The *FREE ARAB VOICE*
May 23, 1999

In this issue of the Free Arab Voice (FAV):

1) A Puzzling Question: Why are Palestinians Excluded from the Work of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)?! By Abdallah
Hammoudeh

2) A Message from Yugoslavia to the Arab People by Predrag Milicevic

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1) A Puzzling Question! By Abdallah Hammoudeh

Introduction: What is UNHCR ?
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is an office
established in January, 1951, to provide UN protection for refugees
worldwide.  According to the international Agreement on Refugees that
fomented UNHCR, that UN agency's mandate is to protect refugees and STRIVE
TO REPATRIATE THEM TO THE HOME COUNTRIES FROM WHENCE THEY CAME.

However, Palestinians are to be excluded from the work of UNHCR. A special
paragraph in the aforementioned Agreement, specifically paragraph D in the
first part of the first article, under the definition of the term 'refugee',
stipulates that "this agreement shall not apply to persons currently
receiving aid or protection from other agencies of the UN" (like UNRWA!).
The paragraph adds nevertheless that should such aid or protection be
discontinued before the final status of beneficiaries is settled
conclusively according to UN resolutions, they would certainly benefit from
the articles of the 1951 Refugee Agreement!  Paragraph E adds furthermore
that that the Agreement on Refugees shall not apply to refugees bestowed the
rights and obligations associated with holding the citizenship of the
countries that currently host them!

In short, the above paragraphs effectively exclude Palestinians from the
work of the UNHCR, allegedly because they are already covered under another
UN agency, UNRWA, since December 1949.  And this more so because past and
ongoing efforts to settle them in the countries of their diaspora render
them legally into 'as if' citizens of those countries.

What is UNRWA?
- - - - - - -

UNRWA (United Nations Relief Work Agency) was established on the heels of
Resolution 302 of the UN's General Assembly in December 1949. It meant to
provide aid and employment to Palestinian refugees, to prevent famine and
poverty amongst them, and to consult with respective governments in
preparation for such a time when international aid is no longer available.
In the mid-nineties UNRWA employed about 22 thousand to provide the modicum
of a network of badly needed services in education, health, social services,
and relief work for Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West
Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

But NOWHERE IN THE CHARTER OR THE PRACTICE OF UNRWA IS THERE ANY PRETENSION
THAT THE AGENCY SEEKS TO RETURN PALESTINIANS TO THEIR LAND. Therein lies the
crucial POLITICAL difference between UNRWA and UNHCR: the former does not
concern itself with returning refugees to their land, the latter does.
However, the latter has legal leeway to omit Palestinians from its agenda.
In fact, sifting through the publications of UNHCR, one will hardly find the
word 'Palestinian' once.  [You can order UNHCR publications from UNHCR,
P.O.Box: 2500, 1211 Geneva 2 Depot, Switzerland.  You can also call (022)
739-8502, or fax (022) 739-7315.  In fact, feel free to contact the
addresses above to ask UNHCR why it would cover Kosovans, to give but a
recent example, but not Palestinians, in its work - FAV].

What is UN Resolution 194?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Paragraph 11 of UN Resolution 194 states succinctly that Palestinian
refugees seeking to return to their land should be allowed to do so, whereas
those who don't are entitled to compensation for all possessions, injuries,
or damage incurred.   Thus it is plain that neither UNRWA nor UNHCR would be
off the boundaries of international law or UN resolutions should it espouse
the Palestinian right of return.  On the contrary, we find the issues of
refugees worldwide posed daily through UNHCR, while the United States
government, and Western states in general, present one plan after another to
settle Palestinians here or there, as long as it is  outside Palestine.

Note as well that the issues of Jerusalem, settlements, and refugees were
postponed in the Oslo Agreements till the stage of negotiations on final
status, even after the elapse of more than fifty year since the Nakba and
the concomitant creation of the refugee problem.  The Wadi Arabah Treaty
with Jordan on the other hand points out in article 8 to the need for
further negotiations on refugees, and to the need to implement UN welfare
programs, "including ASSISTANCE IN THEIR SETTLEMENT", meaning settling
Palestinians outside their land in opposition to UN Resolution 194.

The Protocol of 1967
- - - - - - - - - - -

In the 1951 Agreement on refugees, Arab states were not a signatory while
"Israel" was.  The same thing occurred with the 1967 Protocol on Refugees.
Arab states were neither present nor concerned with the proceedings.  Later
on, the honest efforts of a few Palestinian and Arab experts generated the
Cairo Declaration for the Protection of Refugees.  In 1992, in the fervor of
the Intifada, the Fourth Arab Convention on Refugees issued a call to
implement UN Resolution 194, and urged Arab states which have not joined the
1951 Agreement and 1967 Protocol on refugees to do so.  Later on, Madrid,
Oslo, and Wadi Arabah reversed the progress made in the direction of
seriously addressing the Palestinian refugee problem.

