Introduction
by the NKPJ:
Between
24 March and 11 June 1999, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its
12 million inhabitants were faced with the ruthless attack of the
strongest military force in the world. Bearing in mind the human
potential of the aggressor countries 764 million inhabitants, the
ratio was 1:70. The territorial ratio was 1:234, and economic power
1:676. A comparison of the military might is hard to set, due to the
complete qualitative and quantitative disproportion. In the NATO
aggression on FR Yugoslavia, nearly 27.000 sorties, were made. More
than 8.200 involved the use of weaponry.. About 2.300 strikes were
carried out against 995 sites ("targets") in the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
The
overall damage to the economy and infrastructure is estimated at 100
billion dollars In the aggression on FR Yugoslavia, NATO breached
dozens of international conventions, amongst others the convention on
damages caused by oil pollution, on benzol poisoning, on the
prevention of cancer risks, on transborder air-pollution over great
distances, on the ozone layer protection, on the preservation of
flora and fauna. Out of the 1.200 civilians killed 30 per cent were
children, and out of the 5.000 wounded, as much as 40 per cent were
the small ones.
During
the NATO bombing, American airplanes discharged to the territory of
Kosovo about ten millions of impoverished uranium. According to
Pristina journal “Ekspres”, Kosovo took over the leading position
in the region in regard of the number of cancer-caused deaths, since
around 5,000 people annually dies of cancer due to the increased
radioactivity, which is tree times more than it was the case before
the war. What illustrates the seriousness of this problem with
impoverished uranium is the fact that out of 225 Italia soldiers who
took part in the KFOR mission, 45 of them died of malign diseases,
whereas 25 of them got children with genetic abnormalities.
IDC: Νineteen
years have passed since NATO forces began the bombing of Yugoslavia
in 1999. Back then, the US-EU imperialists and their mainstream media
were portraying Belgrade as the major culprit behind the war,
accussing the Milosevic government for war crimes against Albanians
in Kosovo. In a nutshell, what were the true reasons behind
US-NATO-EU decision to bomb Yugoslavia?
The
decision to attack Yugoslavia was the first in history to be made
without the approval of the UN Security Council. NATO's attacks on
Yugoslavia have been in violation of its own charter, which says it
can take military action only in response to aggression committed
against one of its members. Yugoslavia attacked no NATO member.
Yugoslavia
was attacked under the pretext of failure of the talks on the future
status of the southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija, held
in Rambouillet and Paris in January and March 1999. In fact, plans to
launch military attacks on Serbia (FRY) were finalized already in
August 1998, while so called Rambouillet and Paris negotiation served
as mere alibi to make the chosen victim responsible.
The
goal of western imperialists was very clear; they want to bring
occupation troops on territories of Kosovo and Metohija. This place
is geostrategic key for control and dominance over the region of
Balkans.
At
the end of the aggression US established military base on territory
of Kosovo and Metohija, called Bondsteel, which is one of the most
expensive and the largest USA military bases, established after the
Vietnam War. Now, there is even plan to expand the base Bondsteel
trabsforming it into a permanent location of American troops and a
hub of U.S. military presence in South East Europe for geostrategic
purposes.
IDC: We
live in a period when the Balkan peninsula is again at the epicenter
of imperialist plans and competitions. NATO and the EU are focusing
on the western Balkans, while Russia is trying to avert the possible
accession of other Balkan countries in the Euroatlantic alliances.
Serbia, while maintaining strong ties with Moscow, is also a
candidate EU member-state. How do you explain this stance and what
are, according to your view, the major aspirations of the serbian
bourgeois class?
NKPJ: The
major aspirations of Serbian bourgeois class are aspirations towards
more profits, towards more power, and more oppression over the
working class. As it is always case about the bourgeois class.
Also,
we want to stress, that as during the period of bloody fratricidal
wars in Yugoslavia, when bourgeois class served the interests
of big imperialist powers, and act according to their interests in
nationalistic and chauvinist behaviour, while advanced toward their
own interests predominantly expressed in privatisation processes,
bourgeois class in our country, serves the imperialist interests and
when there is no open escalation of conflict, or when there are new
tensions as it is the case now, always looking only for their own
profits and benefits.
That's
the only mere of their aspirations and orientations, regardless who
is the leading force in the region that wants to realise its own
geostrategic, economical, political and other interests.
We
think that the destiny of the peoples of Balkans should be led by
themselves, by their own interests, and not by the interests of
imperialist powers neither domestic bourgeois class whose interests
are matching quite well.
IDC: As
we mentioned above, Serbia has been negotiating its EU accession.
What policies and internal reforms does the government undertakes
towards this direction and what is the impact on the country's
working class and popular strata?
NKPJ: First
of all, it should be emphasized that Serbia will not be able to
become a member of the European Union, the imperialist dungeon of the
people until it recognizes the occupation of its southern province of
Kosovo and Metohija. The NKPJ firmly points to the view that Kosovo
and Metohija was occupied by Western imperialism after the NATO
aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999. Our Party is opposed to this
occupation and therefore demands urgent withdrawal of NATO troops
from Kosovo and Metohija, as well as entry into the imperialist
dungeon of the peoples of the EU.
In
the past 18 years, the bourgeois Serbian governments have passed a
number of laws under the EU order that are detrimental to the
interests of national economies and citizens, and in favor of
multinational companies, including those from the EU. Among other
things, an anti-laborer law was passed in 2014. and
foreign-owned companies were donated with state money to open
factories in Serbia, exploit workers severely and make money out of
it. In the state companies, "reforms" are implemented that
involve firing "excess workforce" in order to later sell
these companies to large-scale capital, among others from EU
countries, for small money.
NKPJ: NATO
alliance is the main force of Western imperialism. Its purpose
is to serve as world police officer who controls disobedient
governments and people. It is interesting to notice that
countries which doesn't have arrangements with World Bank and IMF,
are likely to become targets of NATO bombs. That happened
in Yugoslavia as well. NATO alliance is a force made
to keep positions of big capital. They occupy entire
Balkan, and they are main cause of instability in our region. While
Balkan is occupied by NATO, and while NATO troops are positioned
here, it is impossible to gain economic independence and society with
social justice.
Main
task of Greek, but also of all the other people in Balkan, is
to concentrate their progressive forces in order to free Balkan
from NATO occupation. The main task of communists during
this process is to lead these progressive forces. We can
nor achieve happiness, peace and social justice in Greece, in Serbia,
in Balkan, while NATO bases are standing there. So, we say
loudly: BALKANS BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF BALKANS – NATO
MURDERERS OUT OF THE BALKANS.
