Conspiracy Nation -- Vol. 7 Num. 19 ====================================== ("Quid coniuratio est?") ----------------------------------------------------------------- BOSNIA: HOW THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND MEDIA HAVE FAILED AND MISLED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ========================================== Special thanks to my "Chicago connection" for sending a videotape of a public access program, "Broadsides", which was taped on June 6, 1995. Host is Mr. Sherman Skolnick of the Citizens' Committee to Clean Up the Courts; co-host is Mr. Robert E. Cleveland, an attorney and associate of Mr. Skolnick. Guests are James Nagle, an attorney with the law firm of Querry & Harrow, Andrew B. Spiegel, also an attorney, and Mike Pavlovic, a Serbian-American. Pardon spelling errors. If you know the correct spellings, please let me know. Contact info: Andrew B. Spiegel, PO Box 396, Wheaton, IL 60187 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + [...continued...] SHERMAN SKOLNICK [continues]: By the way, some conspiracy theorists have published stories in smaller magazines that Scowcroft, Eagleburger, and Kissinger (all connected with Kissinger Associates; they're believed by some to be an evil cabal), that they suddenly toppled the economic system in Yugoslavia and that led to all this fighting. Do any of you believe that there's some sort of validity to that kind of conspiracy theory, whatever it is? In other words, that something touched off this situation? What about that, Mike? MIKE PAVLOVIC: It's very hard to answer that question. The death of Tito, maybe. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: But what about this theory that some American meddler, like Kissinger, that he meddled in some way with their banking system, toppled their banking system? Is that possible, that the toppling of their banking system and then their currency going to pot led to this situation where everybody over there wants to kill each other? ANDREW SPIEGEL: That's only speculation. I think it's much simpler than that. I think Germany, obviously when it reunified in 1991, wanted to have more influence in southern Europe. The easiest way to do this would be to have their own country down there -- which was Croatia. What happened, though, is people just didn't think (including the State Department in the United States; At that time, James Baker was Secretary of State.) as to how the Serbs would react -- the Serbs *living* in Croatia, the Serbs *living* in Bosnia -- once these countries effected to go through... SHERMAN SKOLNICK: The way you describe it, 50 years after the Second World War there's a sinister undertone. It means that the Nazis are still there. It's as if, "Hey. Croatia was with us in the Second World War, with the Ustashe. They're still with us." ANDREW SPIEGEL: Sherman, when Croatia became a so-called "independent country" it adopted the same names and the same national symbols that it used when it was a fascist republic years ago. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Really!? So on the screen here we should have shown what? The Nazi flag of 50 years ago? ANDREW SPIEGEL: Well they definitely use the Iron Cross. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Well the Iron Cross... The Iron Guard was, in some published accounts, more brutal. There's one published account that -- it was terrible. I don't know. I suppose it's true: where they plucked out people's eyeballs and put 'em in big pails and carried 'em through the streets. What about that? ANDREW SPIEGEL: Before I get to that, there's one point that should be made here. There are credible accounts that President Ysabegovich(sp?), the current leader of Bosnia, was a member of the Hanta(sp?) Brigade in World War II (which was a fascist youth troop). SHERMAN SKOLNICK: So they haven't all died. They're still around. ANDREW SPIEGEL: He's the leader of Bosnia now! SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Really!? ANDREW SPIEGEL: Yeah. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: So in other words... ANDREW SPIEGEL: One of the so-called "good guys". JAMES NAGLE: And I think the most ironic part of that story was that, this year [1995], with the 50th celebration of victory in Europe... And Ysabegovich was invited back to the ceremony. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Let me get this straight. So in their heart of hearts, in their inner sanctum, they might buy onto some Hitler image, some Iron Cross image, some Swastika? Is that credible? JAMES NAGLE: I don't know if that's credible. I think that this is the group that he belonged in. It was the same situation with Kurt Waldheim... SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Well if they were 20 years old at that time, they're not all dead! They're still walking around. And in their heart of hearts and their inner sanctum, they *might* conceive this Swastika and the Iron Cross and the Ustashe. Some people believe that the Ustashe idea exists today. Other people, in dark tones, say, "Ustashe? There's a place in south Chicago where they still hang out!" Is that all believable, Mike? MIKE PAVLOVIC: They have an organization... SHERMAN SKOLNICK: They do!? MIKE PAVLOVIC: I repeat: there's good people, there's bad people -- everywhere. