Don’t Worry Mr. Milosevic, America is With You

Reminds one of the definition of a ``Terrorist``
vs a ``Freedom Fighter``.
The conclusion here is not off the mark.

Ras

America considers itself the Jury, Prosecuter, Executor. It defines the Law and the world has to obey it. You know why US is interested in Kosovo. Kosovo is highly rich in minerals (zinc, copper, gold). It need access to oil so that it can build oil pipelines.

Why is US not interfering in Indonesia where Indonesian army is killing East Timorese. Instead it is assisting Indonesians. US supported Pakistan when Pakistani army butchered 3 million Bengalis and send millions of refugees to India.

In all fairness, why should any country have to come in and play Big Brother in other nations` squabbles? If we were to replace the U.S. with some other superpower, that superpower would of course protect its vested interests first as well. After all, governments exist to protect the rights and interests of its citizens...not those of other nations necessarily.

You are right that the U.S. seems hyprocritical in getting ``involved`` where it has a vested economic/political interest. But for good governance of it`s people, that`s what it should do, don`t you think? I agree that the ``humanistic`` propaganda gets overplayed by the media as being the predominant motive for U.S. involvement.

As for the injustices in Turkey or Rwanda, the time has come when other Asian or African countries need to step forward and fight for human rights in their continents. Promoting peace and stability in their region spells economic prosperity for the whole continent. Realistically I guess, one`s own house must be in order before jumping into the affairs of others.

Mr. Mohan,

I fail to see any sense in what you write. Your article indicates not so much a concern for the Kurds (or Albanians, or any other victims of barbaric behavior anytime, anyplace) as a dislike for the Turks (and is that because the Turks are Muslim??). Please try to show more compassion for other people (whatever race, nationality, religion etc. they may be) and less interest in winning political points. Otherwise, how are you different than the man who can shoot a 10 year old boy in the arm, or an old villager and his sons, for ``political reasons``?

RE: Skywalker #4

Couple of points. First of all the ``Cold War`` generation which is comprising the leadership positions in NATO and the United States was born into a period of economic affluence. Secondly, the most defining historic memory of this generation in power is not the Cold War, but rather the futility of the American experience in the Vietnam War. The American response to this crisis has not been influenced by the Cold War, but by its experience in Vietnam. American interests in the region are based on the idea of economic access to the region and do not necessarily have to reflect any geo-political imperatives for getting involved in the region.

Just ask for this question; what has been the corner stone of American policy, in Europe, for the last 50 years. It is has been NATO. NATO is the military foundation which is protecting that other creation of American cold war diplomacy in Europe - the European Union. American interests, in the post-cold war period, are not rationalized under the mantle of political ideology, but rather vested economic interests and under such an economic realpolitik, a nation should have only permanent economic interests and not permanent enemies. The United States has fully learned and appreciated the reality that national power, in the next century, will be based on the ability of nations to have strong economic base and the ability to control information.

Russia, has not learned this lesson and it still clings to the old notions of power. Even though Serbs are a traditional Russian ally, for whom the Russians fought the First World War, the Serbs are deterimental to Russian interests. National alliances in the future will shaped by economic realities (EU, NAFTA, ASEAN etc.)and the nations which understand this fact will be the major powers.

As to the the United States carving the south-east Europe to gain influence there, the question is what has the United States to gain by doing that when it already has influence in Turkey; a geo-strategic Eurasian nation. The reason for American intervention in the Balkans is to prop up NATO which reinforces the political viability of the EU and is an extension of American economic interests in the region.

One thing is sure America is not interested in Human Rights. America only looks for it`s self interests. Yugoslavia is the only European country where America does not it`s base.

Where was America when Hutus were killing Tutsis and vice versa in Rwanda and Burundi. Where is America when Turks and Iraqis are massacring Kurds. There are more killings in Tamil-Sinhalese war in Srilanka, southern Sudan.

It`s strange that any coverage gets prominence only when US get involved. Situation in Kosovo is bad since 1989.

Anyway, it`s not too late for US to get involved. But will killing Serbs solve the issue. Killing to stop killing. United Nations should play a active role in international affairs and not just US and it`s puppet UK.

Mr. Oberoi,

You make an interesting observation but fail to deduce any meaningful conclusions. If it is not the killings, then please provide an alternative motivation for the United States to go to war. The fact that Serbia is not an ally is not reason enough, as neither are the ethnic Albanians.

The fact of the matter is that country`s that are more strategically important can get away with some repression on their civillian populations. That does not make it right, but it does not make the attack on Serbia wrong either. What is your remedy? Would you be happy if the U.S. bombed Turkey as well? Or are you implying that because of political considerations the U.S. cannot get involved in all humanitarian issues therefore it should not get involved in any?

Interesting observation about the Turks and the Kurds, and you might as well have included Rawanda in this, but as the former presidental advisor, Dick Morris, said in a TV talk show: Kosovo is in Europe and Americans care about Europe and not some place in Middle East or Africa.

The reality is, whether we like or not, that America is an European based nation and it has more in common with the Judeo-Christian idioms of Europe than it does with the alien culture of Muslim Turkey. What is the issue in this present crisis is the reputation of NATO, and interalia the United States, to be a dominant player in Europe. The United States has always considered itself, historically, as an European power and not as an Asian or Middle Eastern power. In Kosovo, American interests are directly at stake and hence, its logic for bombing Belgrade. It has and had no interests in championing the Kurdish crusade against Turkey.