| WASHINGTON
- March 29 -
Peace Action opposes the NATO air strikes in Kosovo and Serbia. These attacks are a direct violation of the United Nations Charter: neither the
U.S. nor the NATO alliance have the right to initiate war against a sovereign nation.
Bombing will only increase hostilities and could spark an escalation of new
fighting in the Balkans that could widen the conflict. The bombing will strengthen extremists among the Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo and weaken
democratic opposition in Serbia. Further, the air strikes will not achieve their stated goal of protecting civilians, since Kosovars who have been
forced from their homes could be separated further from relief efforts, or be harmed directly by the bombing or the expanded violence caused by the
bombing. Even if Serbia capitulates, the West will face the expenditure of billions of dollars for a military imposed "peace." In addition, NATO's
action damages relationships with Russia, hindering attempts to resolve the crisis and threatening efforts to reduce nuclear arsenals, which is a
critical priority for world peace and stability.
Instead, the United States should initiate, through the United Nations and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the following peace-building steps in Kosovo:
· An immediate halt to the U.S.-NATO bombing campaign
· An immediate ceasefire in the civil war between the ethnic Albanians and
the Serbians in Kosovo
· A return of civilian peace monitors to the Kosovo region, who could
maintain a presence until a political settlement is reached
· Fresh negotiations between the parties to the conflict, including
participation by leaders of civilian institutions in both Serbia and Kosovo
· Sustained humanitarian relief for Kosovo refugees of all ethnicities
· The immediate payment of past U.S. dues to the United Nations to
strengthen the U.N.'s capacity to conduct peacekeeping missions
We believe that these actions and the application of non-coercive diplomacy
are far more likely to bring lasting peace and human rights to this troubled region than is the use of punitive violence.
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