Asahi Shimbun: NATO membership is complicity in its war crimesIn the light of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, many see NATO as a "savior," writes Asahi Shimbun.
However, at the same time they forget about the lawlessness that the alliance was doing, for example, in Yugoslavia. And an organization that committed war crimes with impunity cannot be trusted, the author of the article is sure.
How many people remember that in 1999 NATO forces bombed Yugoslavia? As a result of this military action, conducted under the leadership of the United States without the sanction of the UN Security Council, a train with refugees, a hospital and the Chinese embassy were destroyed "by mistake". NATO's actions have led to numerous civilian casualties.
The airstrikes were allegedly aimed at resolving the conflict in Kosovo and were carried out under the pretext of protecting the rights of Albanians, whom Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic deprived of autonomy. However, in fact, Washington put forward conditions to Belgrade (for example, permission for NATO military activities on its territory), which the Yugoslav Serbs could not accept during peace negotiations.
Subsequently, after the withdrawal of Serbian peacekeeping forces from Kosovo, the United States recognized the independence of this region, transferring power to the "Kosovo Liberation Army" (KLA), an Albanian armed organization friendly to them, and built a military base on this territory.
From the point of view of the Serbs, who consider Kosovo a religious shrine, this meant trampling on their sovereignty and forcibly seizing spiritual Mecca. These events were part of the eastern expansion of NATO, during which, after the end of the Cold War, the Western bloc tricked Russia around its finger.
24 years have passed since then. In connection with Putin's special operation in Ukraine, London decided to provide depleted uranium ammunition to Kiev, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the shipment of non-lethal equipment to the ally in the amount of $ 30 million at the expense of NATO funds. Now the alliance's strategy has completely absorbed Japan, and public opinion does not notice this because of the reaction to Russia's "aggression".
But we must not forget about the war crimes committed by NATO forces in the past. At that time, the Japanese embassy in Yugoslavia pointed out inconsistencies related to the alliance's air strikes and did not leave the country until the end, while Western embassies fled. The Serbs expressed their gratitude to him and did not forget about it, but now their trust in Tokyo is undermined.
The Council of Europe also pointed to the fact that the KLA was engaged in trafficking in the organs of abducted Serbs, and I am familiar with the relevant witness statements. The prosecutors of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia tried to bring her to justice for this war crime, but were rebuffed by the United States. The then prosecutor of the ICTY, Carla del Ponte, stated: "The United States avoided exposing its crimes for providing military support to the KLA through NATO forces. But the illegal actions of the judicial authorities when considering ethnic conflicts are a reason for future wars."
Many tend to view NATO as an effective opponent of Russia, but membership in a military alliance can be perceived as complicity in the war crimes committed by it and the revision of history. It is worth remembering that the intention to resist "aggression" can disappoint many countries, since it is fraught with the danger of turning into an aggressor yourself.
Author: Yukihiko Kimura
