Nambiar: NATO is Guilty for Humanitarian Disaster
New Delhi, April 13, 1999
- Indian general Satis Nambiar, who was the commander of UN peace forces in Bosnia
in 1992 and 1993, condemned criminal NATO aggression on Yugoslavia saying that western
military alliance is responsible for humanitarian disaster.
General Nambiar also said that NATO action
against sovereign and non-aligned Yugoslavia is a violation of UN charter and that it
presents a threat to world peace.
Reflecting on his engagement in peace forces,
Nambiar explained that his withdrawal from Bosnia mostly resulted from the fact that NATO
there started taking the leading role instead of the UN.
"I wasn't prepared to stay there under
those circumstances. NATO was deeply involved and conducted military operations in Bosnia
under the cover of UN, which resulted in disapproval of many officers," he said.
Nambiar pointed out that NATO intervention
raises many questions regarding India and developing countries, because it designates many
dangers, in the first place, humanitarian one.
Stressing that his observations are based on
his personal experience, Indian general warned about the destructive effects of western
media that are persistently defending all the actions of their countries.
"Since the world can watch only reports
from CNN and BBC, and the press-conferences from NATO briefings, it is clear that West is
trying to blame Yugoslavia for everything. From my own experience in Bosnia I can tell you
that the mayor objective of western electronic media is to present only political views of
their governments.
Let's not delude ourselves with the freedom of media in
"the greatest democracy of the world", said Nambiar.
They are doing it now too,
Nambiar says, persistently showing pictures of Albanian refugees in order to accuse
Yugoslavia although it is obvious that NATO is responsible for that, or actually the
persistent bombing of western alliance forces.
"While the world grieves over 'innocent
Albanians' no one pays attention to Serbian refugees from Croatia," says Nambiar
adding that NATO carries most of the responsibility for humanitarian disaster on Kosmet,
while the rest of the world is responsible in as much as it "doesn't raise its voice
against this unilateral military intervention."
"Pressure on Yugoslavia to sign the draft
of the agreement in Rambouillet under the threat of bombs is a violation of Vienna
convention," says Nambiar.
Asking the question - where does this lead
international affairs, Nambiar says that the perspective "at least for the shorter
period is gloomy" because UN are "weak and inefficient" and the western
world, led by America insists on "imposing its norms" to the rest of the world.
"Sovereignty and territorial integrity are
no longer sacred, because secessionist movements in the world initiated by terrorist
activities are becoming a formula for the destruction and breaking up of sovereign
states," says Nambiar.
He stressed that US citizens and NATO members
are responsible for what their leaders are doing, adding that he believes people
"will sooner or later force their governments to reconsider their policy and regard
world values with more responsibility".
