mer om klase-bombene i skolegården.
Knut Rognes
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Clinton and Blair's "peace" is more dangerous than their "war"
Cluster Bombs Dropped on School Grounds by NATO Kills Two Gurkhas
By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources, (www.originalsources.com)
June 22, 1999
On May 15th, Belgrade charged that a NATO warplane fired at the Kosovo
village of Korisa, killing more than 60 civilians in an assault that bore
some resemblance to one caused by cluster bombing. The response to that
report from Kenneth Bacon, Pentagon spokesman, was "I think there's good
reason to be cautious about the Serb reports," I would just urge you to be
careful with those reports; don't rush to judgment. NATO is in the middle
of investigating this now, and as soon as they finish, we will have
something to say."
Earlier Pentagon officials had denied responsibility for the April 14
bombing, while suggesting Serbian planes were to blame. However, faced with
irrefutable evidence, NATO finally retracted their statements and admitted
NATO jets had hit two convoys.
Serb reports that cluster bombs had been dropped on a school were denied by
NATO. Cluster bombs described as "bright orange-yellow things the size of
soda cans, and shiny spheres the size of tennis balls., especially alluring
to children. The kids snatch them up. They explode. The kids lose an arm,
an eye or a life."
Contrary to Kenneth Bacon's denial, during the NATO bombing, the colorful
bomblets were scattered across Yugoslavia. The soda-can things are CBU-87
and RBL755 bomblets, while the bright little balls are ATACMS bomblets.
None of them is meant for children, of course. They're unexploded
submunitions -- the little bombs inside of cluster bombs. When picked up by
curious children, they often explode killing or maiming the child.
While the official NATO line has been that it did not target civilians, as
the Yugoslav army completed its withdrawal 12 hours ahead of schedule,
according to the London Telegraph today, June 22, 1999, NATO cluster bombs
dropped on a school in Orlate, South-west Pristina, claimed the lives of
two Gurkha engineers yesterday when they exploded during a clearance
operation at a village school.
The soldiers, both members of 69 Gurkha Field Squadron, became the first
troops to die in Kosovo. Their families were being informed last night
before the names and ranks of the dead were released. Two members of the
Kosovo Liberation Army were also killed and another injured. The cluster
bomb explosion took place in the early afternoon in the grounds of the Emin
Duraku school in Orlate, south-west of Pristina, when a pile of 90 cluster
bombs had been gathered in three heaps of about 30 each in a ditch at the
back of the school.
Typical of NATO "first reports" the explosion was reported as "a Serb booby
trap." The Gurkhas had dealt with the first pile of unexploded cluster
bombs successfully but the tragedy happened when they were working on the
second pile. After their bodies were removed, a controlled explosion of the
third remaining pile was carried out, leaving a crater three feet deep and
eight feet across.
Cluster bombs are dropped in large numbers from a single bomb and rain down
on a target area. Most explode but many often fail to detonate on impact
with the ground, where they remain live and dangerous.
Strangely, while the death of the two members of the Royal Engineers
prompted both Tony Blair and Bill Clinton to offer condolences to their
families while praising their bravery and "professionalism" the Serb
children who have been killed or maimed have received no apologies,
condolences or even promises of medical assistance.
"Tony Blair expressed his condolences to the families. His spokesman said:
"As the Prime Minister said in the House of Commons, our forces continue to
do a difficult and dangerous job with great professionalism. His thoughts
are with the brave soldiers and their families."
"Downing Street also said that President Clinton had telephoned the Prime
Minister last night specifically to offer his condolences on the deaths.
"The Defence Secretary, George Robertson, said: "I pay tribute to the
bravery and courage of all those involved in their important work for the
British Army and other members of KFOR. My deepest sympathies go out to the
families of these fine men killed while trying to make this part of Europe
a safer and better place."
Europe has not been made a "safer and better place" by NATO dropping
cluster bombs. Villagers said the surrounding fields were full of cluster
bombs that failed to explode. They had been bringing them to the school,
which has been disused for a year, over the last week.
This appears to be only the beginning. On April 24th, Human Rights Watch
reported that five children playing with unexploded cluster bombs were
killed in southern Kosovo. Two were injured. "The death toll is likely to
increase," the earlier report intoned.
Well, the death toll IS rising. This time it's not Serbs who are dying -
but NATO troops and KLA soldiers.
Clinton and Blair's "peace" is proving to be more lethal than their "war."
To comment: mmostert@origionalsources.com
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