A Suggestion:
- - - - - - -
Frequently we hear news about cuts and the need to reduce UNRWA staff or
services due to shortages that typically reach a few million dollars.  But
mind you, the budget of UNHCR ran in the mid-nineties into an annual $1.3
billion.

But this should not lead us to conclude that UNRWA services should be
terminated all of a sudden.  UNRWA provides real services and employment to
tens of thousands of Palestinians.  So we are suggesting instead that either
UNRWA be given real prerogatives and resources to cater to the protection of
  Palestinian refugees, and to promote their right of return, or that UNRWA
be taken over  by UNHCR, to become one of its regional executive branches.

We emphasize here that the suggestion above does not in any way conflict
with other forms of the Palestinian struggle.  On the contrary, having
Palestinians covered under the UNHCR mandate sets great obstacles in the
path of current attempts to liquidate the issue of Palestinian refugees
Oslo-style.  It also consolidates all those groups concerned with the
question of Palestinian refugees, whether Palestinian, Arab, or
international, on the common grounds of a realizable platform.

Shimon Perez mentioned in his book The New Middle East that the Jews are a
nation of refugees led back to their homeland by the dream of return, after
the passage of hundreds of years.  Yet he wonders in the same book why
millions of Palestinians still carry the label 'refugee' after only a few
decades!  In response we can only tell Perez and Zionists of all colors:
it's true the Arab homeland is vast and Palestinians are Arabs, but we will
never stop striving to return to Palestine.  Palestinian national rights are
not revoked by the passage of time.
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2) A Message from a Yugoslav to the Arab People by Predrag Milicevic

[In the last issue of the Free Arab Voice (FAV), "Special CIA Document on
Yugoslavia", we condemned Nato Strikes on that country and sneered at claims
that the U.S. government launched its criminal campaign against Yugoslavia
to protect Muslims.  We oppose all forms of ethnic cleansing or religious
fanaticism anywhere, by anyone, against anyone, whether Muslim, Christian,
or Jew, whether Serb, Croat, or Albanian. But we recognize that from the
strategic perspective of the best interest of the peoples of the Third
World, we are better off with more not less opponents and allies in the face
of the most threatening injustice of the New World Order.  Furthermore, we
consider it part of our mission to provide a forum for all those
anti-imperialists and anti-Zionists excluded from the mainstream.  Below is
a message from the heart of Belgrade to Arabs and Muslims everywhere.  Enjoy
- FAV].

To better understand the reasons and goals of the unjustified aggression of
NATO on Yugoslavia, which commenced on April 24, we have to look back
several decades.

After World War II, there were three political and military blocks in the
world: NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and a third Nonaligned block, which was formed
during the 60's to represent the countries of the Third World, but which
hardly played the most pivotal role on the international scene.  The
Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), alongside India and
Egypt, founded the Nonaligned Movement which supported Third World struggles
and causes in international organizations, and which sometimes rendered to
these newly formed countries economical and technical assistance.

In this context, the SFRY supported actively the struggle of Palestinians
and other Third World causes, and condemned the racist regime in South
Africa.

The far-reaching goal of the U.S. Government  has been to establish and
maintain a uni-polar world, as represented by the New World Order.  A major
step towards that goal was the eastern-European breakdown in the early 90's,
especially the disintegration of the USSR and the German merger.  Along with
these historic changes, SFRY had also been disintegrated, primarily with the
secession of Slovenia and Croatia, followed by FYRM and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The biggest influence leading up to the disintegration of the SFRY came from
across the Atlantic, of course with the help of western European allies,
primarily in Germany.

By forcing international recognition of the newly created Slovenia and
Croatia, the U.S. ensured longtime political influence in this country.
Consequently, an especially cruel and brutal war brewed in
Bosnia-Herzegovina between Serbs, Croats, and Muslims.  The war brought
hundreds of thousands of casualties and refugees and destroyed the economy.
Then this war ended with a peace that the U.S government brokered in the
so-called Dayton agreement, which is used as instrument of American
long-term presence in the Balkans.

To achieve full control over the Balkans, and unmolested access into the
Middle East and farther in India and China, it was crucial to dominate the
FRY-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). FRY didn't
accept the status of another puppet in the New World Order.  This led to a
serious deterioration of relationships with the U.S. and Western Europe, and
finally to economic sanctions in 1992.

The formal reason for imposing sanctions was the shelling of a market place
in Sarajevo, allegedly by Bosnian Serbs.  In spite of a UN report denying
the whole story, which by the way was not presented to the Security Council
of the UN, sanctions were imposed. Although the paper was publicly presented
afterwards, sanctions weren't lifted.

