For y'all that don't follow the Jared Israel PR agency for Milosevic, he had a nasty exchange with the Noamster that all but said he was a tool of Empire for admitting the truths about official Serbian responsibility for massacres in Bosnia and Kosova/o. Jared calls it, "The Obligatory Bash." Others might see it as a recognition that Noam both is cognizant of the great weight his words carry on the Left here and elsewhere, and as a libertarian socialist, why would he defend a State that clothed itself in a pseudo-Leninist, "anti-imperialist, " outfit? As state that had commercial treaties with Mynmar/Burma where children slave away for 7 cents a day? (That I got from the KOMINFORM list of Heiki Sippila, during the NATO war. She was on the list for press releases from the Yugo Foreign Ministry. One day, the announcement of that treaty was duly noted. Wrote her. She had no idea of the repressive nature of the Burmese regime. Not surprising though. She also thinks North Korea is a workers state.) M.P. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Pugliese" <debsian at pacbell.net> To: <marxist at yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 8:26 AM Subject: Re: [marxist] Chomsky on B92
> Chomsky on B92! Tell Jared Israel! He'll be telling everyone now that
the
> Noamster is on the payroll of George Soros!
> http://www.google.com/search?q=Chomsky+Jared
> when Noam writes: «I think you are aware of the fact that in the past 10
> years the Milosevic regime has committed many crimes.»
> Just recently, the French daily paper Liberation (25th of May, 2000), a
very
> influential and hypocritical media in Europe, accused Chomsky of being
> «policier, amalgame, insinuation, méthodes de ficheur, intimidation,
> révisionnisme, imposture, obsédé de la dénonciation de l'impérialisme
> occidental» (policeman, manipulating, insinuating, intimidating,
> revisionist, impostor, obsessed by the denunciation of Western
> imperialism.). Interesting.
>
http://www.mail-archive.com/cgi-bin/htsearch?method=and&format=short&config=
> marxism_lists_panix_com&restrict=&exclude=&words=Jared+Chomsky+
>
> Michael Pugliese
>
> NEWS FROM YUGOSLAVIA
>
> Tuesday, September 18, 2001 (GMT+2)
>
> In Today's News
> Covic earns UN support for Kosovo program
>
>
> International
> US promises ongoing support
> Russell-Johnston "in good heart" over Yugoslavia
> Yugoslavia set to rejoin Interpol
> Economist round table with the Serbian government
>
>
> Yugoslav Politics
> Djukanovic considers invite
>
>
> Serbian News
> Over 250 bodies exhumed in Belgrade suburb
> Kostunica's party "ready for compromise"
> Shake-up in the judiciary
> Profs get pay rise
> Simic "just borrowing" from friend, says lawyer
>
>
> Kosovo
> Belgrade NGO wins observer status for Kosovo elections
>
>
>
> Weather
>
>
> Foreign Exchange Rates
>
>
> B92 Website | Breaking News | Subscription Information
>
> Covic earns UN support for Kosovo program
> NEW YORK, Tuesday - A Yugoslav delegation to the United Nations in New
York
> last night won the backing of the Security Council for Belgrade's program
> for Kosovo.
>
> Belgrade's Kosovo head and deputy Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic led
> the delegation to the three-hour meeting, also attended by the UN's chief
> administrator in the province Hans Haekkerup.
>
> Afterwards Covic told the BBC that he had "clearly presented" Yugoslavia's
> concept - "that being the institutionalisation of its cooperation with
UNMIK
> in all spheres of life."
>
> Period of transition
> "This will provide a transitional period - during which we will be able to
> see how this administration, that will become an Albanian one after the
> elections, would function and whether it would have the necessary level of
> maturity to protect minorities. If not, the ethnic cleansing will
continue,"
> said Covic.
>
> The Kosovo coordinator insisted Serb participation in the elections could
> only be confirmed once they, and other non-Albanian communities, "gain a
> sufficient level of trust...and security."
>
> Council chairman Jean-David Levitte later issued a media statement
welcoming
> Belgrade's support for the registration process for the November polls. He
> added that the Security Council had taken on board the need to step up
> security and law enforcement in the province in the run-up to the
elections.
>
> Albanians hit back
> However, the Council's praise was greeted with dismay by Albanians in the
> province. Pristina daily Zeri wrote that Covic's aim was to "return Kosovo
> to Serbia with the help of the international community".
>
> And Democratic Alliance of Kosovo leader Ibrahim Rugova stressed that no
> platform from Belgrade has a chance of being approved by the people of
> Kosovo, who had made their determination to gain independence known.
> (B92/BBC/Beta)
>
> INTERNATIONAL
> US promises ongoing support
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - The United States today pledged to continue its
> programme in the Balkans in spite of the crisis over last week's plane
> attacks.
>
> State department deputy assistant for Europe Janet Bogue said today after
> her talks with Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic: "Despite last week's
> events we are still very much interested and engaged here in Belgrade and
> within the Balkan region altogether.
