Toward a Genuine Peace in Kosovo.

Resolution of the Federal Board of the German Greens on Kosovo Second Extraordinary Assembly of Federal Delegates of May 13, 1999 in Bielefeld Let's conciliate peace and human rights--

In Kosovo the Milosevic regime is waging a war of destruction and expulsion against the large Albanian majority. We are witnessing there a repetition of the atrocities and humanitarian disasters of the war in Bosnia for which, yet again; the Serbian government and its accomplices bear the main responsibility. Since March 24, 1999 NATO units have been bombing targets throughout Yugoslavia with the declared aim of enforcing a peace agreement between representatives of the Kosovo-Albanian majority and the Yugoslav government. Thus put an end to decades of repression of the Albanians, halt the expulsions--which have been going on for a long time--and push through a settlement granting them autonomy. The Yugoslav president Milosevic could have put an end to the air attacks had he shown himself more willing to negotiate. Instead, he has intensified his active expulsions in a monstrous campaign against the entire Kosovar civilian population.

In foreign policy, Bundnis 90/The Greens have always based their position on two fundamental principles: demilitarization of politics and rejection of violence, and safeguarding and enforcing human rights. In the evaluation of the Kosovo conflict these two basic principles lead to a conflict of objectives. Serious objections and counter-arguments of international law accentuate the conflict; especially because there is no UN mandate for NATO's military action. We are also facing another dilemma. On the one hand, Red-Green foreign policy must develop effective strategies against the genocidal policy of the Milosevic regime. On the other hand, it faces a situation that has been partly brought about by decades of mistakes and failures on the part of the West. Mistakes that had, by the time the new German government took office, already escalated to such a point that concepts such as civilian conflict prevention could obviously no longer work.

The decision whether to support or reject intervention in Yugoslavia against the degrading policies of the Yugoslav government must for most of us have been the most difficult political decision ever. Many have come to realize that the point cannot be to decide which principle of Green policy has a higher priority: safeguarding and protecting human rights or declaring one's adherence to pacifism and anti-militarism. There is no single objectively right answer to this situation. On this point we expressly respect the fact that members of our party came to divergent conclusions. We do not dispute the political seriousness or moral will of either side. We are convinced that we can continue to work together on the basis of mutual respect, notwithstanding significant political differences.

We stand united in our abhorrence of political crime, acts of murder, torture, rape, taking the civilian population hostage and ethnic cleansing. We stand united in our determination to put an end to violence and the hundreds and thousands of violations of human rights. We stand united in seeking to make Germany a land open to refugees from the embattled region. To us, therefore, the moral legitimacy of stopping the actions of...