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Syndicate: ZAGINFLATCH #20, 31st March 1999


*** ex-yu-a-lista ***

ZAGINFLATCH #20, 31st March 1999
newsletter published by Zagreb Anarchist Movement

ZAP / ARK
GAJEVA 55
10 000 ZAGREB
CROATIA

zap_zg@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/3707/

***************************************

what follows are translated extracts from mails posted to
ex-yu-a-lista@zamir.net which is a mailing list for ex-yu anarchists,
and
from private emails..

***************************************

From: Mirko, Vojvodina

I 'm late. Today is the third day of the air-strikes. What air-strikes,
they're human stupidity attacks. In peaceful times, now already
pre-historic time, while I was moving around specialised conferences
held in  Geneva, Birmingham, Paris and other European God forgotten
places, I have learned (from my British friends, it seems) that the
third and seventh day are the worst, a crisis. They also had a theory
about it - a period of shock, a period of adapting, a period of crisis,
or something like that. I am late with this out of justified reasons,
and its time to let you know about the core of the problem. ...... My
son Miroslav is better in handling the Internet than I am. That's the
way it should be, my friend told me. And Miroslav has grown up in a
peace group and not in a (military) college. Last night he was
collecting information - there is enough on chat. His report is
defeating. A friend from around Batajnica is writing to him,  and says:
there was lots of bombing, everything was shaking, and there is no more
airport in Batajnica, it is not even good enough for a field anymore.
Couldn't we have turned military instalations into firlds ourselves,
rather than the bombing and millions of dollars thrown away! I have also
gotten a report from the "kids". That is how I call a group of smart and
wonderful very young women and people, gathered around some student
unions and other organisations. We have already worked together last
year, on the "Antiwar Campaign" - posters against the war. It's not as
if we were able to prevent the war - we did not, but we have stayed in
contact. I am proud that they have excepted me - and old man compared to
them - and alongside that I am from a province. Now we are in touch
through e-mail. They have their connections in important places. They
have compiled a list of  aimed and hit buildings with remarks what has
been hit for what reason.  The list is dreadfully long and contains,
along with a series of  air-defence military instalations and lots of
factories which manufacture (or have manufactured) one or the other part
for a military machine. "Mixed" airports were also hit (the ones that
are being used for military and civilian purposes). ..... Everything is
important to the army. Can we expect that the heroes from the aircrafts
will also aim at shoe factories, because the army is not barefoot? And
how does the army like these sides of the Teodosies line. The feeling of
revenge is not only developed with the Albanians (the law of Leka
Dukadjanin), but also with the Serbs and Balkanians in general. The
Americans, Germans, even the the French, the "traditional friends" , 
will be an object of hate for years, if not decades. Let's just remember
what the situations is like with the Turcs - they have left almost 200
hundred years ago and the people here still hate them and accuses them 
for all the evils of this world.  If this would be happening there in
the "West" (Oh God,  how simple geographical concepts get reverse
meanings). The British and the French would not even be able to drink
their beer together, let alone be in the same supra-state (European
Union). And in the same attacking legions. Something else that's
concretely. Our real fear (in Pancevo) is actually coming from the
south. The so-called South industrial zone has three factories - an oil
refinery and two deadly chemical factories. The Americans and the rest
of the gang were precise in the case of Ucva. But in the next few
impacts there were some failiures. In Djakovica they have lit up the old
part of town instead of the army barracks.. There are victims, Albanians
as well, of course. If someone from a causy cabin presses the wrong
button, or something from the complicated electronics sets out - boom -
Pancevo is gone. At least half of it, and that the part were we are.
Even worse than that are the poisonous gases. Yesterday I was at the
caffe "Europe" ( I have almost suggested the name to be changed). While
the owners of the private caffes have run away (later more about social
indifferences), the people in the state owned caffes  have to work. Of
course I run into Pekmez (Marmelade) surprisingly sober. He explains to
Miroslav and me that this gas "falls" down,  it gets into basements,
that it stays there for days. He also said the name of this weird thing,
I did not want to remember. I had an awful time of my cognac. There is
no need for me to write to you about the lies of the majority of western
media.  You can see it from a plane. Of course they lie here too.
Yesterday I talked to my doctor. She came from Croatia (...) already "at
the beginning" in 1991. She is telling me an idiotic thesis about  the
goal of the Americans to "help the Albanians and Muslims" to create a
"muslim state here with the help of the Croatian".What should I be
explaining here, when 95% of the so-called intelectuals don't know the
difference between Iraq and Iran. Not to speak of the shiits and
sunits.Yesterday there was a statement broadcasted through all the media
( connected in a network, it is a state of war, if you haven't
forgotten) from the Belgrade muftija Jusupspahica, of course connected
with hadzien (Kurban ) bajram. The muftija knows where and what the
government is of course - he has called upon the American, who otherwise
"torture our brothers sll over Iran, Libia, Iraq and Palestine" to calm
down. He has also called upon the "brothers from Kosovo" to become
reasonable.Acerim ecendi! Irony as it is, a day before the war started,
I went to the Bajrakli mosque , and have stood long in the empty harem
(not the one woth the sultans, but the mosque one) and observed.  There
are only a few people coming, they are all old.  Belgrade is becoming a
pure serbian town. ..... To those who'd like to get more deeply involved
in the analysis, I can forward  one analysis who shows upon the fact
that now will happen what we have shouted - Slobo Saddam. To those who
like explicit information, some icing on the cake: The Sand (The
Deliblat Sand, the only desert in Europe, but there will be more after
the NATO actions)  is full. The people have fled into their  weekend
houses, those who have any. Some of my "friends" have fled to a hotel in
Alibunar (village, municipality, no military instalations nearby). The
ones who have money have managed somehow, and the ones who don't are
waiting for the Tomahawks. When the smoke from the bombs clears away,
the social differences will be even bigger, the poverty even worse, the
authorities even more harsh. And the matter of Kosovo WON'T be solved!
The attacks are handy both for Him and Her ,the wolfs and dukes. EXPLAIN
THAT! The common people again are fucked. As always. Kismet.I hope I was
not too strenuous. Let me know whether I should continue.

