| Actual Image
Mercy of a mercyful... (2)
mpetrovic
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 244 W: 74 N: 284]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (1450) | OK, I have to admit I planned posting this photo on exact anniversary date, 7th of May, when it will be 9 years since this warcrime happened. I just couldn't keep this pic that long on hold, so will post another one when the date comes.
What's the point of this shot? This is small, some would say even dull, chapel, in front of fortress of Nis, and University of Nis (Banovina palace) building. It was built by local government and victim's families, to be a reminder of one of the worst war-crimes against civilians that happened in NATO 1999 airstrike campaign against Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, ironically coded Merciful Angel.
On that certain day, NATO aircrafts dropped United Nations forbidden mass-killing cluster bombs over two civilian neighborhoods in Serbian second major city of Nis. "Targets" were people at the marketplace, and city's central civilian hospital. 15 people have died, more than 60 injured. Among them, also my teacher of literature, elder woman aged over 60. My parents have been in one of the bombed streets just 10 minutes before the bombings, so I guess they were lucky.
What we are talking here is a war-crime that was never officially recognized by NATO spokesmen, committed against civilians exclusively as there were no millitary targets kilometers away, by internationally forbidden weapon designed for mass killings of human targets.
So far, no one was charged for this act, and it remains completely forgotten case.
Years after this happened, there are still many small clusters unexploded on most random locations of the city. For last 9 years, about 10 people either got killed or wounded by randomly spotting onto unexploded bombs.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the single case of targeting civilians with cluster bombs. Cluster bombs attacks continued in Nis once again, but also there were such acts in other towns and cities, and especially in Kosovo, once even against column of Albanian refugees (!). Official data count between 90 and 150 civilian deaths caused by them, since 1999. and the number is still increasing because it is absolutely impossible to dismount all of them, scattered at various locations.
there's this interesting Guardian article written just a day after:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/may/08/balkans
More or less, MY POINT is not to start political debate, to express some point of view, etc etc. I PERFECTLY don't care and don't want to get involved into any discussion about NATO airstrikes on Serbia&Montenegro of 1999.
What I'm trying to point out here is an obvious WAR CRIME against civilians and only civilians, committed by the weapons designed for mass killings and internationally forbidden by UN resolutions. Where does this fit into TrekEarth policy of posting photos? I guess the city of Nis lives with this, like many other places on this planet have scars from various warfares that don't disappear that quickly.. Especially when not a single person was accussed, charged or even suspected of committing such acts. In the name of mercy, of course.
(few notes about the photo):
de-saturated it in purpose, left only this light-blue rooftop as somehow reminds me to the sky from where the death came, and where (according to some religious groups) souls are going. So desaturation is kind of symbolic. Have nothing else to add, it's just a documentary photo I guess, nothing special nor photographic here :) |
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