13): "Milosevic is out to retain power at all costs. Russian MPs, singing patriotic songs in the streets of Belgrade, are lying to Serbs that Russia can give them military aid (at the time when Moscow has to borrow from the IMF to pay factory workers). To win the presidency, they are ready to drag this country into a conflict with the forces whose power they cannot even imagine. As a result, Russia may cease to exist."

AUSTRIA: "The Illusion Of 'Guaranteed' Neutrality"

In mass-circulation Kurier (4/12), Alfred Payrleitner said: "The beginning of the new millennium will be dominated by the elementary task of creating orderly security structures in the Balkans. The EU and the OSCE will have to carry this burden, militarily and financially, for many years to come; this is the actual eastward enlargement. At the same time, old familiar concepts may have to be redefined.... Because some facts are simply unknown to many people, although they exist. For instance the neutrality law dating back to 1955 with its obligation to maintain and defend neutrality 'by all available means.' But what are nowadays 'all available means?'... You may look at the matter from whatever angle you like: The desired 'inviolability' of Austrian territory cannot be guaranteed unless it is integrated into a larger security fabric. And it cannot be maintained without a permanent correction of neutrality."

BULGARIA: "Russia: On The Rebound In The Balkans"

Ruling Party Demokratsia commented (4/10): "Are we going to witness the creation of a new Eastern bloc which will bring back the confrontation of the Cold War? The short answer is 'no.' This doesn't mean, however, that we should be taking lightly the creation of a Russian-Belorussian-Yugoslav union. In spite of NATO's enlargement, Russia has managed to demonstrate that it is still an important player in the region, and defending Belgrade is yet another attempt to preserve the status quo. If this endeavor succeeds, it could destabilize the region by diverting the Balkan countries from their pro-Western course."

"Milosevic Or Europe: Take Your Pick"

Second-largest circulation 24 Hours had this editorial by Evgeny Daynov (4/10): "The Bulgarian government has taken the most favorable stance for its national interests. While at the moment this position is attracting criticism, in the long run this is a choice that will secure a better future for Bulgaria. A choice is a choice: We can't keep trying to get into the EU and NATO, while at the same time throwing sticks and stones at them. It's time we started participating in the debate on global values and the world order in a responsible and enlightened way."

CZECH REPUBLIC: "Alliance's Credibility Is At Stake"

Centrist, intellectual Lidove Noviny stressed (4/13): "If NATO does not complete what it started, any discussion about an Alliance that is able to maintain peace outside its territory is groundless."

"Milosevic Hastens Into Moscow's Arms"

Dimitri Bieloshevski had this to say in economic Hospodarske Noviny (4/13): "Both Houses of the Yugoslav Parliament yesterday voted overwhelmingly for Yugoslavia to join the not-very-functional Russia-Belarus union.... [But] it is obvious that Montenegro, which is part of Yugoslavia, would not agree with this move voluntarily. In other words, one cannot rule out the accession of Yugoslavia to the Russia-Belarus Union, but it seems to be counterproductive for both sides.

"Yugoslavia could lose Montenegro, but would win too little because the Russia-Belarus union is a propaganda dream...rather than a genuinely functioning union of two sovereign states. Moscow would namely have to make too big and, perhaps unrealizable, commitments."

FINLAND: "A NATO Counter-Offensive Is Only Option"

Liberal Hufvudstadsbladet carried an op-ed commentary by weapons expert Stefan Forss (4/13): "As long as Milosevic is in power, it is unlikely that he will comply with the demands of the international community (minus China and Russia). A counter-offensive by NATO in Kosovo will then be the only option. Fortunately, NATO is gradually beginning to show signs of going along with this. Following the Serbs' crimes against humanity, it is clear that Kosovo needs to be set free."

"Better Off In The End"

The Social Democratic newspaper Demari's columnist Aimo Kairamo wrote (4/13): "If Berlin had been bombed to smithereens in 1933 instead of 1945, many peoples of the world...would have been much better off in the end."

HUNGARY: "We Are In A Tight Spot"

Top-circulation Nepszabadsag carried an op piece by Peter Dunai (4/13): "Hungary finds itself in a tight spot. It has to demonstrate that it is loyal to the voluntarily chosen historical partner NATO, and no pressure can deter it from meeting its obligations as an ally and from fulfilling UN decisions. At the same time, it would not be wise to spoil relations with Moscow which, because of its geographical location, will always be an important factor in Hungarian foreign policy."

