MAZALICA: SEVERE CONSEQUENCES AND OPEN WOUNDS - A REASON NOT TO JOIN NATO

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 8 /SRNA/ - The Head of the SNSD Caucus in the Republika Srpska National Assembly Srđan Mazalica told SRNA that the 1995 NATO bombing of Republika Srpska left Serbs and Republika Srpska with severe consequences and open wounds, which is one of the reasons not to seek membership in the alliance.

Mazalica stated that Serb civilians were killed during the bombing, placing NATO forces on the side of criminal armies, for which no one has ever been held accountable.

"During the airstrikes on Republika Srpska, NATO used depleted uranium ammunition. Although Serb territory was targeted, some parts of the Federation of BiH were also affected. This only illustrates the sinister nature of these attacks, the consequences of which are still felt today," Mazalica emphasized.

He added that the sheer number of bombs dropped on the positions of the Republika Srpska Army demonstrates the scale of force, which would have been difficult to resist even for stronger armies.

Mazalica stated that the NATO bombing of Republika Srpska was not limited to the Deliberate Force Operation, but rather represented continuous pressure and confrontation aimed at weakening the Republika Srpska Army, as well as an implicit threat of force.

"One thing was the stated trigger for the bombing, the shelling of the Markale marketplace on August 28, for which, by all accounts, Serb forces were not responsible, similar to the Račak incident, which was used as a pretext for the 1999 bombing of the FRY. Another matter was the ongoing weakening of the Republika Srpska Army to support the weaker forces of the so-called Army of BiH and the HVO. Through this, NATO directly intervened in the conflict, violating international law," Mazalica emphasized.

He said that NATO countries used similar scenarios in Ukraine; for example, in Bucha and Kramatorsk, demonstrating that the same methodology was applied against both Serbs and Russians, including the preparation of domestic public opinion.

The Day of Remembrance for the victims of NATO bombing in Republika Srpska will be marked tomorrow in Istočno Sarajevo, during which depleted uranium ammunition was used. The attacks killed 47 members of the Republika Srpska Army and at least seven civilians, and wounded more than 100 soldiers and seriously injured 21 civilians.

During sixteen days of bombing, NATO forces dropped more than 1,000 bombs on the territory of Republika Srpska, including Tomahawk missiles, with a total explosive weight of around 10,000 tons.

In addition, depleted uranium ammunition was used, the effects of which are still felt by the population today.

The initiative to mark the Day of Remembrance for the victims of NATO bombing was launched in Andrićgrad on August 26, 2018, at the proposal of the Republika Srpska News Agency – SRNA.