Mirko (Peace - my name is not even adequate)



***************************************



from: marko s., zagreb, markos@zamir.net

 SITUATION IN CROATIA and short analysis of what's going on

After following what's going in media and trying to catch up everything
that is happening on the list, I somehow have enough "material" to write
about and to do new analysis and predictions (right or wrong) about the
development of current situation... So, bombing still goes on, NATO
started with a new way of bombing  - main targets now are technical and
human military resources of  Yugoslav army - basically everything that
is southern form  Kragujevac (look on the map). But they still attack
airports and other  targets that they find important. >From time to time
they come out with  new information about how successfull they are...
Information (from different sources) about civil victims are different -
Russian diplomacy claims (probably they use information coming from
Yugoslav government) that there's around 1000 civil victims (that number
includes just Serbs who don't live at Kosovo), but NATO claims that
there are just few civilian victims. So, what is true? No matter which
number(s) are true (although, middle of both might be true, but we can't
know that for sure), there are civilian victims, which certainly don't
represent "military machine" which is NATO trying to destroy. The whole
logic of "minimal civilian victims" is morbid if you ask me. At the
other hand, no one in Croatia speaks about that too much - media are
talking about numbers, mentioning everything that is said, but not
trying to manipulate with it. Journalists are still more or less
objective. Of course, they write and talk a lot about civil victims at
Kosovo, especially about murders of internationally exposed
intelectuals, like one of the negotiations from Albanian side, lawyer of
Albanian journal Koha Ditore and editor of same journal (I'm sorry
because I didn't mention names here, but I don't have them in front of
me, I'll do that tomorrow and pass it to Marko B. with my new
article)... Also, there were some murders of teachers. That was the
biggest news in Croatia - as well as huge number of people leaving
Kosovo and looking for a safe place in Albania and Macedonia. I would
say that media here are a bit less pathetic than Sky News or CNN when
they talk about this, although, it's more or less same story. One of the
news that is not still official, but was broadcasted (as something that
said by some journalist from Finland who is in Pristina at the moment)
on main news of HTV (Croatian national tv) is that Ibrahim Rugova,
leader of Albanians from Kosovo is murdered too. I have to say that it
was a big shock to hear something like that, because he's one of the
rare people at Kosovo who saw a peaceful solution as only solution. In a
way, he is "opposition" to OVK (Liberation Army of Kosovo). Anyway, that
news was at HTV and some newspapers, but no one really knows is it true
or not - few days ago, it was mentioned at HTV that no one knows where
I. Rugova is and what is happening with him. All that can mean anything,
but we'll see. And back to NATO again - after rejection of  idea of
sending their troops to Yugoslavia, for the first time, NATO started to
consider that > option as something that might happen - Pentagon did
some "home work" on the subject and they are still trying to avoid that
option, but not cause they don't want to do it, but cause they think how
they wouldn't be in the best starting position if situation doesn't
change a bit. Mainly, it means that they need a promission of Monte
Negro to use their territory to attack from. All the official resources
of information, meaning anyone who can speak in the name of NATO, still
reject that option as something that will happen for sure. But just the
fact that they talk about it, and consider all the options of it in
public means that they went few steps further from what they say. It was
like that so far, so there's no reason not be like that this time. I
can't really say what it would mean if it happens. Anything is possible
then, although, I supose that on a long term basis, Yugoslav army
wouldn't have too much chance to resist NATO troops. Of course, that
action would cause NATO huge damage - meaning, losing people and
technical equipment. Croatian parties and government are still silent
about this subject - and I think it will stay that way until it happens
or at least until it doesn't become really clear that it will happen
some time soon. There's just a big concern and fear of expansion of the
conflict to countries that are near Yugoslavia. So, Minister of external
affairs of Croatia went to US today and I suppose that part of his visit
will cover that subject too. Also, there will be a meeting on Thursday
(1st of April) of all countries around Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Romania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania and
Hungary). We'll see what will come out from that. Interesting thing is
that beside all the military actions and bombings happening in
Yugoslavia, there's no sign of big military activity in Croatia - no
mobilisation, no preparedness, nothing. At least we can't see that. Only
thing that I saw yesterday was that police guarding American embassy is
armed with short machine guns, which is something that you couldn't see
in Zagreb since 1995. or even some time before that. Anyway, life in
Croatia goes on - not too many people are concerned with situation in
Yugoslavia, although it's a main news every day. So far only Anti-war
Campaign Croatia and one small political party (Socialist Workers Party)
sent their statements in which they disagree with NATO bombings.
Everyone else, beside few individuals, doesn't really care or supports
it. Well, this was more than enough for today - hope that my analysis
are helping you understand situation a bit better and give you some more
information apart from official media. I have to add that I still find
our anarchist network really helpful in this situation. It's not that
I'm or any of us in ZAP directly under attack - but everything that I
see and hear, and all the involvement with this newsletter brings me so
close to the events. It's hard to look at war and destruction after you
had a chance to feel it yourself not that long ago.  Especially because
it happens to people that you know / like / care for.