"Kremlin Testing Tolerance Of U.S."

Influential Magyar Hirlap ran this op piece by Csaba Szerdahelyi (4/13): "Unlike the Duma, Yeltsin, at the moment, carries out a predictable foreign policy. He goes very far with his words, but with his actions, he thinks not twice but a thousand times before dragging his country, more and more dependent on the West, into the war. Raising the idea of the axis of three countries is the latest test of Belgrade, in cooperation with Moscow, to assess the tolerance of the United States."

"Hungary Blocks Russia's Way"

The entire Hungarian media reported (4/13) that the problem of the Russian-Belarus aid convoy, stopped by Hungarian authorities on the Ukrainian-Hungarian border, was resolved yesterday. The vehicles with military capabilities were not allowed to enter Hungary, and vehicles with excess fuel were allowed to wait on the Hungarian-Serbian border for the return of the convoy. Top-circulation Nepszabadsag opined that "it was for domestic political reasons intolerable that the former ally, brand-new NATO member Hungary, was capable to block Moscow's way". According to right-of-center Napi Magyarorszag's information, the Russian and Belarus vehicles are "hardly jam-packed" with aid: the cargo of the 68 trucks could easily be delivered by 10.

THE NETHERLANDS: "Russia's Annoying Role"

Centrist Algemeen Dagblad had this inside-page editorial (4/13): "Russia has so far been playing an annoying role in the Balkan crisis. The former world power has been whining because it thinks that it has been sidelined by NATO. But the truth is that the Russians blew every opportunity they had to play a constructive role.

"The Russians and the Chinese prevented the UNSC from taking measures against Milosevic. Russia did not play a constructive role in Rambouillet either when NATO decided on the air strikes.... The Russians proved to be unreliable partners.... Moscow is almost certainly not capable of playing a role in bringing peace in Yugoslavia. NATO will have to rely on its own force to make Milosevic give in."

"Pursuing The Political And Military Path In Tandem"

Influential, liberal De Volkskrant had this inside-page editorial (4/13): "NATO took a very wise decision in the Kosovo crisis. The Alliance has made clear that it wants to follow both the military and the political path. There is reason to believe NATO wants to do everything possible to find a political solution before moving to ground troops. Since the air strikes alone will not be sufficient to make Milosevic give in, NATO will need an additional diplomatic offensive with Russia playing a key role. NATO has already softened its demands to give Milosevic room to give in without losing face too much."

POLAND: "Only By Force"

Grzegorz Jankowski wrote in right-of-center Zycie (4/13): "Milosevic can be spoken to in hardly any other language than that of force. Even more, the arguments of force must be crushing and applied consistently unless the Yugoslav president agrees to the demands of the international community. As a typical communist, Milosevic cannot be trusted since he will momentarily use any opponent's weakness. A true disciple of greatest criminals Lenin and Stalin, he is the kind of man for whom the nation is just cannon fodder and an instrument through which to execute power.... Why didn't those who now take to the streets to shout about NATO aggression protest when Serbs slaughtered Bosnians? Justice is relative to them."

SPAIN: "Toward A New Map Of The Balkans"

Conservative La Razon urged (4/13): "It seems doubtful that Russia would be able to contribute much to a political solution despite the claims of its spokesmen that 'it has to save face for the United States and arrange its honorable retreat from the conflict.' Quite the contrary seems to be the case as NATO seeks ways to avoid Russia's being humiliated..... However, [in the wake of its recently announced tripartite alliance with Belarus and Yugoslavia,] Russia could propose a Solomonic solution: Kosovo's partition with part going to Albania and the rest remaining with Serbia. But this does not appear to satisfy the Allies...who now appear disposed to rid themselves of Milosevic and, at the same time, apply the brakes to a resurgent Slavic nationalism that could act as a fuse for the Balkan time-bomb."