>
> "We are committed to continuing our close cooperation as you move ahead on
> your path of political and economic reform."
>
> Terrorism
> The two also discussed the upcoming elections in Kosovo and the issue of
> Albanian prisoners.
>
> "We agreed that each individual case of Albanian prisoners be reviewed.
> However, according to the information I have, they are mainly accused of
> crime and pure terrorism," said Djindjic.
>
> However, much of the conversation was focused on events on America's own
> soil. Djindjic promised the "maximum support" of his own government in
> helping the US track down those responsible for the attacks last Tuesday.
>
> His words were later backed up by an official statement from his
government.
>
> Ministers declared: "The Serbian government, well aware of the
catastrophic
> consequences of terrorism as experienced on its own territory, is ready to
> back fully the efforts of the international community in the fight against
> terrorism."
>
> B92 journalists consulted experts to see if there was in fact anything
> Serbia could do practically to back up the sentiments of support.
>
> Data on Mujahedin
> One police official suggested that it could provide intelligence data
> gathered during the Bosnian and Kosovo wars. The official, who asked to
> remain anonymous, told B92: "State security has a special group which has
> been closely following the activities of the Mujahedin in the Balkans."
>
> He added however that the Bosnian police were in a better position to
> provide such information.
>
> Meanwhile in Sarajevo, the authorities denied media reports that prime
> suspect Osama Bin Laden had been issued a Bosnian passport in 1993.
>
> A foreign ministry spokesman conceded however that around 400 people from
> "the Islamic circle of high risk countries" do have Bosnian citizenship.
> Many had been students in the country, he explained.
>
> A spokeswoman for the Bosnian High Representative added that Sarajevo
> authorities may be forced to reconsider who is entitled to citizenship
after
> the recent events in the US.
>
> Russell-Johnston "in good heart" over Yugoslavia
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - The president of the Council of Europe's parliamentary
> assembly has praised the Belgrade authorities for "moving in the right
> direction" towards membership.
>
> Speaking at the end of a two-day visit to Belgrade, Lord Russell Johnston
> said he was pleased with his talks with the Yugoslav president, foreign
> minister, various party political leaders and the speaker of the federal
> parliament's lower house.
>
> "I go back to Strasbourg very much in good heart, confident that the good
> impression - very good impression - which the speaker of your assembly has
> made on Strasbourg himself is justified," said Russell-Johnston.
>
> Still a lot to do
> "I'm not saying there's not a lot to do because there almost certainly is
a
> lot to do but people are moving in the right direction and that's
certainly
> the most important thing."
>
> He was unable to specify a date for full membership of the council, at
which
> Yugoslavia currently has guest status.
>
> However, lawyers were now drawing up a report to be delivered in November
> that would give "a general overview" of the situation in Yugoslavia.
>
> Abolition of the death penalty
> Russell-Johnston singled out as a particularly good sign the fact that
> Yugoslavia had backed down on plans to retain capital punishment. He
> described the measure as "yet another example of movement in a positive
> direction, harmonising legislation with what the remainder of the Council
of
> Europe sees as civilised behaviour".
>
> Speaker of the lower house, Dragoljub Micunovic, said that he expects
> Yugoslavia to gain full membership of the Council next year. Membership is
> widely seen as the gateway to the European Union.
>
> Yugoslavia set to rejoin Interpol
> NIS, Tuesday - Yugoslavia looks set to rejoin Interpol at its annual
> conference next week, Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic confirmed
> today.
>
> Interpol will discuss the application in Budapest during the session to be
> launched next Monday.
>
> Zivkovic described the move as "a step forward in our country's
integration
> into yet another world organisation."
>
> Tough conditions
> However, a Belgrade lawyer and former senior police officer reminded that
> joining the organisation would commit Yugoslavia to a string of tough
> conditions, not least the return of some 30,000 stolen cars.
>
> Marko Nicovic told Novi Sad daily Gradjanski list that Yugoslavia will
also
> have to track down, try or extradite war crimes suspects and all those
> wanted on international arrest warrants. (Srna)
>
> Economist round table with the Serbian government
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - Delegates at an international round table with the
> Serbian government have expressed a mood of "cautious optimism" about
> Yugoslavia's economic future.
>
> According to Laza Kekic, the regional director of the Economist
Intelligence
> Unit, the foreign businesspeople who attended were extremely interested in
> investment in Yugoslavia following the reforms over the past year.
>
> "Optimism needs a realistic base," he said. "Caution is necessary because
we
> still have to fulfill certain conditions."
>
> Bootlegs
> A delegate from Microsoft announced that his company is hoping to open a
> Belgrade office early next year.
>
> Asked if Microsoft planned to take action against the large numbers of
> bootlegs of its products available in Serbia, the delegate said this was
the
> task of the Serbian government. However, he added that Microsoft would
offer
> a great deal of help for the task.