markoS.

ps. also, I would like to say that markoB., who is putting all this
together, did and is still doing great job! my part is small, I just
write... thanks to ARK people for help in translating messages from
ex-yu-a for Zaginflatch, too...



***************************************



from: ana miskovska kajevska, hannah_mk@hotmail.com, skopje

Today, it is Saturday, 27. 03. 1999. And I start this letter almost at
noon. Last night I returned from Serbia and I am so full of feelings so
I'll try this way to sort out toughs and to write all this feelings that
hunt me. But I don't know where to start. That is why it is the best to
write them down as they come... Here, people are afraid as they wait for
war to spread. I can just see it from what I hear on radio where people
are calling, from bigger demand for food in stores... Strange enough, I
don't feel afraid. I feel as whole fear I survived in Amsterdam,
beginning of spring when this horror on Kosove began, through my
returning here twice before (October and November). At October I came
through Belgrade, and I spoke with some people there, and that was time
when NATO has planed to attack Belgrad for the first time, so people
were for the first time in panic. In December we passed through Sarajevo
then through Kosovo to Skopje and all those police patrols took part of
my fear away. All that made me fees calm and not afraid at all. But, I
have to admit that I am amused by my calmness during this situation,
especially during the night of bombing in Pancevo, during which we were
at shelter, as it during the travelling from Belgrade to Skopje. Simply,
I don't know if this is some kind of shock in which I don't understand
what is happening, or I can keep calmness of the spirit watching people
around me and their reactions to the situation. That gives me joy,
because these moments are very interesting for examination of human
psychology. I, optimist for life, can find something to hold me even in
these bad moments. Is there going to be war in Macedonia? I believe
that, especially because this what is happening at Kosovo and Macedonia,
reminds me on what happened in Croatia and Bosnia (during the war in one
country, tension in other country between different ethnic groups grew
harder).  But I decided not to let panic to overcome me. How strange it
was during my travelling when I stopped in Belgrade. First part (I
stopped to write here to tell my mother that there is one thing she
doesn't have to worry about in case of war - at least we have enough
books to keep us warm - at least for 4 winters. She answered half
joking-half serious that she would kill me) in Belgrade was OK because I
meet with NGOs, I saw familiar people so it was very nice. Particularly
because I saw projection of new analysis on Second News on RTS
(Radio-Television Serbia)-Third year, which was done by B92. I also went
to see Daniela in Pancevo. That was great shock for me because in the
meantime her father became head of SPS (Milosevic party) for Pancevo,
and whole family was so pro-serbian and anti-everything else orientated,
I felt really sick. I decided not to start any political discussions and
not to point out my attitude because of this entire situation and
psihoses before bombing. But it was so comic: me with my Belgrade
demonstration experience (which I hid immediately when Daniela told me
about her father), T-shirt, that says "Re¾im na Re¾im" (made in zagreb),
which I couldn't hide because I had only two shirts, my materials and
books in my bag which were about: antimilitarism, conscious objection,
lesbian and feminist subjects... Danielas father consider women to stay
and work at home and he showed great disrespect toward them. I can not
believe how, her father and whole family fit in stereotype picture of
brainwashed Serbs, totally backward thinking, not to think about hate
towards Albanians, disrespect towards Macedonians. So, her father told
me that it is not natural for black and whit to get married. Daniela was
obviously scared that I am lesbian, because it was the first thing that
her friends asked her when she said I was a feminist. I have to admit
that Daniela was relieved when I started to talk about my boyfriends,
although she claimed that she is not homfobic. Her father couldn't help