"NATO: Increasingly Awkward And Confused"

Independent El Mundo concluded (4/13): "Beyond the tragic error of yesterday's bombing of a bridge while a train was crossing...NATO has yet to precisely define the objectives it seeks and the means it plans to use to achieve them. It still has to determine--and this is hardly a minor matter--whether it plans to do away with Milosevic's regime or whether it is prepared to leave the person responsible for so much genocide in charge of the head of the Yugoslav Federation.... U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright does not seem much clearer herself.... When asked yesterday about her plans for the future of Kosovo--whether it would become independent, or become a sort of international protectorate, she appeared not to know how to reply. What does seem clear is that the Rambouillet accords, which provided that Kosovo would remain under Yugoslav sovereignty, are today completely non-viable."

TURKEY: "A Test For NATO"

Sahin Alpay commented in mass-appeal Milliyet (4/13): "Will NATO be able to resolve the Kosovo crisis and establish peace in the Balkans? Unfortunately, it seems that the NATO air strikes have so far shown otherwise. The strikes have unintentionally helped Milosevic carry out his goal of ethnic cleansing. The crisis will grow even larger unless the air strikes are supported by a ground operation, and unless diplomatic efforts push for a peaceful settlement with contributions from other countries, such as Russia and Ukraine. Otherwise, NATO's prestige and existence will be in grave jeopardy."

MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL: "Albright's 'European' Past"

Columnist Ran Kislev wrote in independent Haaretz (4/13): "The Washington Post last week cited a senior U.S. diplomat that Secretary Albright's childhood explains her attitude toward the Kosovo crisis.... It may be added that not only the fact that she was born in Czechoslovakia has influenced her thinking but also, and mostly, her having been born a Jew.... In the political will Hitler left in his Berlin bunker, he accused the Jews of past and future European and world wars.... Could it be that the diplomat cited in the Washington Post recently read Hitler's testament?"

WEST BANK: "Disciplining Serbia"

Rajab Abu Sarieh commented in independent, Pro-Palestinian Authority Al-Ayyam (4/13): "The Serbian government in particular and the Yugoslav federal policy in general, are considered to be deviations from the New World Order, and therefore the United States is using the Serbian [crisis] to enforce its own policy and coerce the Serbs into obedience. The goal of the American and NATO intervention in Serbia is to discipline the Serbian regime and not to defend the right of the Albanian Kosovars for a homeland."

"Big Yes To NATO"

Semi-official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida published this comment by Khaled Al-Huroub (4/13): "The main concern of the Arabs, Muslims and all those who care for humanity must be to support and defend the Kosovars' basic right for life. This position may have to be translated into public support for the NATO strikes against the Serbs. It would also mean that we should not let our repulsion towards the American double standard policies and their alliance with Israel lead us to taking naīve and contradictory decisions against U.S. intervention in the Balkan crisis. What is required of the various Muslim countries is to exert continues pressure on the United States to sustain its strikes against Slobodan Milosovic and to help establish an independent state in Kosovo."

JORDAN: "To Avoid A European Vietnam"

Columnist Jawad Bashiti wrote in independent, mass-appeal Al-Arab Al-Yawm (4/13): "Western Europeans care nothing for the fact that the human and national rights of Kosovo Albanian Muslims are being violated by Milosevic.... A European Vietnam is about to happen. It is up to the United States to either speed this occurrence or avoid it completely by finding a solution based on a balance of interests."

"Initiatives Toward Settlement"

Centrist, influential among-the-elite, English-language Jordan Times (4/13) had this editorial: "Belgrade has already blinked in the standoff with NATO, when it declared a unilateral cease-fire and the acceptance of the return of ethnic Albanian refugees to their homes and country. True, the Serb forces continued their offensive against the ethnic Albanians forcing an even greater number to flee their towns and villages in recent days, but the fact remains that Belgrade has been sending new signals that it is open to compromise. This is where Bonn's news ideas, the Brussels NATO meeting Monday and the Albright-Ivanov parley on Tuesday could set the stage for productive peace talks."

SYRIA: "Object Of Ridicule"

Mohamed Khair al-Wadi wrote in government-owned Tishreen (4/13): "Zionism--that openly announced its ultimate hostility towards Islam and endeavored to distort the image of Muslims in the West--pretends to support the Kosovar refugees so as to mislead world opinion and cover up its bloody crimes against Islam and Muslims.... The ridiculous thing is that while the Netanyahu government supports the Kosovar people's right to live in peace and security, it denies giving the same right to the Palestinian people."

TUNISIA: "The UN Helps NATO?"