>
> YUGOSLAV POLITICS
> Djukanovic considers invite
> PODGORICA, Tuesday - Tomorrow's top-level talks on the future of the
> Yugoslav federation have been called into doubt following reports that the
> Montenegrin president will not attend.
>
> A Democratic Party of Socialists source told Srna that Milo Djukanovic was
> unhappy with President Kostunica's extension of the invitation to federal
> prime minister and Montenegrin opposition politician Dragisa Pesic.
>
> Political games
> The same source said it is also uncertain whether Montenegrin prime
minister
> Filip Vujanovic will be present.
>
> Democratic Party of Socialists spokesman Igor Luksic earlier today accused
> Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica of "playing games" by inviting
Pesic.
> Montenegro's ruling party refuses to recognise federal institutions.
(Srna)
>
> SERBIAN NEWS
> Over 250 bodies exhumed in Belgrade suburb
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - Belgrade district court has confirmed that at least
269
> bodies have been exhumed from the mass grave in Batajnica.
>
> A preliminary report said all the deceased were males dressed in civilian
> clothing and buried approximately two years ago.
>
> Bullet wounds
> "They were in different stages of decomposition, some of them showing
signs
> of exposure to high temperatures," the statement read. All had bullet
> wounds.
>
> The exhumation of the mass grave, located in a Belgrade suburb, began in
> early July and was carried out by an expert group of the Belgrade Forensic
> Institute.
>
> Representatives of the Hague, the OSCE, the International Committee for
> Missing, and Belgrade-based NGO the Humanitarian Law Centre monitored the
> entire process.
>
> The district court confirmed that the identification would be carried out
> with the assistance of international organisations. All corpses are
believed
> to be of Kosovo Albanians.
>
> Kostunica's party "ready for compromise"
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - President Kostunica's party deputy today said that his
> party was ready to abandon its call for investigations into allegations of
> corruption in the Serbian government.
>
> Dragan Marsicanin told Blic that the Democratic Party of Serbia had always
> been ready to compromise, and was pleased by Zoran Djindjic's offer
> yesterday to do the same.
>
> What Djindjic had promised yesterday was exactly what his party had been
> calling for ever since it walked out of the Serbian government last month,
> said Marsicanin. Namely, it wanted an open discussion among Democratic
> Opposition of Serbia leaders about the work of the government and every
> single minister within it.
>
> No need for investigations
> He said that if the government were to work according to the law, there
> would be no need for investigative commissions or a debate in the Serbian
> parliament.
>
> The Democratic Party of Serbia yesterday said it would return to the
> government if a series of conditions was met. Marsicanin repeated today
that
> this would be done by the end of the week.(Srna)
>
> Shake-up in the judiciary
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - The Serbian parliament debated plans to replace
several
> judges in its extraordinary session today.
>
> The session, which began yesterday, will now continue tomorrow.
>
> Ministers will discuss whether to reinstate Slobodan Vucetic, a former
judge
> within the Serbian Constitutional Court who was dismissed by the Milosevic
> regime.
>
> The Democratic Opposition of Serbia had proposed his reinstatement some
> weeks ago, only for Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia to
side
> with the Socialists and Radicals in voting against.
>
> Profs get pay rise
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - The Serbian government has agreed to give university
> professors a salary raise in order to avert threats of a strike.
>
> Education minister Gaso Knezevic told B92's Interview of the Day show: "I
> can tell you that an agreement has been reached to allow lectures at the
> universities to run as normal."
>
> "We will raise September's salary, which will be paid in October, by 9.1
per
> cent."
>
> Simic "just borrowing" from friend, says lawyer
> BELGRADE, Tuesday - The ex-minister currently on remand on theft charges
was
> only "borrowing" the objects he stands accused of stealing, his lawyer
said
> today.
>
> Branimir Gugl told B92 that Zeljko Simic, a former Serbian culture
minister
> in the Milosevic era, borrowed a Rolex watch, two pairs of gold-rimmed
> glasses, 500 DM and two bottles of perfume from his friend.
>
> However, the suspicious friend had installed a video camera in his flat,
and
> journalists were shown by the police a video of three occasions on which
> Simic had apparently taken money while the rightful owner was out of the
> room.
>
> Gugl added that the videotape cannot be used as evidence against Simic as
> the police had failed to send it to the investigating judge.
>
> KOSOVO
> Belgrade NGO wins observer status for Kosovo elections
> PRISTINA, Tuesday - A Belgrade-based non-governmental organisation has
been
> granted observer status by the OSCE's Central Election Commission for
> Kosovo's November polls.
>
> In granting Belgrade's Centre for Free Elections and Democracy such
status,
> the election commission has waived the requirement that the NGO be
> registered with UNMIK.
>
> Observers from the Belgrade NGO can now officially monitor the final
stages
> of voter registration, the election campaign period, polling day, and the
> counting of votes.
>
> Daan Everts, head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo welcomed the decision:
"They
> are very experienced election monitors and...they have the confidence of
the
> international community and of the Kosovo Serb community," he said. (B92)
>
>
>