By Leonard Sanford (Washington DC) and Forrest Schmidt (San Francisco)

American domestic law forbids any person employed by, or acting on behalf of, the American Government from engaging in, or conspiring to engage in, an act of assassination. The controlling legal norm, Executive Order 12333, was promulgated by President Jimmy Carter in December, 1981, partly in response to embarrassing revelations concerning assassination attempts and schemes committed by the American intelligence community against the leaders of various foreign nations in the 60’s and 70’s. The assassination, or attempted assassination, of a foreign leader also clearly constitutes a violation of customary and conventional international law. Furthermore, to the extent that a civilian person and a non-military structure are being targeted for military action in the course of a belligerency, a violation of the Geneva Convention (and the Protocols thereto) is also committed.

"President Clinton has decided to mount a concerted campaign to remove Slobodan Milosevic from power… Clinton has authorized US military and intelligence officers to encourage senior Yugoslav military figures to turn against Milosevic – and even attempt a coup…" ( "Ouster of Serb leader sought", Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 6/27/99)

Throughout the 79 day NATO bombing campaign, NATO leaders have intentionally, and illegally targeted President Slobodan Milosevic, and numerous other high level Yugoslav government officials, for assassination. Homes, offices, civilian headquarters, and places frequented by various civilian government officials of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have been heavily bombed. The bombing was done in a coordinated, systematic fashion, with the tacit admission, from NATO officials, that their intention was to murder duly elected and appointed civilian government officials, including a head of state.

On April 22, 1999, a NATO airstrike demolished the residence of Slobodan Milosevic, the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and of his family (ITN, 4/23/99: Serbian Television, 4/22/99). Four Bombs struck the living room, dining room, and bedroom (MSNBC, 4/23/99). When asked during a TV interview if the bombing of President Milosevic’s residence indicated that he was a "…walking, talking target", former Pentagon official, Ronald Hatchett replied, "…certainly he is, … there’s no question about the fact that that was what we were trying to do in striking that house." (MSNBC, 4/23/99). Fortunately, there were no casualties. The residential building struck was unquestionably not a valid military target; the civilian structure, furthermore, constituted an architectural monument, of great historical and cultural significance.

NATO commanders did not limit themselves to attempts to murder the President and his family. Robert Fisk, of the Independent, reported on July 2, 1999, that CNN conspired with NATO planners to murder a high level, Serb CIVILIAN, government official.

"Two days before NATO bombed the Serb Television headquarters in Belgrade, CNN received a tip from it’s Atlanta headquarters that the [ Serbian TV ] building was to be destroyed. They were told to remove their facilities from the premises at once, which they did.

"A day later, Serbian Information Minister, Aleksander Vucic, received a faxed invitation from the Larry King Live show in the US to appear on CNN. They wanted him on air at 2:30 in the morning of 23 April and asked him to arrive at Serb Television half an hour early for make-up.

"Vucic was late – which was just as well for him since NATO missiles slammed into the building at six minutes past two. The first one exploded in the make-up room where the young Serb assistant was burned to death."

Civilian functions attended by Yugoslav officials were bombed. A civilian party attended by Gorica Gajevic, the Secretary of the Socialist Party of Serbia, suffered casualties, including one fatality when it was hit by a NATO airstrike.

Heavy casualties, including many fatalities, were suffered when the headquarters building of the Socialist Party of Serbia was bombed. The Socialist Party of Serbia is the most popular of the five major political parties in Serbia. The building was a civilian structure frequented by high level officials of the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The building was known to serve no military purpose.

During a war combatants must avoid killing civilian government officials. U.S. and NATO leaders did not even attempt to do this. In fact they made an extensive effort to endanger and kill the duly elected head of state of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as numerous civilian government officials.

According to U.S. and international law, conspiring to kill / destroy, targeting, or killing / destroying civilian government buildings, or civilian government officials, or any head of state is expressly and strictly forbidden.

U.S. and NATO leaders conspired to assassinate the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as other high ranking Yugoslav government officials. U.S. and NATO leaders targeted buildings and functions, likely to have civilian government officials present. These actions lead directly to the destruction of civilian government buildings, and the injury and death of civilian government officials.

Commission of Inquiry
c/o International Action Center
39 West 14^th Street, Room 206
New York, NY 10011
email: iacenter@iacenter.org
http://www.iacenter.org
phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889

war crimes

Table of Contents: Selected Research Findings