by Jack Cashill, ©1999
News Talk 980 KMBZ
Posted on Cashill Newsletter
July 15, 1999*

“The International Waco” is what the usually mild-mannered, internationally-oriented Jack Kemp calls the battle over Kosovo.

Although he does not specify the parallels, they are ripe. A proud, if imperfect, group of people who mind their own business get blasted into smithereens while the world watches in bored amusement, the media regurgitate the official line, and the administration lies with impunity. The net result, in both cases, a whole lot of innocent people die in vain, many of them children.

Let’s face it: Kosovo was a war of lies, many of them still unexplored.

There was no genocide either before or after the bombing started. The claims of 100,000 plus dead were absurd the moment they were uttered.

According to the German courts, which investigated closely, there was no ethnic cleansing before the bombing started.

Of course we didn’t declare war or even get a cover of congressional approval.

We did not honor UN law on waging war, but I’m not gonna lose any sleep over this one.

Yes, the bottom line was oil, not honor. Keep your eye on the Caspian sea.

The Rambouillet accords were not at all reasonable. They demanded, among other things, that Yugoslavia allow full, uncompensated access to NATO troops wherever NATO chose to go in Yugoslavia, not just Kosovo. They gave Kosovars the right to declare independence in three years. They even demanded educational autonomy for the people of Kosovo--something the people of Kansas City don’t have, now being in their 22nd year of occupation by the Federal judiciary.

Yes, we did join in, at least in part, to get John Huang and Juanita off the front pages.

Of course, NATO targeted civilians. Ask the survivors of the Serb TV station. If propaganda is reason enough to bomb a TV station, NATO should have taken out CNN on the first night.

Yes, Bill did ignore the War Powers act with impunity. Like the sexual harassment laws and the independent counsel act, that too was written to snag Republicans.

Of course, Bill was willing to compromise. NATO made at least four major concessions: UN oversight, Russian troops, no vote on independence, and no access to Serbia. We could have had this on day one.

Yes, NATO lied when it told the Russians it would not claim victory. The hard liners are still seething.

No, we didn’t destroy the Yugoslavian army. Fact is NATO killed many more civilians than it did soldiers, and the KLA probably killed as many Yugo soldiers as NATO did. But, of course, that was going on before the bombing started. Oops! Are we supposed to talk about that?

Slobo was no more a Hitler than David Koresh was a James Jones. If we don’t get Slobo on genocide, next thing we’ll be trying him on crystal meth and child abuse charges.

Yes, you can expect a lot of evidence will be “lost” or “found” as need be.

Six years after Waco, the American people know no more than they did when it happened. The media don’t want you to know.

Don’t hold your breath on Kosovo. Just be happy that WJC hasn’t commissioned a chiseler to start in on Mt. Rushmore.

*And now for some vintage material from 1999:

" Jack Cashill co-hosts "Talk Back with Mary (O'Halloran) and Jack" on News Radio 980 KMBZ 9-11 AM. Jack occupies the chair Rush Limbaugh previously [occupied] while in Kansas City.

Jack is a public speaker, author, political consultant, creative director for tv and radio campaigns and an Emmy Award video producer.

You can reach Jack Cashill at Cashill Marketing & Communications . . ."