NATO kills again

Jim heartfield jim at heartfield.demon.co.uk
Fri May 14 16:36:06 PDT 1999


In message <3.0.2.32.19990514230813.00b67c48 at pop.gn.apc.org>, Chris Burford <cburford at gn.apc.org> writes


>This reinforces the Salon article that Nathan quoted. The discussion on the
>BBC is about the inevitably of continued mistakes if the sole method of the
>war is high level air attacks.

No. The deaths are not due to mistaken tactics, but to malevolent war aims. A ground war would be more bloody and more indiscriminate. In effect this panic measure is an escalation - just as the most recent deaths are a natural product of an escalation, a further escalation towards ground war would mean yet further slaughter.


> I am sure the article is correct that there
>is a difference between leftists in the US and in Europe.

Again, no. This is overstated. The differences are not so great. But the temptation for Europeans to project their own failings upon America's backsliding is just too great. This sentiment is just the mirror-image of those US Cold Warriors who blamed the Europeans for refusing to meet their responsibilities.


>
>Public opinion in Britain has been favouring a ground attack. This latest
>disaster is as likely to strengthen that view as to weaken it.

Again, no. There is no strong feeling for a ground war amongst the British public. There is a waspishly vicious and hysterical need on the part of Britain's chattering classes to punish the Serb yet further - this insistent drone is just an attempt by these cruise-missile liberals to drown out the sound of the wounded and dying.

The British public is supremely indifferent. But as no opposition of any real social weight has emerged, the public simply acquiesce to the conventional view, without any enthusiasm.


>
>Apparently among the forces holding back the Apache helicopters is the
>Pentagon warning about the risk from Serb air defences.

Would that the Pentagon was so rational. It really is the height of hypocrisy for British arm-chair warriors to tick off the US military for pulling its punches when it is the US military that is taking the entire weight of the military commitment.


>
>What is not clear is why there is a reluctance to arm the Kosovans.

Presumably Nato is a bit nervous about arming the people that they have been slaughtering by the score. As it happens, the Kosovars are in position to fight a war because they are ideologically and morally dependent upon Nato's big guns to make their point - a weakness that has been all too obviously demonstrated by the war.

-- Jim heartfield



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