Editor-in-chief Mustapha Khammari held in French-language Le Temps (4/13): "Three weeks of air strikes have not forced the Serbian authorities to stop employing their scorch and burn policy in Kosovo..... The whole affair has turned out to be a failure for NATO. Thus, it has welcomed the UN's renewed involvement in the matter.... Washington and European capitals are now listening attentively to the secretary general's new initiative on Kosovo.... The only way out of the current tragic situation, given NATO reluctance to use 'real' force, is the UN initiative.... NATO's decision to embrace the initiative indicates its desire to quickly get out of the quagmire that it is sinking deeper and deeper into everyday."

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: "Arab Objective Must Be Defense Of Kosovars"

Khaled Haroub wrote in semi-official Al-Ittihad (4/12): "The main objective of all Arabs and Muslims must be the defense of Kosovars' lives, and this must be translated into open support of what NATO is doing in Yugoslavia, despite all future dues they need to pay.... Our enmity with the United States and its double standards toward our issues should not make us take a contradictory position that would include opposition to American intervention in the Balkans and seeking to have the international community protect Kosovar Muslims."

"NATO's Priorities?"

Dubai-based Al-Bayan had this editorial (4/12): "Will NATO move to a ground assault? Or will NATO remain reluctant, until all Muslims evacuate Kosovo? This makes us wonder about NATO's calculations. Are NATO's priorities the protection of Kosovars or the elimination of the Serbian military machine? Washington seems pleased with the fact that it has become the only policeman of the world."

"Russia's Superpower Nose Is In The Dust"

The English-language Khaleej Times said (4/12): "Together with the Kosovo tragedy, which has spawned a humanitarian catastrophe while Yugoslav towns and cities are being bombed, Russia's superpower nose is in the dust by NATO expanding and overriding the authority of the United Nations."

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

CHINA: "What Is Albright's NATO Visit For?"

Wang Xuejian concluded in official Beijing Youth Daily (Beijing Qingnianbao, 4/13): "U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's upcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov...demonstrates NATO's realization that Russia's role in resolving the Kosovo crisis cannot be ignored. Restoring Russia's status as an indispensable mediator is a crucial choice for NATO. In this scenario, NATO will be able to adopt a more flexible and pragmatic approach of employing both military action and negotiation. Apparently, Albright is desperately trying to find a final solution to the Kosovo crisis before NATO's 50th anniversary summit. This sets a precedent for NATO to draw upon in pursuing its new strategy in the 21st century."

"Yugoslavia And The Russia-Belarus Union"

Wang Xuejian noted in official Beijing Youth Daily (Beijing Qingnianbao, 4/13): "Yugoslavia's request to join the Russia-Belarus union is not only for moral support but also for substantive aid from the two countries."

HONG KONG: "Partnership For Peace Unravels With Air Strikes"

Cary Huang opined in the independent Hong Kong Standard (4/13): "Having built strategic partnerships with all the major world powers, Beijing hoped the new rules of governing this world and solving international conflicts were agreed. This is what Beijing is seeking as the post-Cold War world order. The U.S.-led NATO military action has in effect undermined this foundation.... It also sent a chilling message to Chinese leaders who are suspicious about U.S. support for separatist sentiment in Taiwan...the most explosive flash-point of conflict between the Pacific powers. That is why Beijing has upped the ante recently by launching a propaganda campaign that compares NATO's air strikes with those by Nazi Germany--something highly unusual in the period preceding a state visit by a Chinese leader to Washington."

"As The Century Changes, All Else Remains The Same"

Bernard Fong argued in the independent Hong Kong Standard (4/13): "A big nation created by ethnic cleansing, the United States, that underwrites a small nation created by ethnic cleansing, Israel, forbids another small nation from going the American way of ethnic cleansing.... The United States spends billions bombing away but scrimps on relief because, in a virtual video game, which is the NATO campaign of folly, blasting is more fun than salvaging. Americans tend also not to understand that, for the Serbs, the tactic is wrong even when the cause is just."

AUSTRALIA: "Milosevic Shows His Hypocrisy"

An editorial in the national, conservative Australian emphasized (4/13): "Mr. Clinton and the other NATO leaders must now press on to secure their aims. Any less a result would be at least a victory of sorts for Milosevic and a betrayal of the rights of Kosovars. Any less a result would also encourage other dictators in their territorial ambitions--not least Saddam Hussein in Iraq.... Success in forcing the withdrawal of Serb forces is the only justification for intervention, and NATO must keep up the pressure on Milosevic. But the West also has a moral responsibility to displaced Kosovars and must begin longer-term planning for their security."

