Political Quotes

On the recordJune 7, 1999
NATO is risking reigniting a wider war by simultaneously insisting on troop withdrawals and continuing bombing attacks on the troops. If acceptance of the Russian-Finnish peace plan by the Serb Government means anything, then the bombing should have stopped. If it means nothing, then why did NATO officials declare victory because such a plan had been accepted? Either NATO has a peace plan in its hand or it does not. If it does, then it should stop the bombing instead of this approach of putting one foot on the accelerator of war and the other on the brake of peace. When Japan sued for peace after the atomic bombs were dropped, the U.S. did not keep bombing. The L.A. Times quoted an unnamed NATO diplomat as describing the agreed-upon exit of troops in these terms: 'Take these routes, don't get off them, move quickly, do not stop to collect $200,' in an apparent reference to the Monopoly game. The same diplomat was saying, 'Anybody off the yellow brick road is subject to being bombed,' a reference to the Wizard of Oz. The undisguised attempts to trivialize the importance of troop withdrawals and the further threats to bomb military targets in retreat reveals an arrogance of power which is neither conducive to concluding a peaceful agreement, nor keeping a condition of peace. If NATO wants peace, it ought to show it by stopping the bombing.
Said by
Dennis Kucinich
Independent · Ohio

Editor's note · Context

Addressing NATO's military strategy and its implications for peace during a speech.

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