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#26 2003-09-25 11:18 pm
- Mustapha Mond
- Up your alley
- Registered: 2001-03-24
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Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
Wait a minute...I believe that war IS allowed by international law in cases of documented genocide.
In fact, I think either the UN or NATO (both?) require intervention in cases of documented genocide (not that that always happens, obviously).Was it officially categorized as genocide? I can't remember.
You're quite right, though: under US and international law, many countries (including the US of A) are not only allowed, but required to intervene to stop genocide.I do believe it was.
I seem to remember a lot of people being pissed at the Clinton administration because they bent over backwards using language that did everything but declare the situation. They used semantics to dodge the bullet (how weird!). I could be remembering that wrong, though; or confusing one thing with another.
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#27 2003-09-26 3:05 pm
- bratboy
- laden with emotion
- Royal Wombat
- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2003-01-19
- Posts: 34106
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
I seem to remember a lot of people being pissed at the Clinton administration because they bent over backwards using language that did everything but declare the situation. They used semantics to dodge the bullet (how weird!). I could be remembering that wrong, though; or confusing one thing with another.
Actually, that sounds familiar...
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#28 2003-09-26 3:14 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
I seem to remember a lot of people being pissed at the Clinton administration because they bent over backwards using language that did everything but declare the situation. They used semantics to dodge the bullet (how weird!). I could be remembering that wrong, though; or confusing one thing with another.
Actually, that sounds familiar...
They did that with Rwanda. I'm not sure they did with Bosnia/Kosovo ... well, they may have delayed calling it genocide.
Anyway, the trouble with comparing Kosovo with Iraq is, as we discussed, cases of genocide actually require responsible governments (including all NATO members) to intervene, making Kosovo a war of necessity. Iraq, however, was clearly a war of choice.
The thing about Kosovo is, the case for genocide isn't very strong. Certainly not nearly as strong as it is in Bosnia or Rwanda. If Kosovo does not fall under the classification of genocide, then the war was indeed illegal. But I don't think anyone's really looked into this. Not to my knowledge, anyhow.
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#29 2003-09-26 3:53 pm
- Neut
- Eat the Path
- Royal Wombat
- From: Colorado
- Registered: 1999-02-23
- Posts: 10598
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
All I know is what I heard from the refugees, and news reports of mass graves of ethnic-Albanians. It sounded like a genocide to me.
Cross over the cell bars, find a new maze, make the maze from it's path, find the cell bars, cross over the bars, find a maze, make the maze from its path, eat the food, eat the path.
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#30 2003-09-26 3:59 pm
- bratboy
- laden with emotion
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- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2003-01-19
- Posts: 34106
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
Still, it sounds like an awful lot of people who have suddenly become quite sensitive to the welfare of the Iraqi citizens (when no WMD's turned up) shunned the NATO operations in Kosovo.
Strange.
"One thing we've learned is there's a difference between being disappointed and having madmen in authority."
--Paul Krugman
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#31 2003-09-26 4:16 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
All I know is what I heard from the refugees, and news reports of mass graves of ethnic-Albanians. It sounded like a genocide to me.
Yes, but legally speaking I'm not sure if that's what it takes. Certainly the media was full of wild and often incorrect reports.
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#32 2003-09-26 4:26 pm
- Neut
- Eat the Path
- Royal Wombat
- From: Colorado
- Registered: 1999-02-23
- Posts: 10598
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
I dunno.
Whether something was strictly legal or not, however, has no relationship to if I think it was just or not, as I'm sure is the same with you.
Cross over the cell bars, find a new maze, make the maze from it's path, find the cell bars, cross over the bars, find a maze, make the maze from its path, eat the food, eat the path.
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#33 2003-09-26 8:32 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: NATO action in Kosovo a war crime?
I dunno.
Whether something was strictly legal or not, however, has no relationship to if I think it was just or not, as I'm sure is the same with you.
Well, yes and no ... there is a relationship, in my estimation, as legality provides a certain legitimacy; that the act meets accepted standards of right and wrong. However, in no way should legalisms be allowed to block something that's clearly right.
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