INDONESIA: "How Many More Bombs?"

According to the leading, independent Jakarta Post (4/13): "You don't have to be a military strategist, however, to realize by now that air power alone will not force Milosevic to stop his ethnic cleansing campaign....

"The Kosovo conflict is looking more and more like a war where there are no real winners. There are many losers, of which the most numerous are innocent people. With the current Kosovo standoff, one is left to wonder when is all this going to end?"

PHILIPPINES: "Kosovo Refugees On TV"

Beth Day Romulo, veteran journalist and widow of former Philippine foreign minister, Carlos P. Romulo, observed in the conservative, top-circulation Manila Bulletin (4/13): "The flood of terrorized, starving and dying refugees fleeing the Serbian conquest...which haunts our television screens each day has done more to galvanize public opinion worldwide to continue NATO air strikes (and possibly also send in ground troops) against the Serbs, than any amount of White House briefings or European military chalk-talks.... Like it or not, we are in for a long siege. Even those who most stridently called for diplomatic answers only a few years ago...now reluctantly agree that the NATO forces must keep up their attacks against the Serbs. It's genocide in our laps at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and that is a diet the civilized world cannot swallow."

NORTH KOREA: "Aggressive Nature Of U.S. Reaches Its Height"

According to an official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) item (4/12): "The United States insists that the NATO force's military operations against Yugoslavia are a military measure for 'peace,' but this is nothing but a sophism to conceal their aggressive and criminal nature.... NATO's acts of aggression against Yugoslavia are an indication that the arbitrary, high-handed and aggressive nature of the United States has reached its height.... If the United States dare unleash a reckless war against the DPRK, underrating its strength as other's, it will only taste a bitter cup of defeat."

SOUTH KOREA: "Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Possible Breakthrough"

Kim Chung-kon remarked in moderate Hankook Ilbo (4/13): "NATO's military campaign against Serbia now faces a new turning point in the wake of the meeting the NATO foreign ministers have just held, in which they sought a new way to resolve the Kosovo situation. A slight change did emerge from that meeting, and Secretary Albright reflected just that when she remarked that the Serbian military will not be required to fully withdraw from Kosovo and that Russia will soon begin to make new mediating efforts and prepare a new peace plan. Also, NATO nations are now taking the more compromising line of saying that it does not have to be NATO troops that will later monitor Kosovo. The French foreign minister, too, conveyed this sense of change when he said that NATO is reconsidering the possibility of a political settlement in Kosovo."

SOUTH ASIA

INDIA: "Kosovo And The NATO Bombing"

The centrist Hindu ran this commentary (4/13) by Asghar Ali Engineer: "The final authority to use force should only be in the hands of the UN."

"Kosovo"

In the editorial view of independent, Urdu-language bi-weekly Dawat (4/13): "Our government was quick to condemn the NATO military operation against Yugoslavia. However, it continues to be conspicuously silent about Serbian atrocities against the Albanian population of Kosovo. It is one of the most inexplicable cases of applying double standards to a human tragedy. A large gathering of Muslims on this issue has rightly asked the government to explain its contradictory approach....

"The Kosovo crisis has only one solution: total independence. It is for this that the Kosovars are risking their lives; the whole Muslim world must extend its unified support to them in this cause."

NEPAL: "Stop The War"

The independent Kathmandu Post held ( 4/12): "Milosevic is wrong, so is NATO.... Two wrongs do not make a right. Warfare is not going to resolve the Balkan crisis. Only a negotiated settlement can. NATO must stop the bombing and Milosevic must stop playing his games.... It will be proper for NATO to stop [its] attacks, which constitute a flagrant interference in the internal affairs of another country, and leave such problems to be resolved by the UN."

AFRICA

BURKINA FASO: "Kosovo--Allied Heaven Or Hell?"

Independent Le Pays concluded (4/13): "Only [these] alternatives remain for NATO: To withdraw from the Serbian mess, or...do what they have always refused to do--involve their ground troops."