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: But in the Chicago area there's, some people believe, Ustashe; sort of remainders of the Hitler types? MIKE PAVLOVIC: In Croatia, too. They have special troops that they call "Ustashe". SHERMAN SKOLNICK: I tell you why I raise that question. Because in the '80s (some people have forgotten), in the vicinity of 98th and Commercial (which is south Chicago), there was bombings between Croatian and certain factions. And there was quite a bit of commotion at the time. And there was this undertone that this is the leftover from Ustashe. Most people have forgotten about it. So in other words, there's still sort of a Hitler theme, 50 years after the war? JAMES NAGLE: I think that, for the most part, people all over the world are the same: they want to raise their kids with a roof over their head, and be able to walk to school without being killed. That was the general tone of the people we met when we were over in the Republic of Srpska. And I think that, for the most part, they're no different from many Americans here. They want peace. They've lived there for thousands of years. I still think we're getting carried away when we start... SHERMAN SKOLNICK: But you came back here... You were on a peace mission, the three of you. And at your own time and expense you went over there, promoting "declaration of independence" and a constitution that might have brought peace there. Why do all these talk shows, that have got all this time -- why is it that none of them put you on to discuss this at length!? We're apparently the first ones that are putting you on to explain what has happened here! How do you explain that? ANDREW SPIEGEL: You're the number one talk show in Chicago, Sherman. [laughter] SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Oh, I don't know about that. They've got all these other commercial windbags on. ROBERT CLEVELAND: Let's get back to something you were talking about. Because on national television the last several days, there have been any number of senators and congressmen asking, "Why? What is our interest in this area?" SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Munitions! Armaments! ROBERT CLEVELAND: That hasn't been said. Is that unfair to say that? ANDREW SPIEGEL: Well it's not in our interest so far, because the United States (at least on the record) has not been supplying arms to anyone in that conflict. SHERMAN SKOLNICK: Would the three of you go back, on your own nickel, and try again? You're not so discouraged at this point that you wouldn't go a second time? ANDREW SPIEGEL: I'd be more than happy to go back. And again, keeping in mind that this is being taped on June 6th [1995], the word that we have from Pale is that President Karadzic is right now willing to release *all* the remaining U.N. soldiers, providing they sit down with him and discuss the peace treaty that he wants to negotiate and that they don't bomb him. Is that too much to ask? SHERMAN SKOLNICK: What is the slant in the media about these hostages? ANDREW SPIEGEL: The media seems more concerned about the taking of the U.N. soldiers, who are not being harmed by the Serbs, than they are by the four thousand Serb civilians who were massacred by the Croatian army! Why weren't NATO air strikes called on the Croatian positions? [...to be continued...] ----------------------------------------------------------------- I encourage distribution of "Conspiracy Nation." ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you would like "Conspiracy Nation" sent to your e-mail address, send a message in the form "subscribe cn-l My Name" to listproc@cornell.edu (Note: that is "CN-L" *not* "CN-1") ----------------------------------------------------------------- For information on how to receive the new Conspiracy Nation Newsletter, send an e-mail message to bigred@shout.net ----------------------------------------------------------------- Want to know more about Whitewater, Oklahoma City bombing, etc? (1) telnet prairienet.org (2) logon as "visitor" (3) go citcom ----------------------------------------------------------------- See also: http://www.europa.com/~johnlf/cn.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- See also: ftp.shout.net pub/users/bigred ----------------------------------------------------------------- Aperi os tuum muto, et causis omnium filiorum qui pertranseunt. Aperi os tuum, decerne quod justum est, et judica inopem et pauperem. -- Liber Proverbiorum XXXI: 8-9