not to say that we, Macedonians are half Serbs half Bulgarians. To all
statements and provocation's I decided not to react. It is almost
amazing how developed is hate language used by state TV and radio. All
the time it is about Albanian separatists and their of warning to
citizens not to believe in misinformation, BUT THEY ARE THOSE WHO SPREAD
IT THE MOST!!!! Second thing that shocked me is how fast panic is
spreading, how information can be changed and how people believe in
that. It was very indicative the reaction of people in the bus from
Belgrade to Skopje, when we were stopped by one patrol. Someone shouted
that those were Albanians and it was panic immediately. Police entered
the bus it came out that they were Serbian police. So, without reason,
panic arose and once more fears and hate were activated. The shelter.
Going to the shelter made me think of something else. How much,
unnecessary thing we store in our basements, just not to throw them
away. Why you start to use your basement as a shelter then you realize
how much you don't need this stuff and how you don't have those basic
things you need in case of danger. I was watching people in Serbia and
their panic, thinking: it is true, fear for own life and lives of close
ones is something normal, but I think, how much of this panic is about
some hard confrontation with reality, I mean, realization that heavenly
and from god protected people was attacked represent some loose of
selflikness. Or not, because although they are "chosen" they know that
whole world hates them and is against them... And with people in
Macedonia is panic so big, becoming (Croatia, Bosnia, unrests in
Albania) still many people believed in oasis of peace, so how, suddenly
they feel lost. I, personally, feel that bombs are not so scary,
although I don't approve violence and fight for peace. What is ever more
scary is hate and all those negative feelings which we know will stay
for long time. Violence is very bad. I listen, in Skopje, demonstration
which were supposed to be nonviolent, lost their peace and became
violent with burned buildings and scared people that night I returned to
Skopje and only empty center of Skopje told me that something had
happened. As much as I am happy that finally this people started to
demonstrate to publicly show their opinion, as much I am revolted that
this demonstration were violent and dangerous. I am really sick of this
world in which the biggest part of people accepted violence and violent
methods as something normal and necessary for fulfilling (political)
aims.

 ***************************************

 from: Pop, Kraljevo

So, another one of us, Ciro, was caught and tomorow he has to go with
army somewhere around Raska. Fuck it, he wasn't lucky enough - a couple
of days ago he got a draft call for civil service (to work on the siren
and spread drafts) but he didn't report, so they gave him a card which
says "Direction Raska!". Who knows, maybe he'll be in the same unit with
Sicko so they could help each other wherver they are. I guess everything
will be OK...

To make war in the name of peace is the same like to make love in the
name of virginity.

 ***************************************

 from: ?!

 I think that it's a good thing that people report to this list with
field information from first hand. News spread by RTS (national
television, transl.) and others who work under regime control are either
untrue or to be filtered. I just wonder what to filter. Tonight, for
example, they reported that bombing is taking place in the wider
surroundings of Belgrade. What surroundings? I haven't heard anything,
and i live by the council building in New Belgrade. They keep people in
shelters for hours and hours. Do you really think that you're in danger
for all that time? And then once when there's no air raid the bomb falls
down. Just like couple of days before around Sremcica i Galenika. And
the media newer said why didn 't the sirens go on on time but 2-3
minutes after the explosions (it is obvious they never saw the planes).
It is probably that they have decided then that it is better to keep
people in shelters and cellars then to further expose to embarasment
with late air raid alerts.



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the end

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