SENEGAL: "We Must Pay Attention To What's Happening In Kosovo"

Daily tabloid Info 7 (4/10-11) noted: "Our African colleagues in general, Senegalese in particular, would spend all their time paying attention to matters which are not essential: such as printing large headlines on local political matters which seem to help sell their newspapers.... As for the rest of the stories: Kosovo, the extradition of the two Libyan suspects of the Lockerbie airliner explosion, the presidential election in Algeria, the civil wars in the Congo and Sierra Leone, our journalists are mindlessly and routinely reprinting or rebroadcasting dispatches and radio reports from foreign news agencies or radio stations."

WESTERN HEMISPHERE

CANADA: "NATO Misleading When It Compares Serbs To Nazis"

Isabel Vincent wrote in the conservative National Post (4/12): "However horribly the Serbs are acting in Kosovo, comparing them to the Nazis is manipulative and misleading. Today, in the third week of air strikes, NATO members seem to be intensifying their exploitation of the international community's collective guilt over the Holocaust to push through a military agenda in Yugoslavia that many have begun to question.... In reality, NATO intervened in Yugoslavia not so much to prevent 'genocide' but to bolster the Kosovo Liberation Army in its fight for self-determination.... While it is true the Serbs may have committed terrible atrocities in Bosnia, Croatia, and now most likely in Kosovo, their actions are hardly comparable with Hitler's Final Solution, where death camps and gas chambers were set up with the sole purpose of wiping out European Jewry. Slobodan Milosevic, the Yugoslav president, has indeed forced tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo, but he has not committed genocide.... In the interests of appearing morally righteous, NATO and its Allies have resorted to a type of Orwellian double-speak in which terms such as 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing' have been robbed of their original meanings. They seem to have become little more than political slogans to rally the public behind a rather questionable cause."

MEXICO: "Kosovo, A New Failure Of The International Community"

Miguel Reyes Vayssade wrote in independent, centrist El Universal (4/12): "We cannot sympathize with the neo-Nazi Milosevic and his genocidal atrocities, but neither can we support Clinton's arrogance and his continuing military interventionism that run against all the principles of Mexico's foreign policy. Under other circumstances, Mexico would have already raised its voice in international fora. But not even opposition parties have officially protested (against the strikes). The same indifference will be shown when the U.S. interventionism focuses its batteries on our own territory at any moment of our future history."

ARGENTINA: "Humane And Rightful"

J.M. Pasquini Duran wrote in leftist Pagina 12 (4/10): "Even if we ignore moral or political reasons, NATO's war has the worst defect of all: It is inefficient for its purpose and cruel to the people who suffer it, whichever side they belong to, while satraps remain in their safe shelters, plotting agreements which will place them in a safe place and extend their control. The purpose of this war, from the point of view of those powers involved, is a distribution of areas of influence and control. The purpose of wars, instead, should depend on what moves our conscience."

CUBA: "A Global War"

Party-line commentator Ernesto Montero Acuņa wrote in official worker's weekly paper Trabajadores (4/12): "The United States predictably would advance itself in its position as principal global policeman.... What is being established is a political, military, diplomatic and juridical pattern, and also a pattern of massive global penetration--informative, ideological and cultural--against all those who refuse to submit to Washington's diktat."

ECUADOR: "Balkanization Virus"

Leading, centrist El Comercio had this by Franklin Barriga Lopez (4/11): "Should the international community have remained indifferent to such affronts to human dignity?... After half a century, there remains no doubt about the utility of this highly respected and prestigious organization [NATO] to preserve a free and democratic world, and to stop the rule of injustice, absolutism and terror."

HAITI: "Haitians, Open Your Eyes To The Crisis In Kosovo"

Florian Saint-Elie opined in independent Le Matin (4/7): "Rather than use the deadly but always ineffective weapon of economic sanctions...Bill Clinton has simply returned to bombing, his favorite sport, and has dragged with him a feckless Europe, unaware of the catastrophe that will befall it, [a catastrophe] for which it will surely bear the cost."

PERU: "The Labyrinth Of Kosovo"

Mario Velez Malqui wrote in respected El Comercio (4/9): "This time, it doesn't matter who is right. What matters is to take advantage of another lesson that humanity offers us. Intolerance; no matter if it is ethnic, political, religious or cultural, takes us back to caveman times. We have learned this lesson again and again. That is what should matter for the survival of the human race."

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Telephone: (202) 619-4355

4/13/99

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