The ultimate goal of sanctions was the economic and military decline of the
FRY, which would supposedly lead to the acceptance of U.S. terms.  Although
the sanctions had a devastating effect on the Yugoslav economy and the
standard of living of the population, the FRY didn't accept the loss of
independence and freedom.  Such behavior by the Yugoslav leadership and
people caused even greater rage by the U.S. Government.  By one of the
articles of Dayton agreement, sanctions were lifted, but thanks to U.S.
influence in international relations, a big part of sanctions package is
still on, known as the "outer wall" of sanctions.

Since it failed to achieve its goal with sanctions, the U.S. tried to
provoke a "war" in Kosovo and Metohija.  Although many ethnic groups live in
this Serbian province (Serbs, Montenegrins, Albanians, Turks, Goranians,
Egyptians and others), the U.S. seemed more   concerned with the rights of a
part of Albanians- that part which doesn't acknowledge the Serbian
government, and that is represented by a terrorist organization.  They are
terrorizing and killing not only the Serbs, but Albanians as well who want
to live in peace with other people.  The U.S. directly or through their
allies arm terrorists. Terrorist leaders are also the leaders of
drug-smuggling criminal gangs, and they share some of their profits with
certain representatives of the U.S. government.

To obtain affection from Islamic countries, especially Arab countries rich
with mineral resources, the U.S. is trying to give this conflict a
"religious" component, although anybody even slightly informed about the
Balkans knows that there are Albanians that are both Christian and Moslem.
Moreover, if the U.S. had been really concerned with the position of Moslems
in the world, it wouldn't have committed genocide in Iraq, where people,
especially children die because of lack of food or medicines due to U.S.
enforced sanctions.

The truth is that there isn't ethnic conflict in Kosovo.  Members of all
ethnic communities share the same rights.  The real issue is that the U.S.
wants the right of secession for Albanians in Kosovo. After that we would
see it joining with the Republic of Albania.  That way, the U.S. would
obtain control over the Balkans.  But one thing slips their minds: half of
the population in Kosovo isn't Albanian, and is loyal to the government of
FRY.

Since after Rambouillet and the Paris talks (actually, there weren't any
negotiations between Serbs and Albanians), representatives of Serbs and
other ethnic communities loyal to FRY refused to sign an ultimatum given by
the U.S. and some terrorists. That ultimatum was rather humiliating and
practically denied the sovereignty of Serbia over Kosovo. Nobody with a
clear mind would sign it, as they knew all along, the crisis reached its
climax.

On 24.04.1999 NATO, under the leadership of the U.S., committed an
unjustified aggression on FRY. This brutal and criminal act doesn't have
support in any international legal act. The formal reason for aggression
was, supposedly, humanitarian catastrophe!

But the humanitarian catastrophe occurred after the aggression, which has
violated all legal and humanitarian codes known to the civilized world.
Military objects aren't the only ones which were bombed.  Other targets
included roads, bridges, power stations and some crucial "strategic objects"
such as: schools, hospitals, universities, even churches and mosques.
Aggression brought hundreds of thousands refugees, people who are left
without a home, and are forced by NATO to seek shelter in neighboring
countries.

If the U.S. and NATO care about Albanians at all, they wouldn't have bombed
the refugee convoy, killing about 70 innocent Albanian refugees. Those
Albanians were returning to their homes by the way.

To achieve its goal, the U.S. will fight to the last Serb, Montenegrin or
Albanian.

Serbs, who are Christian Orthodox, don't mind living with Albanians and
other ethnic communities of various religions, because they have lived with
them for centuries (There are 26 ethnic communities in FRY).

The New World Order, through its representatives-multinational companies,
are trying to diminish the importance of all the nations, cultures, and
religions, which are rooted in thousands of years of tradition.  The makers
of the New World Order have neither cultural wealth, nor tradition, because
their nation is only two centuries old.  On the other hand, we have an
existence of multi-milleniums many of the nations in Europe, Asia, North
Africa.

In achieving this goal, the creators of the New World Order have undisputed
support from the governments of several European countries.  Such
self-humiliation by the Europeans is absolutely inadmissible for the
countries and nations that gave us Shakespeare, Goethe, Hugot, and Da Vinci.

In FRY, here and now, there's not only the battle for the existence of FRY
and their people, but also the struggle between the New World Order and the
rest of those who don't want to become its peons, who want to preserve their
independence and freedom.  Kosovo and Metohija are but a testing field for
the U.S. government and the creators of the New World Order.  This scenario,
if proven successful, will be applied throughout the world: Russia, India,
and China.

FRY, Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries which have been fighting the New
World Order for many years are the last warning to the world's conscience,
Europe's conscience in the first place.  The world has to stand up to this
aggression in the name of milleniums of civilization, and in the name of the
future.  That is an obligation to ancestors and descendants.  If we don't
restrain the creators of the New World Order, we'll be facing the World War
III, which would have cataclysmic effects.
WORLD, WAKE UP!
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